Other new or upcoming cars worth considering:

- The new Subaru Legacy GT Limited. It's got the same 2.5 liter turbo AWD setup as in the WRX STi, but detuned for "only" 250hp. It's also heavier, but has a very nice (for Subaru) interior. I'll definitely go beat one of these up on my next round of test drives.

- Allegedly, we'll see the successor to the Lexus IS300 coming out next fall. That means, by next spring or so, we should have a good idea what that car will be all about.

- In Japan, they're selling a Honda Accord with a turbo-charged 2.0 liter engine and AWD. This may or may not show up as a variant on the Acura TSX at some point in the future. That would make for an interesting comparison to the Subaru Legacy GT Limited.

- There's always the Saab 9-2 (Saabaru). It's a Subaru WRX with Saab luxury trimmings and suspension tuning. Same exact engine and AWD system.

- Get a BMW 3-series now before they Bangle-ize them. (Before buying a BMW, talk to local BMW owners and ask them how happy they are with the service of your local dealers. Houston BMW dealers suck. Hard. For that reason alone, when I eventaully trade in my BMW, I'll be buying something else.)