# How about helping my wife choose a new car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241 "2013-11-06T14:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/1 "2013-11-06T14:05:51Z")
Mrs. HotDogWater in in a position to purchase a new vehicle. She has been driving a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder for 10 years, and is ready for something new. Help her choose a car? Here’s what she has told me so far… It can be new or used off of a lease It should be a full size or midsize SUV, although a 4 door sedan may be acceptable It must be good in the snow, she gets nervous driving in the winter. Highest MPG possible Budget is around $25,000. For what it’s worth, our kids are older teenagers, and she works in an office about a 6mile city commute. We have another “family car” (my Chrysler 300), so she could have a bit of fun with her choice. Her initial description leads her to a Buick Enclave, but she hasn’t researched it yet. She’s going to test drive one Saturday. Whaddya say Dopers? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/2 "2013-11-06T14:38:47Z")
A data point: We’ve got a Honda CRV. I just checked my fuel tracking app and I’ve gotten an average MPG of 24 and change in the 2 years I’ve been tracking the details. Higher on the highway (up to 28ish), lower lately because most of my trips have been very short ones - probably similar to what she’s doing commute-wise. I find it comfortable to get into and out of (my husband drives an older Civic which is a huge problem for me - I’m tall and not-slender). I clong my head against the upper part of the doorframe getting into the CRV sometimes, but a) I’m tall, and b) I’m a klutz. I believe they have a version with all wheel drive. I didn’t bother with that - we’re in the mid-Atlantic and snow here isn’t usually that bad. But it does fine in most of the snow we get; the height is sufficient for anything but a blizzard. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/3 "2013-11-06T14:42:44Z")
Kia Soul. Great gas mileage, wonderful handling and deceptively roomy inside. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/4 "2013-11-06T15:12:05Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Kia Soul. Great gas mileage, wonderful handling and deceptively roomy inside. My daughter has one and I’ve been impress with it. It’s a 2010 and she’s about to go over 100K miles soon. Nothing but routine maintenance needed. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/5 "2013-11-06T15:29:49Z")
The Enclave starts at $38k, so unless you’re getting a pretty old one that’s not really in your price range, right? I think you can get one of it’s platform-mates the GMC Arcadia or Chevy Traverse for closer to your budget, though. For the winter driving, Subarus are by far the best thing in your price range. The Forester and Tribeca are both technically classed as small SUV’s (similar to a CRV or Rav4), but they’re pretty roomy. They’re probably comparable to your wife’s Pathfinder, interior space-wise. That said, the default position for a true mid-size SUV with decent mileage should probably be the Toyota Highlander. They also start a bit out of your price range, but you could likely get a fairly new used one. Those are car-based, so the non-AWD ones are front-wheel drive and so will handle okay in snow. The current Pathfinder (which bears little resemblance to your wife’s truck-based Pathfinder) is also pretty much the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/6 "2013-11-06T15:33:47Z")
My friend and I are gaga over our pre-2012 Ford Escapes. Mine’s a 2004 and hers is 2011. We’re both very sad that they changed the car so drastically in 2012. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/7 "2013-11-06T17:15:03Z")
Buy her the red one. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/8 "2013-11-06T17:22:54Z")
Get her a Honda. Everyone who ever posts a thread on the Dope asking for car advice ends up buying a Honda. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/9 "2013-11-06T17:26:13Z")
Get a Hyundai Elantra. The fuel efficiency is great, they have a ton of options included standard (including seat warmers), and they’re sporty. Edit: Missed the SUV thing. Hmm. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/10 "2013-11-06T17:44:09Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Get a Hyundai Elantra. The fuel efficiency is great, they have a ton of options included standard (including seat warmers), and they’re sporty. > > Edit: Missed the SUV thing. Hmm. There’s the Hyundai Elantra GT. Nearly a SUV but marketing won’t let them call it a station wagon. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/11 "2013-11-06T19:11:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Buy her the red one. That’s always good advice :). Once saw a sporty-looking car, bright red, with the license place FUZMGNT. :D. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/12 "2013-11-06T20:31:54Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My friend and I are gaga over our pre-2012 Ford Escapes. Mine’s a 2004 and hers is 2011. We’re both very sad that they changed the car so drastically in 2012. I’ve got a 2014 and it’s great too. I’ve seen 34-35 mpg on the highway. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/13 "2013-11-06T20:44:08Z")
Have you looked at Subaru? We love our Outback, though I’d call it a ‘Station Wagon’…she might like the Forester if she’s looking for an ‘SUV’. ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/14 "2013-11-06T22:09:35Z")
Great suggestions, thanks! It’ll give her a great starting point in her search. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-helping-my-wife-choose-a-new-car/673241/15 "2013-11-06T22:26:47Z")
If she’s willing to go with a small SUV rather than mid-size that opens up quite a few options at your price point. Pretty much every car company has a model in that segment priced $18k-$30k new, most if not all with AWD as an option, and they will have better MPG than the mid-size SUVs.