What's a "decent mpg"? Like 25? If that's the case I'd point you to a manual Volvo wagon or the Forester (I don't know much about the 5 or the Scion's, but they may be good as well). I drove a Volvo 850 5 speed wagon with a stick for several years and it was dead reliable. Now I have a V70R 6MT that is also wonderful, but definitely less reliable.
Also, first post... hey everyone! 
Decent mpg for me is 25-30 range. Foresters look good but they are pricey.
Jeep Patriot: I would be looking at a 5 speed 2wd. How are the road manners?
Versa Note: Not a big fan of Versa's and this looks like a Fit ripoff.
Elantra Touring: I never thought of this. Looks like manuals are a tad hard to come by. Found a couple in the northeast. They look really solid. hmm...roadtrip?
I owned the Honda Element in AWD 5-speed guise. It wasn't an MPG champ, I averaged 22-24. The 6 speed conversion nets a couple mpg tops, no more. It's more about bragging rights than anything else. It is certainly huge inside, but the cargo area behind the seats is actually smaller than that of the Mazda5, because the rear seats are set WAY back from the front. Also, the clamshell doors kinda suck, and the plastic floors mean cargo tends to slide around with every turn. And the seat fabric is terrible.
92dxman: I am selling my Mazda5 with manual trans if you're interested.
Mazda 3 hatch
Mazda 6 wagon
In reply to bastomatic:
Your 5 looks good but I would need to trade in the Fit due to it being financed. Also, i'm not too crazy about a sunroof.
What does everyone think about upgrading from an 07 to a '10 Fit? According to the specs, it has a little more rear seat and cargo room with back seats down. Also about 10 more hp..
I've been in the new Fit. It's not really an upgrade from my point of view. It's still a great car, but don't expect a noticeable difference in space.
I have searched around and are attempting to schedule times to go look at and test drive an 08 Scion XB, 08 Jeep Patriot Sport and 07 or 08 Chevy HHR. Most of the 5's in my area that are manuals have a sunroof (not want). Also, probably steering away from Foresters due to being hard to find in my price range without insane mileage. Also, Elantra Tourings with a 5 speed are a unicorn around here.
CX-5? biggest consumer complaint is not enough hp with the smaller motor. There is no way its slower than my Accent so I think the power level is probably acceptable.
All the reviews praise its steering and shifter feel and road manners, many claiming its the most fun to drive "crossover".
Why the sunroof hate?
A Cx-5 would be killer but its way out of my price range. Even used ones are in the $18-20k range. I've had vehicles with a sunroof before and I didn't use it much. Plus it takes away headroom.
I owned the Honda Element in AWD 5-speed guise. It wasn't an MPG champ, I averaged 22-24. The 6 speed conversion nets a couple mpg tops, no more. It's more about bragging rights than anything else. It is certainly huge inside, but the cargo area behind the seats is actually smaller than that of the Mazda5, because the rear seats are set WAY back from the front. Also, the clamshell doors kinda suck, and the plastic floors mean cargo tends to slide around with every turn. And the seat fabric is terrible.
Nice to hear some downsides without feeling like the poster has an ax to grind. That seemed like a pretty honest appraisal.
92dxman wrote: Decent mpg for me is 25-30 range. Foresters look good but they are pricey. Jeep Patriot: I would be looking at a 5 speed 2wd. How are the road manners? Versa Note: Not a big fan of Versa's and this looks like a Fit ripoff. Elantra Touring: I never thought of this. Looks like manuals are a tad hard to come by. Found a couple in the northeast. They look really solid. hmm...roadtrip?
Road manners for the Patriot are good! Independent suspension front and rear and not too high to feel like a truck. We have the "Freedom Drive" package with full-time awd and 4x4 mode with CVT. Just a good tough vehicle. It's very neutral when drifting in the snow too with stability disabled. I think '09 is when they upgraded the interior which is pretty nice. We have an '08, and we plan to drive it until it dies. We're at 80k now and just replaced the tires (new Hankooks) and they are nice and quiet. 27 mpg on the highway. Small gas tank though; just a gallon bigger than my miata! Oh, and two kiddies under age 5 fit just fine with their stupid dumb car seats. Don't have three kids though.
-Hamid
In reply to 92dxman:
I wouldn't let the mazda5 sunroof turn you away. It has a nice shade cover, is the same for headroom as non sunroof models, and I have not heard of leaks. I don't use it much either, but it never annoys me.
So during my usual Cars.com/Craigslist/Autotrader searches, I came across an 05 Focus Wagon with a manual locally. The mileage is decent and the price is in my range. This seems to be a rare unicorn. Sensible choice?
Sounds very sensible. My wife hated those Focus wagons for some reason, but they seemed nice to me.
I have a Focus sedan from that year. Manual wagons are a unicorn - manual wagons with the 2.3 are even more rare. That said, with the 2.3 we're only getting around 23-28 mpg with the stick. I've heard the smaller motors are better for mileage.
If car seats are a concern, a backwards-facing child seat will fit behind me. Just. I am 5'8...so if you're short like me, you're probably ok. Taller than me, and the back seat will be a no go for car seats.
According to the ad, it is the 2.0 motor. My wife and I are both 5'8 and under so space wouldn't be an issue. They seem to have a stock decent suspension set up as is also.
The last gen ford escape also came with a manual on the 4 cyl version. It might e worth a look.
Ive driven one of those and i liked it pretty well. Best of any escape/tribute i've driven. Vastly easier to work on than the 3.0!!
I've driven a couple of Scions, an HHR and a Soul. The Scions are kind of numbish, the Soul was kind of fun. I sorta liked the HHR but wouldn't buy one for fear of the cheap materials.
I ran by all the choices by Mrs. Dx and the 5 and the newer/bigger XB made the cut. I am hoping to go test drive a 5 on Saturday and then maybe a newer XB in the coming weeks.
I'm a member of the 5 club now.. I brought home a 2010 manual grey sport yesterday. It was a one owner California car with under 60k miles on it. In the short time I drove it yesterday, it definitely goes when you stomp on the pedal, roomy as heck, very comfortable, handles pretty good and rides a lot better than the Fit. Pictures to come.
SWEET DUDE! They are WAY more car than the Fit for the money. PICS!!!!
Here is a real generic pic of it
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