Good luck with the new car and glad to see you've done the research. It sure is fun shopping for one! :thumbup:
My comments -
You over-looked the MX5. It's the only true motorcycle auto. And, you overlooked the TSX, not the wagon. If you liked the Civic, you would have enjoyed the TSX. We just bought a new 2014 2 weeks ago. The 6-speed manual really wakes it up. And, it was in the $25K budget - we got a good deal
Known reliability issues with several you mentioned, like Audi, Mini-cooper, Ford, VW. All, much worse than others. In our neck of the woods, if you ever have a problem with a Subaru, plan on getting very little support. Hopefully, it's a regional thing. I know of 3 people who have had issues and Subaru would not back them. Also, I know of several who have had big dollar repairs with relatively low mileage on them. Things that don't normally go wrong with other Japanese autos. And, as mentioned, I hear they do like to consume oil. Hopefully, yours will be trouble-free!
I'm sure Miata would be a blast, but while it would be fun to go roofless from time to time, it really is strictly a toy. Tiny trunk. BRZ with folded rear seat actually has a huge trunk. I could easily use it for the track... trunk is long enough to put a ramp in, etc.
TSX.. yeah, I suppose I could have test driven that. Ah well.. I know I love driving BRZ.. as long as it's mostly dependable, I'll be happy. :thumbup:
