For one kid, just about anything safe with a back seat and LATCH will work fine, and I 'm glad to see everyone suggesting options in the Jetta/Impreza/Mazda3 size class (see also Civic, Focus, etc.)

You guys do know that it's not Engrish, it's a real, and potentially awesome, engine category from VW, right?

Thanks Drew! If I weren't bald I'd be blond. Math is hard...

"Each 5 mph a car drives over 60 mph reduces fuel economy by 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy."

Haha, we 17 R32 dudes not only replaced our own brake light switches already (preemptively in my case) but also our dodgy coolant sensors... AND we keep spares of each in the glovebox just in case.

I had a colleague who bought a new (prev gen) Jetta, and less than a week later, while we were driving back from lunch, he did a jump just like that one at the end. It was awesome. And he had the car for two more years with no problems, so it's a good thing VW tests for that!

Type III Ghias rock — think about it, it's like a cross between a Porsche 356 and a BMW 2002.