* Fuel economy.
* Small size is easy to park.
* Good handling.
* Ride is firm but not harsh. No motion-sickness inducing wallowing, bottoming out the suspension on speed bumps, or feeling every paper clip sitting on the road.
* The multifunction computer with MPG, distance to empty, etc. (though it would be nice if it were possible to display several of these on the SYNC screen).
* Safety stuff like ESC is standard (Honda are you listening?).
* You can get a small, fuel efficient car that is well equipped (not a "penalty box") with stuff like heated seats, combination lock keypad, etc.
* You can get colors other than silver, gray, white, or black (that 2/3 of all cars in the US are; most of the rest are red or blue).
* Maintenance parts and fluids are relatively easy to find (an annoyance with most European brands, but also in some cases with Honda and GM vehicles with odd size batteries that are available only at the dealer where they are always on backorder).