Needs
I want the following:

• Fast cross country flight
• Cheap to operate
• Inexpensive to build with a low startup cost
• Seat four people at least once in a while, or have room for baggage for two.

Considered and Rejected
The following are airplanes that I considered:

• RV-9 and RV-7 - These metal airplane kits are made here in Oregon.  There's a very active community of RV builders, including a local company that provides classes on building them.  It's almost unpatriotic to build anything else, at least, that's the impression I get!  Reason: The fact that they're two seaters wasn't really the killer.  I figured I could rent a 4 seater on the rare occasion I'd have anything to put in the rear.  The reasons I decided against them were size and build complexity.  At 6'2 and 270#, I'm not small.  The RVs I sat in all felt like Cessna 152s to me in size.  I've seen the occasional one that has been built to accept someone taller, but I'm not really sure about the procedure, plus I'm not superconfident in my metalworking skills.  Plus, I really WOULD like those extra seats in back, even if they're not the deal breaker.
• Piper Warrior - I trained in a Piper Warrior, and I love the plane.  Heck, I may end up buying one anyway if I find the money, it's a great four seater that feels roomy to me, and I've got a lot of hours in it.  But...  it's a certified plane, which means lots and lots of mega costs that make the already expensive art of flying even costlier.
• Piper Traumahawk, er, Tomahawk - A low budget alternative to fix my low wing needs, I was briefly enamored with this controversial aircraft, but ended up passing for the certified reasons above, plus a weight and balance restriction that would really limit me from flying with some of my best friends.
• Columbia 400 - After careful consideration, I decided to pass.  The careful consideration involved, to a small bit, the many hundred thousand dollar price tag.
• Various - The latest Bede: No thanks, still a CAD drawing.  Generic pre-built experimental: I don't know if they built it right, and since I wouldn't have the repairman's certificate, I'd might as well buy a certified.  A Piper Cub?  It'd be an awesome back country flyer, but I want to go places with friends.

There were a lot of great planes, but in the end, the Cozy really grabbed my attention and held onto it like a thing with big, pointy teeth and strong, strong jaws.  It's fast (200mph), inexpensive to build (airframe might be $15k with smart use of materials), I can build it (it's fiberglass), it seats 4 (well, maybe two adults and two kids), and perhaps most importantly, it looks like a space ship.