I'm going to pick some underappreciated underdogs for my fave non-Subaru cars:
E30 318is. It's not that powerful, but it handles awesome, looks great, and is still as much fun as the best of any BMW's:
The only Volkswagen I can say that I like, the Corrado. It's the best-looking VW IMO, and it is one of the finest handling FWD cars ever.
Ever since I came real close to getting one, I have always wanted a 91 Sentra SE-R. They are one of the first (and one of the best IMO) Japanese hot compacts to ever come to the US.
Do all the Honda bashing you want, everyone knows this is still an awesome car. The S2000:
Oh yeah, even though I've only driven one in Gran Turismo, I really really like the Mazda 323F or Lantis:
I don't care if it's not considered a true Porsche, I want one. Bad. 944 Turbo:
Others:
Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler Conquest
Infiniti G20
Suzuki Swift 1.3 GTi
Mazda 626/MX6 Turbo