I live in Seattle and own a 2010 ET SE manual with just under 30k miles. I have had zero problems with the car. I commute 52 miles combined each day for work and average 30-31 mpg. I have Thule roof rack which cuts about 1 - 1.5 mpg off my mileage. I regularly carry a kayak on that rack and the addition of that kayak and the reduction of the mileage with the boat is barely noticeable. The rack is the "drag".
What I like:
The gas mileage
The power (I've mostly driven 4x4 trucks so this seems powerful to me)
The handling (fun and sure)
The comfort in spite of the lack of expensive finishes. I like the elegance derived from simplicity. Nice engineering without excess. Matches my personal ethics. Seems really luxurious to me but then again I have never had a fancy car before.
Intelligent interior space.
Bomber roof rails for serious load carrying capacity.
Fun to drive.
What I'm not wild about:
Road noise
Low profile tires ride firm. (I accept it based on the performance return)
Some finishes seem pretty cheap (and at the same time they appeal to my ethics and they work.)
The times I have driven it in the snow I wished for more ground clearance and different tires. I have the stock low profile tires.
This car seems to be a fabulous value and fit for me. I'm very pleased with it. I regularly recommend it to friends who end up buying more expensive cars and who get to know their mechanics by name.
Jon
