Lol, there is so much to comment on in this thread now:
1.) It's true, Mazda's new engine will be basically a diesel that burns gas; no spark plugs, just high compression to ignite the gas. Sounds interesting, but we won't have access to it until summer, maybe fall, and I needed a car now, so I thought...well, I love manuals, and they don't sell well, give me the best you've got! Boom!
2.) Subaru is the one brand I revere along with Mazda right now, as they are almost indestructible and always come with 4 wheel drive, which is so, so great. However, I drove a friend's WRX, and it felt more plain and boxy on the inside and its clutch managed to be both sticky and stiff. I hated shifting in it. I then had her drive my 3, and she was like "This car isn't as fast, but oh my god the shifting is so much better!" *shrug* Now with my bigger 2.5L engine, I feel like I get the best of both worlds there; I'm not going to beat anyone with anything serious in a drag race, but I can do 0-60 in 7 seconds and for a daily driver, that kind of power isn't bad at all.
3.) I always thought the older (80's and 90's) Ford trucks were the best of their class? I used to live in small town Florida, and I had a friend with an F150 that was awesome, and another friend with a Ranger with off-road tires on it. Both seemed like amazing trucks, at the time.
4.) The DC Metro is fiiiiiine. It's like the T in Boston, though; it gets you to a general area and then you have to walk or take a bus. New York City's subway is complicated but there is nothing like it in terms of getting you to where you need to go quickly. I miss both cities tremendously.
Note: I was just in Chicago, and the El is fine there, too, but like DC and Boston, again, it's more of a "Get you to a general area" and then its all on you. Also, holy crap that wind is cold when you're up in the air 100 feet.
