Congrats bro! You are much more fortunate than many of us here!

How much is the budget? Is there even a limit? Are you open to 2nd hands? Manuals? Diesel or gas? What's your usual route and number of passengers?

Now, how much driving experience do you have under your belt? If you want something fast, make sure you have the necessary skill to control it. There have been many accidents involving drivers who overestimated their skills. I am ashamed to say that I have experienced this first hand.

Leather seats? I've grown up with them as well. Indeed, they are very nice but also hard to maintain. If you treat it as you would a fabric seat, it would rapidly deteriorate. Check out the 2nd hand Exalta's and Lynx's with leather seats on buy and sell sites. You will have to make sure they aren't overly dry, no excessive heat exposure, they must be conditioned regularly, and it must not be scratched or else the mark will lengthen and eventually tear. For a daily driver, I actually prefer leatherette seat covers instead. They have pretty much all the benefits of leather seats, are relatively inexpensive, and require virtually zero maintenance.

It would seem that the Lancer has caught your eye. If you really like it, then take it. I believe the 1.6M/T should have more than enough punch for you. It's very well spec'd too. Personally, if I were getting one and fuel expenses aren't very important, I'd take a 2nd hand 2.0M/T instead.

The GC isn't very practical for a daily driver. Its quite hard to manuever and park, not to mention the low ground clearance.

If you're into mods, I'd suggest you get a turbo diesel instead. That way you'll be able to get the most power out of relatively simple bolt-on mods. A 2nd hand Focus TDCi or Tucson CRDi would be nice.