Peter says: The second car

I know I talked about getting a car a few months ago and Lisa and I made the decision back then to buy a 2012 Mazda5 (which now sits in our driveway and chauffeurs the kids around). The beauty of this car is the third row of seats means that in a pinch we can have two more people back there. Lisa and I love this car. (I think Lisa likes it a little more than me; I'm not a huge fan of feeling like I'm higher up when I'm driving.) I had a lowered VW Jetta in my twenties and early thirties and for the last four years we've been leasing the VW Golf (which has a sportier feel that the "microvan" Mazda.)

So here's the dilemma. Our lease is up in a month and I think I need to lease again; my job requires me to have a car and I am meeting clients fairly regularly so it needs to be presentable, so leasing a new car every three years seems to make sense. We already have the family car in the Mazda5. Lisa, I think, would like if we got another "family car," but I don't think it's necessary. I am a practical guy but I am also a car lover. The practical guy says get something around the same price as the Golf because you can afford it; the car guy wants a VW GTI/GLI or a Mazdaspeed3. (I've also toyed with the idea of the SmartCar. Lisa wasn't having any of it.) 
 
At the end of the day I just want something that is reliable and at least a little fun to drive that doesn’t break the bank. I don't see the need for two "family cars" when we know the Mazda5 works just fine for us. 

Is your family a two-car household? Do you have a "family car" and something a little more fun, or did you make sure to get something that would work just as well as the van (mini, micro, whatever) in case you have a problem with Car #1?