Wife needs a new car help me pick!

[mikefocke]

In sorting through your choice list, it struck me that most had low MPG and thus might not be a good long term buy and drive choice (for me).

It also left me wondering how big your family is, do you ever go off road, how many vacations you take, the proportion of city versus open road driving you do, etc. IOW, I didn't know what your needs are. Choosing without knowing is impossible for me.

Mazda makes some very nice SUVs with some nice features. I've had good luck with Mazdas in the past. No recent experience but the reviews are good and they were SUV of the year a bit back and I'll bet go for less than some of your choices. Fairly high style for a SUV too.

[Topless]

Lots of good choices in that $$ range. I don't know your wife or your needs. Do you need 4x4 or just winter capable? How important is the "cushy factor" to your wife? Dog hauler? Style points?

My wife drives a 05 Lexus RX330 and couldn't be happier. I call it the leather couch on wheels but she loves it. Decent room for five, dog capable, light snow capable (fwd), surfboard capable, good road manners, comfy seats, quiet, decent gas mileage 21-26, she thinks she looks good in it, runs flawlessly, and will last forever. A good all purpose daily driver/ grocery getter/ travel car. Give it a look. Drive it and the IS250 and let her pick the one she likes.

[Perfectlap]

is it me or does it seem like every time you pull up to an SUV its either a woman driving or a really fat guy? And 90% of the time they are the only passenger

I know many women who have SUVs because they "feel safer". I tell every last one of them that at 75mph they are LESS safe in an SUV than a nimble road car with shorter braking distances.

its some weird pyschology. Less safety, poorer fuel economy, really bad resale when gas goes back to $4. I'm already seeing a 20% jump in gas the last month.
How quickly we forget....

p.s.
Get her a big sedan instead. Lexus or a 5 series. Great deals out there for the second handers.

[urban_legend]

Just bought my wife a Mazda CX-7 in black cherry. Very nice x-over. Not huge, 4 cylinder turbo, moon roof, very nice Bose sound system for about 20k. Or over 5K less than I bought a Explorer for in 1995.

Oh and they threw in the rubber tray for the back - great for my daughter who rides horses and can just throw in her saddle and gear.

[cvhs18472]

S40 Volvo, more room in the trunk than most SUV's, 29 MPH, good looking,safe, decent to drive and could be had cheap. I just picked up a fully loaded 06 with 19k on the clock, still under factory warantee for $16,900 and it looks like a brand new car. I also saw an 06 AWD T5 with 26k on the clock for $16K but it was a NYC car which meant that the front and rear bumpers were all beat up, but it ran great and was a hoot to drive. Lots are going off lease now and they are looking to sell. Having some money now means great bargins. Ed

[AUDIOGUY]

A little more info.

No kids yet, but working on that... most likely in 2010.

Mike wanted to know why the high HP cars... well because I get to
drive it too. Our Envoy has 275 now so that is the range I would like to stay in.. wife agrees.

We dont need the 4x4 but it is nice to have for the 1 snow storm per year we get in NJ. Wife prefers all wheel drive by the way.

Cargo capacity, need enough to go to Lowes on weekends and the occasional Upstate New York trip to visit wifes family.

And my original list was wife approved. She likes all of the cars on it... I merely rattled off suggestions.

I believe at this point, she is pretty set on the X3... plus BMW has .9% financing right now! Not bad at all.

Thanks for the help. It is cool to see everyones different suggestions.

[nola911]

The boxster forum is turning green!

Sportscar forum is the last place I thought people would be jumoing on the low HP bandwagon. You want to talk practical and money saving practices, dont keep sports cars in your garage for once a week use.

Why have high HP? Because it's faster, safer for merging, more fun, more capable.
Why have AWD? Same reasons
Why have a large SUV? 99% of the time, in my wife's 7 seater, its her and the 1 year old baby... sure they can fit in a miata, but a miata can't tow my 21 ft boat (yesterday) or drive 7 people for 60 miles to dinner (last night). Or fit 5 palm trees in the back (this morning at lowes).

Not everyone wants a little wussy slow car that can be crushed every time they are in accident... And I dont buy the safer because it's nimble BS.

I own one of the smallest, best braking and handling cars on the road and believe me when I say I am MUCH safer in any of my 3 large 4wd SUVs. You can only dodge situations that you have control over. Someone running a red light in a large truck would have a much easier time crushing a car than a SUV.

I do agree that a large Sedan is a nice way to go to.. Mercedes E or S and Lexus ES and LS are all incredible cars and are large enough to be safe in a good accident... I was in a highspeed 8 car pileup in an eclass that gave me loads of confidence in mercedes safety.