A quick calculation of power to weight ratio says this thing will be slower than my 2016 Mazda 3 hatch, which is a 2.0 liter manual. This thing needs more power to be really good, but damn I’m happy that it exists. The list of AWD + Manual is WAY too short overall, let alone in ‘Merica. If it shows up in the good ol’…

I’m just glad that didn’t go on about all the awesome estate cars / wagons we don’t get in ‘Merica because everybody here wants crossovers.

I live in Minnesota my whole life and it’s bothered me forever that they require front license plates. They look like crap and most of them are rusty from road salt anyway. But then, with how many people roll around with their rear plate covered in snow for half the year, I guess the state thinks they need two of them.

Minnesota lifer here. Same crap on the our side of the St. Croix, too.

The number of times I’ve had southerners tell me they think I’m crazy for driving on frozen lakes...

OUTBACK XT 6MT WILL GUARANTEE MY PURCHASE.

If by some miracle they offer a new XT with a manual, I WILL buy one. ARE YOU LISTENING SUBARU?

If they actually made this in AWD top trim with a manual and that sweet, sweet turbo power, I’d happily throw ~$35k at it. That would literally address the two complaints I have about my current 3 hatch. Not fast enough, and not enough traction.

Someone check on David, he might be having an anxiety attack right now.

Congratulations Tom for some top-notch instigation! This question is so subjective and so divisive, I love it!

I agree, the engine warms faster when the car’s not bleeding the heat into the interior, but automatic climate control takes care of that for you. I have a ‘16 Mazda 3, and I promise the auto climate control works beautifully.

You’re the kind of person that turns the thermostat to 85 instead of 70 hoping it’ll heat faster, aren’t you?

I currently own a 2016 Mazda 3 iGT hatch, 2.0/6mt. Literally the only thing that’s stopped me from trading it in for a new 6 is the fact that they won’t offer the features I want with a manual. I live in Minneapolis and commute across the metro area, so I want something comfortable enough in traffic but still engaging…

Last time around, I went Mazda 3 6mt iGT instead of a Subaru because a useful car with a manual and an actually nice interior won out. If Subaru makes an STI or even WRX wagon / hatch, which out to allow decent options with a manual, they’ll almost certainly win me back as a customer. Maybe a new Outback XT / Legacy…

THANKS PATRICK, salt in the wound is EXACTLY how I wanted to set the tone for the day.
Also if they announced a Crosstrek STI, I wouldn’t even make it to work without stopping at the dealership to seal the deal. Realistically, even a Crosstrek Limited with a manual would have kept me as a customer instead of me…

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

What if we’re just finding evidence of time travelers stranded in the past?

I wasn’t aware you could spin a Camry.

Minnesota driver vent beginning...

Maybe it’s the Minnesota in me, but seeing a straight, rust-free, unmolested example of one of these really gets me excited, regardless of the price. I’ve always thought the early third generation Chevys are the quintessential pickup. This one’s not lowered or lifted, doesn’t have some big dumb drug dealer wheels, and…