Original choice is probably your best bet. It's going to have pretty much everything you're looking for; comfortable, sporty, and it's decent looking. As mentioned before, I think the Mazda 3 is at least worth the consideration, and a test drive.
Needing something larger? I think someone already mentioned the new sonata as a possible choice. Crosstrek might be another car to look at once they the updated version is released with more power. I think you can get a Legacy Premium for under 25k. Not sure how that car compares to the Mazda 6 and Accord, though.
|