 I shopped around and drove everything. I compared the Mazda3, Chevy Cobalt SS, Honda Civic, Chrysler 300, Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy...you name it. Finally, I tried the Rabbit. It's such a fun car to drive! The stereo is excellent. The handling is incredibly precise (you feel like you could drive around cones all day!), they offer you tons of features. It even has heated cloth seats and heated side mirrors!  Plus it has A/C vents for the rear seats (very cool) and  traction control!  I am shocked that our new Rabbit (150hp) is even faster than out V6 Ford Escape (220hp V6).  This is a huge improvement over the Golf.  If you're considering a Mazda3 or a Civic, give this a try, you won't regret it!