I have a Mazda6, which is great, but I love my STi a lot more. In fact, the only reason I drive the Mazda6 instead the STi is because it gets better gas mileage and the leather interior and suspension is a little more comfortable, but it definately makes for a boring ride. That said, you may want to look at a WRX. The Impreza lineup has been rated very high safety wise for the last several years (and maybe longer, who knows) and a WRX would definately be more powerful than the Contour (and Mazda6).
