What type of work do you plan to do in the future on the lift ? Most would argue the best lift to do real work is a 2 post . The reason is it lifts high enough and is open enough underneath the car to do ALL maintenance . Next would be a 4 post with the accessory jack plate/s , this allows the car to be " jacked up " from the 4 post ramps so suspension/brake work can be performed . More work than a 2 post but not crazy difficult . Last in my opinion is a scissor lift . Certainly better than jack stands and a creeper but they really only lift high enough to do suspension/brake work while you sit in a chair . Yes you can do oil changes and exhaust/engine work but you have to be laying on your back to do so .
In my previous garage I had a scissor lift recessed into the concrete , I liked it much better than using a jack with jackstands but quickly got tired of its limitations . In our retirement home which we live in now fulltime my man cave has a Ammco 2 post 7K lift I bought used , the Ammco is a rebranded Challenger lift . I absolutely love it and for $900.00 couldn't pass it up . In hindsight knowing then what I know now I would have looked for a 9K as my current lift is not rated for my extended cab diesel dually pickup which weighs in at around 7300 lbs. per the counties scale .
Last but not least is safety !!! First off do you know how thick your concrete pad is ? Is the concrete fiberglass reinforced or have rebar/mesh in it ? I don't think ANY lift manufacturer will recommend their lift with anything less than 4 " of concrete thickness . With a 2 post lift most will recommend at least one if not two high lift jack stands/supports just to be extra safe . It helps stop the " high in the air wiggle " that gets your attention every time you lift a vehicle . Good luck with your search and it sounds like your wife is a keeper !!!
