Price mainly, I can get a Civic for a similar price but it's pretty bare in the amenities. No, creature comforts/features are not critical, but I'm at the point that I want some of those. Though if the car is simply that much better then I'll give up some features.
I've personally driven recent models of the Civic and Impreza so I have some experience with how they drive. The rest will be new to me so checking out a Mazda (ugh) and a Corolla might make sense.
Interesting... I'll pay special attention tonight on the seat and how I feel in it. I think the seats are the same among all the non ST models but I don't know that for a fact. I've read about people hitting very nice mileage but obviously it depends a lot on how you drive. I drive almost exclusively freeway in my commute at 65 MPH so I should be able to get at, or near, the max mileage.
I'm disappointed with my mileage in my 2013 Titanium Focus Hatchback. I get about 22-24 mpg and that's a combination of mostly city with a little highway. That being said, it does really well if you do highway for long periods. The speed limits here are 60 and 65 and the last time I drove to the airport and back going at most 5 over, I did 40 mpg reported for 1.5-2 hours worth of driving. So I'd say that is around 36-37 mpg in reality which is actually about what they claim for highway. Going faster than 65 really cuts into the mileage though and any stop and go really hurts it too.
Other than that, the transmission has improved as I have driven it (still just shy of 5K), but it still needs some work. The only problem I have is that once in a while, it has trouble with deciding between first and second at low speeds. I notice this mainly when I am in a parking garage going downhill as it shifts up and then quickly shifts down again as I slow down.
Otherwise, I really like the car. I looked at other cars in the same price range, like the Cruze, Altima, Corolla, and Elantra. But what I liked about the Focus was that you got a lot more accessories and features for your money. I could get an Altima for the same price, but it would practically have to be the base model while I have a lot of features with the Titanium. I have the rear view camera (which is absolutely wonderful to have), parking sensors, keyless entry, leather seats, MyFord Touch (if you consider it a feature), heated seats, and upgraded sound system. The only extras I got was the parking assist and the tuning and tire package. I had an Altima, but I never really needed a full size sedan, especially now that I am a commuter. The Focus is really the only economy sized car that allows you to add a lot of the features that you would only find in a sedan.
I will say that I have become more and more impressed with the Nissan CVTs. I rented a Versa for a week and I got really good mileage on that.