[exc911ence]

With gas sitting at an uncomfortable $1.26 a liter now, I've started rethinking my choice of daily driver. I currently drive a Jeep TJ Unlimited which I love (my fifth Jeep, by the way) but the gas mileage is seriously atrocious. I didn't care when unleaded was $0.50-0.80 a liter but these days a fill-up is $70.00 and it gets less than 300kms range to a tank.

I wouldn't be caught dead in any of the "sport-cutes" available these days so I'm considering a small hatchback or wagon with AWD and a manual transmission being must-haves.

The only manufacturer that seems to build a car like this is Subaru but since I have no experience with the brand, I'd be going in blind. Ideally, I'd love a VW Golf GTi (this was "the" car to have when I was a teenager back in the 80's) but they don't offer it in a Syncro which is a real shame. Imagine the fun you could have in an AWD GTi!

So besides the Subie, does anyone have any suggestions? It's been a long time since I've shopped outside of a Jeep showroom and honestly have no idea what's available out there.