performance, economy,reliability, and comfort

An interesting dillema; something affordable that says successful/I know what I'm doing, but not ostentatious. If you've got a good "SAAB whisperer" mechanic locally who charges reasonable rates, maybe another SAAB would work? They depreciate so quickly that for the money, they look very nice. And of course the performance is there. Obviously you'll need to budget more for repair and maintenance than for a Honda or something like that, but I'm sure you're aware of that at this point.

If you're ready to move on from a SAAB, you're right at the border of being able to afford an 06 Acura TL/TLX. Maybe you could find a good deal on one or relax the requirements and it would get within your budget. The bonus will be that Honda reliability. Probably won't quite match the SAAB performance though.

In general, though, if you're serious about getting the most impressive and reliable car for the money, you'll just have to see what's available locally. Look for good deals (private party sales, Craigslist, cars at different branded dealerships, etc) and see if you can find something well taken care of a bit below kbb values. Cast a wide net for an Acura, Lexus, Infinity, etc and see what you come up with.