[Artmasterx]

First, are you looking new or used or both?

I can't say much about long-term reliability, and really anything with a turbo has the potential for issues down the road. Back in 08 I looked at a Mazdaspeed3, Legacy GT, and briefly at the WRX.

I thought the MS3 was a lot of fun, but the interior quality is about what you'd expect... decent but not great in terms of fit and finish. All that torque makes it really fun and it actually sounds pretty good for what it is. If you are looking used and want the older body style, definitely look for a 08.5-09 grand touring which has the alcantara seat inserts. It's definitely worth a test drive.

If I was to move back to the US today, I would also seriously consider the '11 WRX, since the new body style is significantly better looking than 08-10, and it is fast and relatively cheap if you get the base model. It would also be good for the occasional snow you get in NoVa.

The GTI will probably get the best all-around tag. My brother has an 06 or 07 that he has really liked. It has a nice interior and a good all-around build but won't be near as fast as the other two. It will also win the MPG fight rather easily. The new Golf R that is coming out should be excellent though if you want AWD, but it would be getting a bit pricy.

Some others you could consider may be the coming-soon Focus ST, Mini Cooper S, Audi A3...