A few others you might consider:
- Ford Focus ST (if you have time, wait for this car and drive it, it's going to be awesome)
- VW GTI / GTI R (new GTI is about 30K, new R is outside the budget) I know VW has certified pre-owned
- 350Z/370Z (used certified will probably not be possible on 350)
- Mazdaspeed 3 (car is a lot of fun, in the price range)
- 1 Series, but will be smaller than BRZ
Hope this helps. If you wanted to look outside the certified pre-owned arena, then this site searches all forums.
http://www.lionseek.com/cars
Given most forums have enthusiasts like us, you'll find some cool already modified cars on it.