Thank you all for your information. It is very helpful.
Some people mentioned the simplicity of Mazda 2. That's what I actually like about it. If it were legal, I would probably strip out the interior and put some racing seats with roll cage, but I still need to drop off the kids to school :)...
I currently drive 2004 VW Jetta 1.8T. I've owned it for 3+ years and modified it slightly during this time to keep it fun. With the cat-back exhaust and performance software it is pushing 210hp+, but it is NOT all about the horsepower and torque. I am only averaging 21mpg (80% freeway, 20% city)...