has a Crosstrek and loves it. I've driven it around Colorado on some very steep and curvy roads and also love it.

and I wasn't all that impressed with it.
The others sound like good choices.
I've had a couple of Hyundais as rentals, and they were a whole lot more than I thought they'd be. Definitely worth a look.
I've got a 2006 Impreza that I'll drive until it dies.

Good luck in your search.

It's a blast to drive. I wouldn't recommend the 1.6 model. Very roomy inside even though it looks kinda small on the outside. It gets 19-25 mpg in town, up to 27-30 on the highway. Odd thing is it makes a huge difference where I get gas. I suspect the higher the ethanol the lower the mpg. A little disappointed in the mileage but my previous car was a Toyota Corolla. I have two friends who bought one because they liked mine so much.

Nervous and geared "short" Definitely for the "boy racer" crowd. And beware of modifications or "tunes" - a lot of it done by "legends in their own minds".

Had a Forester, love Sub, but mine was really noisy inside. Found the Outback to be far less so.

Same here,, noise.. The Mazda CX5 is suppose to handle the best of the small/midsized Suv's.. Everybody want's a SUV so your gonna pay a premium. Sedans are lagging so you might get a good deal on a Toyota or Honda...
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I've seen some that have great color combos and really sporty rims.

My 18 year old Chrysler 300m with 60k mileage was totaled last week when I hit a deer. My friend had 2000 Audi quatro 6 that he gave me, but wouldn't pass inspection with out major money ($2k). Scouring Craigslist, I found a 20 year Jaguary JX8 with 63k miles on it for $3500.

I also have advanced metastatic ednocarindoma with major tumors on my neck, so I'm going to have fun fun fun til the cancer takes my like away.

Then again I am on a top secret anti-oxidant that seems to be killing the tumor, so I'll enjoy my jag.

BTW, my rental car was a Chevy Cruz that I loved. Try looking at one of those.

Reliable, handles well, great visibility, excellent on ice, and comfortable. My first one had 140,000 miles after 11 years and was going strong when I was rear-ended and it was totaled. Gets excellent Consumer Reports ratings.

Currently at art school with a daughter. The V6 has a lot of power, gets decent mileage, low cost option.

rented one as an upgrade a few years ago and drove around Baja California for a couple of weeks. LOVED it. bought one. a nice zippy little car with headroom and just enough lift that it is easy to get in and out of. surprisingly plenty of back seat passenger room or seat backs down for hauling of stuff.

great sound/technology system, even the base model, though I recommend the "plus" intermediate version as the extras are worth it.
decent mileage (I average over 30 mph and mine is an automatic)
FUN, it is just fun to drive
pretty comfortable - I have done some long road trips. it isn't a soft luxury car, and there is some road noise but the sound system can drown that out LOL
great warranty

there are only three things that are not my favorite about it. black interior, the name "Soul" and the back seats don't quite go flat down - there is a little "ramp" so if you needed to sleep there for some reason it would be uncomfortable. (also it isn't really long enough. my second choice was a pre2014 Ford Escape - they have a back that is flat and big enough to sleep in, and I liked the older boxy shape)

I drove a RAV 4 a few years ago and it was very comfortable (also a rental) but the lights needed adjusting (not a big deal) and it was one that had the hard canister cover on the spare tire that was mounted on the back door. that rattled and was really irritating. Otherwise hey, it is a Toyota so it is most likely to be a good dependable driver. too bad all the regular SUV type vehicles look so alike now. (also I would think a RAV4 is bigger than a Forrester?)

Had the same dilemma 4 years ago. Can't decide on what truck to choose. After reading some reviews online and getting advice from some of my friends, I bought an F150. So far this rig doesn't give me a serious headache. I already did some mods like new truck bumpers, wheels and leveling kit.

I recommend that you choose the one with low maintenance. If you need the best AWD system, consider Subaru.