i just bought a stagea, and was actually looking for a series 2.
all were priced in the range of 18,000-20,000. (dealer prices) and one privatly wanted 20k also
i ended up buying an S1 with full leather and dual sunroofs for 16.3k. 1 owner vehicle in jap, i am now the second owner here in oz. has all import papers etc.
you can usually look at the exterior/interior to justify the kms of the vechicle.
mine has "71,000" on the clock, and i believe it, the interior is immac. and overall the car is clean and it was a garaged vehicle.
its up to you, but i couldnt justfy ~4k thereabouts for the exact same car bar a few differences in the motor/gearbox and styling.
like your partner, i didnt like the fog lights in the grille.
goodluck with the purchase. once you buy one, you will never look back!
cheers
jarryd.