I would say go for the STi/Evo. This way you can have one car thats fun to drive all year round instead of just 5-6 months out of the year. The gas milage is decent as long as you stay out of boost. I average about 20mpg with a mix of city/highway. I personally like the STi interior, and don’t think its cheap looking at all. Also the STi has some pretty cool features (DCCD/headlight height adjustment from inside the car/ic water spray)
The 04 STis are dropping down to the low 20s, and the 05s being in the mid/high 20s depending on the milage.