My wife and I hated her focus and both wanted it gone, and I we entertained the idea of her taking my car and I getting a new one over a beer one saturday afternoon. I called the local toyota dealer, and the lady on phone said their sister subi dealer had just gotten 3 manual BRZs in stock. Coming off my 128i, I never thought I could be so happy in a non-Euro car again. Never the less, the top gear episode with Jeremy effortlessly sliding around had piqued my interest. I had the following monday off work so I went to go test drive. I figured worst case I got to burn up someone else's tires a little bit and maybe freak out a salesman. I went for a drive and enjoyed myself; but as with any manual, adapting to new throttle response and different grab points made for a hesitant drive and a lot of over revved starts. I drove home and pondered for the next few days. That wednesday I thought about how I wanted to go back to the dealer just to drive it more, and realized this feeling meant I must have one. two weeks later we got carmax to buy her focus and took delivery. I sprung for Limited to keep the push to start and climate control, as I was certainly not down grading to putting a metal key into a steering column like some sort of cave man. Comfort access (or whatever the hell, seems like BMW is the only one with a name for wireless keys) and heated mirrors, as well as auto darkening and bluetooth, were welcome upgrades I had pined after for some time. Now, I couldn't be happier. Sure the backseat is a joke to appease insurance companies and the HP and torque are about 15% less than the 1, but the undeniably enjoyable drive is more than worth it. The engine isn't really even broken in yet, so I (mostly) try to keep my hoonery to a minimum, but it is without a doubt the perfect balance in almost every way. Price/features; weight/power; sophistication/ease of modding; sports car/daily driveability. The BRZ is easily the most enjoyable car I have driven. Ever.
