I am hoping that some of you might have some suggestions about a good
diagnostic scanner/code reader for my 2002 LS 6 speed.  Not that it
matters, but it has everything on her but a rear spoiler and the 6
disc changer.  I'm not 100% certain (I'm sure another enthusiast can
set me straight) but I think she is the next best thing to the limited
edition.  I throw that out there in case the 6 speed had peculiarities
from the 5 speeds.

Point is, I found the "specific" diagnostic codes from another post
(http://www.miata.net/garage/obdii.html) and I want to find a good
scanner/code reader to suit my DIY needs (I may show my ignorance
since I am not certain if there is a difference between a scanner and
a code reader).  Some criteria for the scanner/code reader - 1) price
range ~$100-$300 (I tend to think the higher the price the better the
quality and I realize these things can easily exceed $3K)   2) ease of
use (I am more of a craftsman than a mechanic, but I do know my way
around a wrench and socket)    3) upgradeable (via software downloads/
patches etc)    4) needs to show the "specific" fault codes more than
just emission fault codes (I think what I'm seeing  at this price
range is emission only and very general fault tools- I would like
something that shows me the actual Mazda "P" codes that I found at the
above link)   5) it would be nice to be compatible with Subaru and
Hyundai (Those are my other cars).

This maybe unrealistic at such a low price, but maybe somebody out
there knows of such a tool or a suitable "work-around".  As such, I'm
willing to bend on a few of those qualifiers.  I found several devices
from a simple Google and Amazon.com searche.  A few such devices are:
the Equas 3100 Innova Diagnostic Code Reader, Acutron CP9180 Scanner,
and the AutoXray 2500.  All seem to get decent reviews (albeit limited
in the scope of the review), but I am a bit suspicious that they will
not be able to read the "specific codes" ("P1000" +).   I went to
Actron's (www.actron.com) and its sister website, AutoXray
(www.autoxray.com), and tried to plug in a few of the "P1000" series
codes to see if they register on the website.  Alas, they did not, but
I cannot be conclusive since I am not 100% certain if the lack of
those codes registering on the respective websites mean the scanners/
code readers themselves cannot detect the fault codes.  I emailed the
Actron manufacturer (17 APR) and included the "specific" fault codes
but have not heard back from them as of yet.

Lastly, I found a Snap-On scanner the Solus and what appears to be a
European scanner Launch Tech X-431.  But the lack of price tags
suggests these are into the $1K + range which is not for me.

I appreciate any info any of you can share on this, if there has
already been discussions on this topic, any threads leading to the
discussion is appreciated as well!

Thanks in advance!

Drew