Next time we should elect an American.
Mini Cooper S Hardtop --- VW Golf GTI.
Darksheare will say VW.
Darksheare's father would say VW also, but strongly suggests looking at the TDI - costs more up front (he thinks - he only buys used ones that are broken in - meaning they have over 100k miles on them ;-) but gets a lot better fuel mileage and still has more than enough guts to harass those kiddiepunks in the Civics with fartcan exhausts... (and as you pull away from them in a puff of cleandiesel exhaust you can point at them and cast aspersions upon their manhood ;-)
Thus ends your two-for-one answer which you will note satisfies both of your requests..)
Of course in the end, it will still be your decision. If you plan on keeping it until it dies, again the diesel is the way to go. My $0.02 worth ;-)
I plan on keeping it until I get bored most likely.
The thing with being in the military is that I make more money than I know what to do with and I am about to get more in a few months when I hit my 4-year mark.
Mini Cooper S.
Hmm.. depends on what is under the hood.
Plus you have to keep in mind how much metal is between you and the jerks on the road.
Mini Cooper S does handle nice, so does the Golf GTI.
[Though VW really should offer the VR6 engine in it again. They won’t though.]
Fuel economy wise, I’d have to say TDI Golf.
Speed. dunno.