[lmp180psu]

avro - if you didnt notice, all of Mitsubishi's cars (sedans) have the similiar interior. We are not putting the 3 against the Evo. We are just saying, if you gonna spend $30k, would you want the same interior as the $15k younger brother?

$30k cars open up a whole new world. We ended up with the STi because of sheer performance. We didnt get the WHALE spoiler or anything of that nature. Hell, my brother recommends going RWD, ha.

Back to the subject, for the money, the build quality on the new 3 is a sure winner. Keep in mind I did, personally, drive what was available in the price range.

Overall, this is how I rate the cars based on driving them:

Mazda3
Matrix
Civic SI hatchback
Jetta Wagon/Jetta
Lancer Ralliart
PT Cruiser
Vibe GT

Dont even think about the CorollaS or the Civic EX, this is the wrong category for them. This list is personal preference. I didnt use any hp or tq figures. I drove them all in a 3 day span.

And besides... I could drive any of them. I work on most of them daily.

Just wondering, how come the Matrix is so high on your list, yet the Vibe GT is last? I thought they are virtually the same car but with different exterior styling. What was so different b/w the 2 IYO that they were not ranked similarly?