The liftoff oversteer functionality of the Mazda3 is a real joy! It was what made me realize that FWD wasn’t the antithesis of fun. 

Throw a set of sticky tires on, and maybe some lightweight wheels, and they’re sporty in any trim.
The only reason I traded mine in was because I needed a vehicle with a 3rd row. I tried to love the Mazda5 when I test drove one, but it felt like too much weight was added to the 3, and my wife couldn’t get over her…

The Mazda3. Almost any trim in any generation.

The newer ones are really pretty.

Those look like a recipe for disaster (and mangled fingers). 

I think you’re in the wrong generation. I had a 2000 Mazda B3000 (the twin of the Ranger) that was a great vehicle - no mechanical issues, hauled what I needed it to. But the previous gen were more anemic, and less comfortable. 

<$20K for a new car that gets 30+mpg, has bluetooth, nav, parking cameras, and a warranty.

Sure, it’s small, slow, and ugly, but most people are not us. They are often just looking for “Car®.” And the Mirage fits the bill. I had one as a rental for ONE day - and it was miserable (for me). But it got there, and it got…

The Ute answer is always Subaru.

Subaru Forester. or Ascent. Let’s see a decent size truck bed on an AWD platform from the company that does AWD best.

There’s a bright red Golf ute from Mexico in my neighborhood. It’s beautiful.

The fascia on the 1st gen is more appealing to me, as is the AWD. In the (very) light truck category, its utility is a (little) bit higher.

Again, I’d love to see what Subaru could do with the Crosstrek platform and a truck bed today.

As an admitted Subie fanboy, I am still not above admitting their designs are rarely…

Because the SSR isn’t an ugly truck.

Think lower (as in, not so tall)... like a Maverick-platformed version of the Taurus wagon.

How in the hell did Chevy SSR not make this list?

I will defend the Subaru BRAT to the death. It’s clearly a defiant design choice, but it’s not the “ugly” that you get by truck-carring a vehicle that was never made for the terrain (see Honda Ridgeline, previously mentioned), or over-designing a cartoonishly huge grille (GMC 2500), or just flat-out turning a napkin…

Jeebus, that looks like they literally just tacked on an extra half a cab without any consideration and called it done... like a shade tree hack welding job.

That is some real Friday afternoon design right there. 

The Chevy SSR. Unnervingly ugly, not good at anything except acting as a callout to other drivers that you make poor decisions. And in convertible form, it just looked worse.

it’ll probably crawl over just about anything

I think a less “trucky” variant would be awesome. 

I’m listening...

The Dodge Charger - BRING BACK THE MAGNUM, you cowards.