2. "Is maintenance included on all of these? " In response to In response to 1
The Mazda 3 was on my radar...but I read somewhere that it has a noisy and uncomfortable cabin in it's class.
Also, I need an automatic, forgot to list that....
The Passat is cool...but I think it might be too big for my wife. I do like the rear leg room though.... My folks have one....and one thing I hate is how sluggish it is...like..you push the gas...and it seems to take FOREVER to accelerate...also the brakes are VERY touchy.... VW's used to be fun, but they've done something to the drivetrain that I can't pinpoint...they just seem very sluggish now.