It depends on what you're looking for.
I came from a Lexus LS400, so the initial change was a bit tough, and none of the issues showed up during the test drive.
The advantages certainly outweight the disadvantages at the discounted prices (I paid $15,900 for mine in the beginning of Oct).
Here's my 2 cents for you:
IF
-You want to mod this car to make it significantly faster, DO NOT BUY. It's not as easy as it sounds, upping the boost is appearing to be risky.
-You want a quiet, pleasant, untempermental car, DO NOT BUY. The engine is not quite (it's not super loud either), the suspension is stiff (not back breaking though), and the car acts differently on different days.
-You want a vault-like car with super-quality construction, DO NOT BUY. There are several pesky rattles found around the front doors, the trunk area, the suspension clunks, and the rear stereo deck lid is known to make tiny rattles.
-You want one of the best handling cars available, BUY THIS CAR.
-You can live with low to mid 15 second performance, BUY THIS CAR.
-You enjoy driving aggressively at the cost of a comfortable, quiet ride, BUY THIS CAR.
-You want a new car and don't want to spend more then $16k, BUY THIS CAR.
If you plan on keeping the car stock and can live with little oddities the car is awesome. If you have the mod bug it can be a bit depressing at times, especially since most turbo'd cars out there offer so much bang for the buck on the upgrade scene. The stereo is very nice for an econo-car, but it's not spectacular. The brakes, suspension, and LSD all work very well together. The engine is decent, it gets great gas mileage, but it hesitates from time to time and seems to have good and bad days. The suspension is awesome but it squeaks when it's cold due to poly-urethane bushings (squeak goes away after a few minutes of driving). It needs to be under 45F for the squeak to be heard.
Make sure you want to buy this car, it's not for everyone.
I'm on the fence myself. Coming from a Lexus LS400 it's just a bit too radical for me, and it's not quite fast enough for me to think the oddities of the engine are worth it. I've accepted the rattles due to the insane handling that is offerd, and through the dealer and my own working I've eliminated 90% of the rattles. Unfortunately, every car I want to replace this one is twice as expensive (G35, A4, GTO, EVO, etc.). If I had to do it ALL over again, I would've probably just bought the $21k ($5k off MSRP) fully loaded 5spd Mazda 6s.
Good luck to you, email me or PM me if you want to ask any more questions. I'm 22, but am a professional who acts and socializes more with 30 year olds. If your the average 16-23 guy, this car is probably for you.
This is a high school kids DREAM car, that's the best I can describe it. The rims, sound system, performance, room for friends, flashy body kit and paint make this a perfect high-school car. For parents, it's relatively safe and not super fast, although I'd probably be dead the way I drove when I was 16.
Hope this helps.
