 I'm a hot hatch aficionado. Over the years I've owned several, and when the time came to get out of the family hauler I knew I wanted another. I drove everything: Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Focus RS, Civic SI, Civic Type R, WRX, even hot-ish hatches like the new Cruze and Mazda3. For every criteria that I decided a particular car missed, the GTI landed it square in the middle. It's not as engaging as the Fords, or as sharp as the Honda, or as burly as the Subaru, but it's ALMOST as good, and by being so versatile and generally GOOD while not falling on its face in any one area it wins. I haven't had it long enough to comment on reliability, but CR is indicating the 2017 is Above Average, whereas the 2015 and 2016 models were merely average. Fuel economy is fine, averaging 25 MPG in mostly city driving. And the bottom line is I get excited every time I know I'm about to drive somewhere, even if it's just to slog it out in traffic. At some point I'll have the opportunity to let it its thing. I'll say the trick VAQ differential is a game changer - this car handles like no other FWD car I've ever driven. The DSG is also a bit of a revelation. I'm a manual guy, but my wife isn't comfortable driving one, so the DSG is again a great compromise. The kids' booster seats are also easy peasy, and there's still plenty of space for (minor) Costco runs. Just a great car. Full disclosure, I got my 2017 as the '18 cars were coming out, meaning I got crazy incentives - about $8,000 off sticker. I'd have a hard time paying the $33k they wanted, but it's a steal at $25k. Would buy again.