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There's no reason why you SHOULD like coupes. But if you're attracted to the TC for it's looks and punchy engine, you should know that the TC is a bit more practical than many other coupes. Firstly, that tallish rounded roofline affords back-seat passengers with an unusualy generous amount of headroom. Secondly, the TC has an exceptionally long wheelbase for a car of its size, so rear seat legroom is nearly as generous (more so in some cases) than a comparably priced 4 door sedan. Then there's that huge full-length sunroof, standard 17inch wheels, and an excellent sound system. Basically, if you don't like coupes, you don't like coupes. If you want one and are put off by the realtive impracticality, take another look at it, because it's an excellent deal.
I'm surprised that you think Scions are cheaply made. Did yous sense cheapness when looking at them at the dealer, or are you merely sceptical of their quality because of their low price? If it's the latter, then don't worry. Scions are not poorly made. Underneath their unique sheetmetal, they're toyotas, as Toyota owns and created Scion as a "youth brand" to capture the young market that they had pretty much abandoned with their rather "mature" standard lineup of Corollas and Camry's. If you're already familiar with toyotas, then you know they're built to a very high standard, and have an excellent reputation for reliability.
I'm no industry insider, but I suspect that Scions are so surprisingly affordable because a) they NEED to be in order to attract the "young" buyers that they want, and more importantly b) they're simply made out of trusty Toyota parts that have been around for a while.
As an example, the Scion TC has a unique body, but is supended by Toyota Celica suspension, and powered by a 2.4L Camry/RAV4 engine. THe xB is based on a toyota Corolla and is powered by the same 2.4L engine as the Camry/RAV4. I've not yet sampled the 2008 xB, but I have driven the TC and the XA, and I can assure you that they are exceptionally well made for their price. Compare the quality of the finish and materials to a similarly priced Chevy Cobalt of Dodge Caliber, for example, and you'll understand right away what I mean.
With all that said, if you're looking for something speedy, however, you'll probably be dissapointed with the Scion xB. The TC is rather quick as it's lighter and has the same engine. The xB, however, is over 3000lb. It's definately not slow, and with a manual transmission, will probably serve you just fine when you feel like punching it from a stoplight. But if you're comparing that to V6 versions of the Mazda6 or Altima, you'll be dissapointed.
So on to other options. For a new car at that price range, you have a couple other options. As long as you keep the options to a minimum, the Mazda3 is an excellent car that you can find for right around $17K. I find it to be one of the best-looking sedans/wagons on the road at any price, and it's also one of the best handling. The base engine is a 150HP 2L, which is fine, but the 2.3L option (standard on the wagon) offers a bit more power and a lot more torque. Either car comes with an exceptionaly nice interior and high levels of general fit and finish.
Mistsubishi just came out with a new Lancer, with is much more interesting that the model it replaced. An ES version with a manual transmission and 152HP engine comes in under $17K and is reported to handle very well indeed. Be aware of the automatic, however, as it's a CVT (continuously variable transmission) that doesn't have gears, but rather, holds a certain RPM based on throttle imput. This transmission is supposed to be more efficient, but it hamperes acceleration a bit. However, you might find it fun that the CVT comes with shift paddles that allow you to manually shift the non-existant gears. Basically, when you use the shift paddles, the CVT replicates separate ratios and acts as a normal automatic/manual transmission.
If you're open to a hatchback, you should also look at VW's Rabbit. you can pick one up for about 17 with a minimum of options and with the 2.5L 5cyl engine. I'm not sure when, but any minute now, the 2008 Rabbits should be arriving, which feature the same 2.5L as before, but with an extra 20HP--to 170HP. The old 150HP engine was a mixed-bag. It had huge torque at very low RPM, and so it FELT fast off the line. But it ran out of power before 5000RPM, so it was never ACTAULLY that quick. the 170HP version will likely be just as torque, and will probably add a bit more power to the high RPM range, thus making it throughly competative with the cars in it's price range. Plus, even a stripped-down VW Rabbit is surprisingly luxurious, not because of any fancy features, but because it's made to a rather high standard. Fit/finish and materials inside and out are designed and built to be acceptable in the $30,000 loaded versions of the GLI and GTI. The benefit to folks looking for the base version is that everything you see and touch on the car is of a high quality--and many parts are shared with the more expensive audis.
Actaully, much of that holds true for all of the above-mentioned cars. If you crave luxury and performance options like big alloy wheels, sunroof, multidisc changers, subwoofers, GPS, and such, you can easily option these cars well past $20K. But all of them come standard with a perfectly acceptable list of features like the usual airbag package, CDplayer with MP3 and iPod compatability, powerwindows/locks, Airconditioning, etc.
As for used cars:
The Mazda6 is excellent, and with the V6, rather speedy. But it's nowhere near as fast as an Altima. Actaully, I'm not a big fan of the Mazda6's V6. It makes decent power (220), but it's a Ford Duratec engine, which were never particularly good. It's reliable, but it makes it's power way up high in the RPM range. It'll get you where you're going in a hurry, but it's not as muscular as the big 3.5Liter V6 in the Altima. Both cars are also available with smaller engines--2.3L for the Mazda, and 2.5L for the Altima. the Mazda's 4Cyl is a bit underpowered for such a big car, but the Altima's is plenty powerful--175HP if I recall correctly.
Remember that finding a car with leather and various premium options is easy, but it'll cost you. You might be able to find a 3 year old Mazda6 or Altima with 30K miles on it for $15K, but it won't have leather, and in the case of the Altima, probably wont' have the V6. You could find fully loaded examples of both, but they'll be either older, or have much higher mileage. If you're concerned about reliability, or if you'll be responsible for basic maintenance and repairs throughout the car's lifetime, you might want to forgoe the premium options in favor of a newer car with lower mileage.
If you want something really nice, find yourself a 3 year old VW Passat with the 1.8T engine. On paper, it's nothing special, with just 170HP. But that little turbo spools up fast, and delivers maximum torque at 2000RPM. As a result, the car feels quick, and is quick. You'll need premium gas, but it also gets decent mileage. It's not a sports car, but it's nimble, grips well, and is exceptionally luxurious. Actaully, it's basically the same as an Audi A4 and A6. As a result, it feels very rich inside and out.
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