The Si came in dead last in the $20k showdown in the latest SCC. That test is comparing cars all in stock form though, and it seems that the Si has the most potential for improvement.

I would take the Mazdaspeed Protege. It already handles like a dream as it is, so you can go straight to work on making it faster.

The Tiburon is a very nice looking car, indeed. It helps when you get help from Pininfarina in designing it. Hyundai seems to have really improved the quality of their cars in recent years, but I still wouldn't consider buying one for at least another generation.

I like the SE-R, and it's a great car for the money, but it seems kinda bulky to me, and personally I'm just a fan of small and agile.

Umm... Focus? I think I saw in the news or somewhere last week that the Focus has had more recalls than any other car in history. There's a record I wouldn't be looking to break. :doh: