Originally Posted by
Greg K
ones id be looking at (in this order)
1.0 Golf VI
2.0 SP25
3.0 Corolla
4.0 i30
5.0 Lancer Sportsback
6.0 Impreza RS
7.0 civic
my old man has an 05 impreza RS (2.5ltr auto) and to be honest, its a huge slug of a car. Add to that that its not that versatile (back seats dont fold down), its a car thats reliable, cheap to run, but not the cream of the crop. He drove the SP25 recently and much preferred the drive of the Mazda. The Golf, to me would be the most enticing auto to drive out of the lot.
As for the Mazda, with anything new that pushes the envelope of opinions and personal perference, it will take time to get used to it. I personally admire Mazda for being funky with their design and depending on colour choice, you can mask up certain areas that might not be so appealing.
The Corolla (read 'boring') is the safest option. Not my cup of tea, but theres a reason why its the best selling car.
i30 has won many motoring awards, and should be discounted as an option IMO