FWIW, I haved owned both an Si (2012) and a Jetta with optional sport suspension, the VW had a much more better suspension IMO. I grew tired of The Si suspension harshness on even small road imperfections. The VW seems to have a better mix of upgrading the handling while not sacrificing all comfort on our crappy roads. Take a long test drive.
Also not sure if you care but since 2015 Honda took out any spring tension on the clutch. Now it feels like you are pressing on a wet noodle. I understand it might be easier on your leg but I hate not feeling when the clutch engages/disengages.
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Thanks for those bits of information. I think at this point the leading contender is the GTI but I will take a long look at the Si. The R is still in the running but it's probably waaaaaay more car than I'd ever use. The streets and roads around here are in poor shape so I think any serious contender will need a long test drive to see how it handles that.
I wasn't aware that Honda had removed the tension spring on the clutch. That must feel really weird. I have to confess that the last Honda I owned was an '82 Accord that I bought in '85. Even then Honda showed what superior engineering could provide.
While it doesn't have the performance bent of the Si or GTI I've been looking at some information on the new Mazda3. It's a strikingly beautiful car. My wife and I both had 2006 versions. Her's was a Touring Edition with the 2.0L and mine was the GT with the 2.3L. Both were 5-speed manuals. I loved both of those cars and each had a distinctive personality. That made me a Mazda fan. What I can't tell is whether Mazda will offer a manual transmission in the GT trim with the 2.5L engine. It appears that they may do so in the US but maybe not in Canada.
![Huh ???](https://www.autos.ca/forum/Smileys/CarTalk/huh.gif)
As an aside, holy crap manufacturer websites are terrible for anyone with an interest in technical specs. I can easily find out about connectivity and touchscreen size but if I want torque numbers I have to google it and find a site that reports that. And for Mazda to be vague about something as important as a transmission is odd. Then again, maybe a transmission isn't important to most drivers these days - as long as it's an automatic. I read old car brochures regularly and I'm often astounded by the depth of information that some of them have. I've seen cylinder firing order listed. Now I can't find transmission availability...