I haven't purchased a vehicle in over a decade and I did that with my dad helping me out a lot. I'm now looking for a 4 door that is somewhat sporty (my first was a '98 Maxima SE and I loooved it).

Was looking at bmws and benz's and found a good amount of options in my price range (would like to keep it 30K or less). I've rented a caddy 2x (think both the CTS and ATS models) as well and enjoyed driving it and liked the comfort. I am also focused on ease of ownership and Lexus came up in several articles as having high reliability and I did find a 2015 lexus IS 250 which I find attractive. Makes sense as they're owned by Toyota and my mom has one that I think may literally live forever.

Just looking for some feedback on other make/models worth looking at in that range that are fun to drive/ attractive and will last me a good long time. Should I stay away from the German ones due to long term upkeep costs? Located in the US/ this car will be used infrequently so will also sit in a garage regularly. I am currently using TrueCar as my main searcher with KBB to check pricing. Thanks for any and all help.

*edit - anyone know costs on Lexus repairs? Spoke to a friend who owns one and she said Lexus parts were NOT cheap (150 for a lightbulb!) and that using non Lexus parts voids warranty. So can I not get away with Toyota parts if repairs are needed?