My first ever car was a 1990 Honda Civic Si with a 108 hp (decent in those days) hatchback that I loved. The road feel was amazing, steering was direct (no power steering), reliable build quality, the manual transmission had long throws but was very accurate, high rev VTEC engine, and it looked great! Now I see the styling of the new Hondas - most Japanese cars for that matter - and it's just sad.
In general, I think the cars from Hyundai and Kia are much better looking than anything out of Japan (except maybe Mazda) and quality has improved immensely. If I were 20-something now, I'd seriously consider Korean cars over Japanese cars any day. Better QPR, better looking.
