+1 on the GTI. I dropped my 997.1S with the Tiptronic a couple years ago for a loaded GTI with the DSG transmission. It seems crazy but the GTI is seriously fun, extremely practical (2 or 4 door) hatchback and actually very upscale fit and finish. It has to be worth a drive. My wife 'hated' hatchbacks before the GTI. I put quotes on the hated because she really had no idea what she was talking about... Anyway... She now loves the car. Only drawback is that there are no power/memory seats available on GTIs

 

Women love the Lexus IS

 

+1 on the Mini Countryman.

If you like the CooperS, but it's just a bit too small, take a serious look at the Countryman. It gets called the "big" Mini, or Mini Crossover, but that's not really fair. Yes, sitting next to a Cooper it looks big...but on the street it's the same size as a GTI and other compact cars. It retains the fun of the CooperS but has 4 doors and 4 seats. This year they've added the John Cooper Works model, and if the room does it for you but the 4 doors don't they have a forthcoming 2 door called the Paceman.

We seriously considered it but they didn't have the JCW available when we were ready. We had long liked the CooperS but i felt it was too small for my build (6'3, 250+), to the point that my feet would get tangled up in the pedals. That was all fixed in the Countryman.

 

I'm thinking of a Ford Focus ST as my '2nd Car' for city duty and golf bag/cart transportation. I've done a couple of test drives and found them 'OK' for the price (approx $27K). The ST version has been in Europe for awhile and the reviews for the most part are favorable.

 

My vote: a boxster spyder, the new mini when it comes out, or the new gti when it comes out. I read it will be 500lbs lighter than the outgoing gti. BTW the new 911 is lighter than the current GTI.

 

Get her an A4 Cabriolet, or even S4 Cab, cute, yet fast and large enough for your boy, and if you got the S4 variant, you can also borrow and enjoy it.

 

You Could give her the Porsche and go get another one. Problem solved

 

Now there's an idea! :-)
Still think we'll have space issues though

 

I've had two GTIs and now a Golf R - I love these cars. If your budget stretches to the mid $50K range, then an S4 would be a great DD.

 

M3,ISF,CTSV,Raptor,S7...Oh sorry,that my list

 

If not an Audi S4 or A4, VW Golf TDI, 4 door, plenty of room and nice torque. I picked this with the intention of getting some miles on it then handing it over in 3+ years when my son gets to driving age. No sunroof, great interior, cold AC, nice touchscreen audio w/ BT, I pod , satellite, etc. and sporty, not to mention 2 years remaining on current warranty with full service at the dealer and 2 years CPO on top of the original warranty. 30-35 mpg all day.

 

A nicely used M3 Cab in the $40K range... enough room for 3, cabs are "cute" per my wife, enough umph to keep you entertained when you need to chauffeur the family.

 

I bought a 2012 VW Golf TDI and love it.
It is fun to drive with gobs of torque, practical with 4 doors and a hatchback, is very refined with a great interior, and I get over 50mpg on the highway as a bonus.
The manual transmission shifts brilliantly to boot.
Plus it's a really safe vehicle, one of the few that have full welded seams not just spot welds.
You can't loose with a VW.
Nice large touch screen as well.
Check one out.

 

We have two MINI Coopers, a Countryman S and a Cabriolet S. I daily drive the Countryman; my wife drives the Cab.
I would highly recommend either model. If you need room for more than two people, the Countryman is the choice.
There are at least six MINIs owned by guys/gals in our PCA region. Not a coincidence.

 

I gotta disagree with you there. M3s in any guise are not cute. Also, I didn't find the current iteration fun. 4100 lbs as a convertible. Yes, monster motor, but you feel the weight.

But I digress - my vote is for a GTI. It's what I'm looking at right now to replace my '97 M3.