Well, after a couple months of looking at several different cars, we finally came to the conclusion the Mazda3 offers the best bang and fun for the buck. We picked up our rally white 2.3 liter 5-speed with no options (the car is fairly well equipped without them). We are going with aftermarket leather next week. This car does not feel at all like a $16K car. The fit/finish is great and the 2.3 liter has quite the pull. I've owned several 4-cylinder cars in the past (Talon, Intergra GSR) and the Mazda3 is quite impressive.
edit: title (flipped cracker)
edit: title (flipped cracker)
