It's really up to you...
I was in the same situation your in, looking at these cars.
GTI= I would only get the GTI with DSG for the daily driving and smoothness, but the most expensive one with the DSG option I believe...
SI= Everyday drivability, good mileage, bi-polar(from slow to decently quick) on command
MS3= Worst mileage of the 3(not by much), most power and best handling.
Some other cars you should consider= WRX, Volvo c30, wait for new Lancer Ralliart.
Here is a dyno run on the 3 cars:
http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...daspeed_3.html
Here's just my opinion on the cars:
I hate hatches so you can guess which one I went with out of the 3 and loved the style of the SI. The MS3 comes with 4 doors and a hatch, which in my opinion made it look long, but I loved the interior of the MS3 the most. The SI interior and gauge is a "love or hate" thing. The GTI had decent interior too. I love the front end of the GTI, but hate how the rear end looks. If they offered the MS3 in sedan form, I would have probably gotten it.
Your best bet is to test drive them all! They are all pretty good cars, so you can't go wrong.
But don't expect to get the SI or GTI and have heaps of power...they are decently equipped but they're no monsters, they only have about 200HP. The MS3 is quick, but being a FWD car holds it back. I believe the WRX and MS3 have very similar 1/4 mile times.
If buying a 06 SI, make sure your dealer has reflashed you ECU for "rev-hang" issue. If buying 07 MS3 make sure you double check motor mounts at dealership(a good bit of the 07 MS3's had motor mounts breaking!)
After owning my SI for about a year I don't ever second guess my decision. But here are some things to keep in mind about the SI, long-term wise:
The interior (seats and panels) are pretty cheap in quality. The seats are made from faux suede and many have fading issues. I have my car tinted all around and only have some fading on the center armrest. The interior panels of the doors will "scuff" if you hit them with your shoes when you're getting out. They come right off with any interior cleaning product. When the engine is cold, it seems to be a little jittery
Little difference between 06, 07, and 08 years:
06 - No auto unlock for passenger when turning key to Position I from what I hear
07 - Now have VSA, now can auto unlock for passenger when turning key to Position I (again, I could be wrong), SI embroidered floormats, come with darker stock rims.
08 - Only thing I know so far is they now have tire pressure monitors.
Hope this helped and happy car hunting!
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