Euclid

For the price of an XRS, you can get an Impreza 2.5RS wagon. I'd go with the subbie. Also the Mazda 3 5 door isn't bad either.

aggie

I owned a Pontiac Vibe, so I have some relevant comments. The Vibe/Matrix are pretty fun to drive considering the amount of cargo they can swallow. Stick to the 5-spd base models as they actually are easier to drive around town than the souped up engine. The awd is unnecessary and slows the car down due to weight, hp loss, and automatic. I drove in NM and CO with good all season tires during the winter without a problem. I averaged 28/34 mpg city/hwy, which is a significant 5 mpg better than the S2000. Back to that cargo area: I easily fit two mountain bikes vertically using fork mount blocks screwed into the supplied seat back tie-downs. Two 20" wide camp sleep pads also fit making an easy camp for two if necessary. The rear seats are also very spacious and comfortable for this class of vehicle.

NJTom2000

We've got a base Vibe / auto. No complaints here, 55K miles so far. The integrated roof rack has come in handy a few times, the Matrix doesn't come with a roof rack.

I bought a set of steelies and some blizzaks and it's pretty much unstoppable in the snow. No reason to go with the AWD version.

Oh, and don't forget all of the GM incentives right now.