@Crestwood23
Many of these suggestions I do not agree with, but to each their own. My recommendations...
VW R32 Mk5.
Unbeatable fun. And this car will smoke most of what has been suggested off of the line due to its lower mass:HP ratio. 4WD means power is split 4 ways, so less tire smoking AND makes it extremely nimble on curves. And boy, does that 3.2L growl. It's THE hot hatch. Customize the exhaust, add Stage 2 or 3 tuning and you have something that would make any car listed in this thread
blush with embarrassment.
For somewhat less, a Mk5 or 6 GTI gets you a better price/performance ratio and highly customizable too. But if you are in the mid-20K's, get the R32.