 My last car was a VW Golf. It served me well for 10+ years. It was a fun-to-drive machine, but quite costly to maintain, especially with age. So I decided it's time for a new car. I test drove 3 hot hatches: new Toyota Matrix (158hp/4cyl); VW Rabbit (170hp/5cyl); Mazda3 5dr (156hp/4cyl). Here's my little comparo.  3rd place, Matrix. Highs: big cargo room, Toyota reliability.  Lows: Mazda3 copy cat, dull handling, peculiar styling, high price (23k for XRS), poor corner visibility due to large A pillar.  2nd place, VW Rabbit. Highs: big engine, VW fun, quality interior. Lows: uncomfortable seat (angled too much), confusing controls, strange "wall" under windshield, questionable reliability.