My initial reactions:
2012-13 4-door Golf R - could be less reliable, but you can get one for sub 20k fairly easily that's been extremely well taken care of, and it's got the performance boost but retains the classic 4 door hatch shape and proportions.
2018 Kia Stinger GT/GT1 - Full Disclosure: I used to work as a product specialist for the Stinger and I honestly fell in love with it. If the manual isn't as big of a concern, the Stinger with that 3.3TT motor will be excellent. Plenty of space, plenty of power for making yourself smile, plenty of high quality interior components to tick the relative luxury box. You can get some GT or GT1 RWD options of the stinger with a fair amount of luxury components around that 30k range.
BMW M235i - obviously losing a set of doors, but offers a great balance of performance and luxury that basically gives you 8-9/10ths of the M2 at 6/10ths the price on the used market. And the earlier years of the 2 series were before BMW lost its touch as being capable of actually making 'the ultimate driving machine'.
2016 Audi S3 - I had a chance to drive a 2016 S4 and a 2016 S3 back to back at work, and the S3 gave me a far greater sensation of speed and fun then the S4 did. I would equate it very similarly to how I feel when I drove a Focus ST then get back into my FiST.
Obviously the CTR and the Veloster N, but I see those are far more the performance step up but lacking the extra luxury side, and although they are very niche vehicles in their own right, maybe the ones above are a bit different and offer something else that appeals to you differently.