$12,000 = £7,689 and you said £5k-£7k, so...
Anyway, $12k is bit high, especially for a car with possible bad motor/transmission mounts and alignment (and probably suspension) issues.
I agree about the power band...S has more power, but where are you supposed to use it without breaking the law or tracking your car (and therefore dumping tons of $ into tires, suspension and brakes much more often)?
I prefer to use that peppy power band on a daily basis with the 2.5, 5 speed. Fast acceleration, fast and smooth shifts.
(also a dual row IMSB
)