[decooney]

You might check the old ERA vs. SPF thread on this site. Everyone pipes in on that one for various brands...

In short, to me it really seems to come down to a few things: 1) Maximum Budget! 2) Personal preference for looks 3) Personal preference about use and driving characteristics of each car/type.

You'll find that just about Everybody loves their own car. There are a lot of good new and used cars out there now to look at and compare, at various price levels. It seems that most of the manufacturures have had to step it up a notch in order to remain competetive - if they want to stay in business... Good luck on the venture!