I’m a SATURN fan too-presently have a VUE. Anyway, what kind of highway mileage to you get with the AURA? Do you have the dual colorleather seats? (Nice)
Totally mised the edit window:
Edited to add: My links up yonder are from Valentine Volvo which is a Canadian dealer and hence the prices are in Canadian $ (it’s where I bought my car - there service department is wonderful, BTW). Obviously you’d be interested in a US dealer and the price for my exact car (with all the upgrades, including freight) is probably right around $30K. Maybe $32.
Certainly worth looking at, but even though I love mine, if most of the OPs driving is highway she can probably get something with similar mileage for less money. The Prius can also feel a bit sluggish on accelleration, which it sounds like she may not like. Also not sure how easy they are to get–we were lucky to be able to get ours when we did, because our local dealership can’t keep them on the lot (last we heard there was a month waiting list).
It stops like a fat guy passing a dessert bar though.
1 kilometre = .62 miles. Alternatively, 1 mile = 1.61 kilometres.
'Course, if you measure mileage in liters/km I can’t help you…
Though I do appreciate your input (and everyone else’s!), I think you’ve set your snark level a bit high for this thread. As a matter of fact, I am looking at the BMW 3 series but am a bit put off by the fact that it’s so entry level. Do I want to stretch my budget for that car? I’m not sure. I’m also looking at the BMW 1 series, which is getting good reviews for performance and mixed reviews for style/appearance, and raises the same questions for me as to cost. I’m also looking at (and at the moment leaning towards) the Accord coupe, which doesn’t present the budget issues for me.
The thing that shakes up the mix is the current financing. I can get a BMW 3 at 0.9% financing. Looking that the (cheaper base price) BMW 1, with no dealer financing so bank financing of, say, 7%, and it’s actually cheaper over the life of the loan to get the more expensive car. The Accord finances at 3.9% and is certainly more comfortably in my budget.
As to other suggestions: I want to look at the Volvo and the Acura (and find out about incentives/financing), so thanks for those recommendations. I probably wouldn’t go with the Honda Civic only because that’s the car I’m moving out of, and I’m looking to take a step up (or two, or maybe just half a step). “No” to the Mini-Cooper, cute as it is, because I have safety concerns based on size and am not sure it would be comfortable for the driving I do. VW: I have maintenance and reliability concerns and frankly am not looking at them now because I think they look like great cars and I don’t want to fall in like with a Passat and talk myself into an unreliable car. I might revisit that, though. Saturn and Hyundai don’t represent the step up I’m looking for (not at all knocking those who drive them); Subaru and Caddies just don’t speak to me, though I’ll take another look based on this thread.
Thanks so much! More discussion and suggestions of course welcome. 
ETA: Prius is a “no” because they (Toyota) don’t deal on them at all, and because the gas cost savings over the life of the car doesn’t equal the premium on the price. Though that may be changing or have changed since gas prices have doubled, I don’t know. Anyway, you basically have to pay full price, order one, and wait, and I won’t do that for a car I’m not in love with. I’m not in love with the Prius
I’m in Canada, what else would I measure mileage in?
According to the Volvo site the average for the 2.4i is 10.5 L per 100 k in the city and 7.1 L per 100 k highway but I think I do a bit better than that. (About 9L per 100 k in the city).
If you can do the math from there have ater.
fueleconomy.gov will give you both figures. Canadian figures may be different because of different testing methodology.
Never been, sorry- and lots of officially metric countries use miles.
I’m glad you are considering the Accord Coupe–that would be my choice as well. I was a little cramped head-wise in the back, but I am tall and big so an outlier.
It’s so nice!
Just a couple things:
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With BMW, they can be very expensive to maintain and repair. You might want to add that to your list of considerations regarding BMW.
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Minis are actually quite safe - they are much heavier than they look and they come with side air bags. They also have version now with a longer wheelbase which has more passenger and cargo room. Their crash-test and rollover ratings are actually quite good - 4- and 5-star. They are also fun to drive and surprisingly comfortable, though never having driven one on a long drive, I can’t speak to that. But they’re serviced by BMW, so see #1 again.
I currently drive much more city than highway. According to my driver information center, my overall average is 23 mpg (and that is probably 90% city driving.) I have a Midnight Blue with Tan Leather AURA XE. The Morrocan leather is really nice, but I didn’t need the XR. I had a VUE before the AURA, and it met my needs just fine too.
Jodi, you may want to rethink how you feel about the Saturn brand. It can’t even be uttered in the same breath as Hyundai anymore. There is a lot more focus on styling now, and the cars aren’t made of plastic anymore. There is quite a bit more of a luxury feel to them. If you are looking for a “step-up” then set aside any pre-concieved notions and go look at one. You will be suprised.
Acura TSX owner. Yes it’s a 4-door but my coupe loving GF admits it’s classy looking. It’s based on the slightly smaller European Accord. Having good friends (even in their 30’s) climb into and out of the back seat through the front doors kind of stinks - especially dressed up. Try it yourself a few times.
Honda Accord Coupe is a good choice but the Acura is a luxury car. Just closing the doors on the Acura is sensual experience. Options are almost all inclusive in the price. Things like the switches, levers, trays, and control knobs are all more substantial than in the Accord.
I love the mazda rx 8. It looks far better in the flash (so to speak) than it does in photographs.
agree , 2007 3 series has excellent consumer report ratings. certfiied used cars come with maintenance plan (you don’t pay for anything). I know for a fact you can get one for less than $30k because I did so two weeks ago.
Damn you! I was hoping to be the first Subaru advocate in this thread!
Anyway, you can pick up the Subaru Legacy (sedan or wagon) well-equipped for under $30k; if you want power you can go for the turbocharged GT, or if you want to be nice to the environment you can get the PZEV version; either way, you can expect highway gas mileage in the upper 20s. The standard naturally aspirated 2.5L engine is no slouch, either, and all Subarus are full-time all wheel drive. I’ve put my car (special high performance production version of the Legacy) through paces in the winding mountain roads of the San Gabriels and it clings to the road like a kitten climbing the curtains. AWD is definitely a benefit in any inclement conditions.
The Impreza is somewhat more compact and the WRX and STI are moving away from the riceboy esthetic to a more mature-looking vehicle, but I still find them a little more econobox feeling than the Legacy.
I’ve owned six Subarus, put nearly a million miles all told (many of them on rough and unpaved roads), and the only one that was truly a disappointment in terms of reliability was the Justy CVT. (No longer made, and please don’t ask why I had one…beyond my control.) Necessary repairs on the last car were a sum total of one leaky oil seal and replacement of the timing belt at 90k (ahead of schedule, and it looked pristine), plus having to replace the sunroof twice, once under warranty (would get misaligned and then one of the cables would break, requiring replacement of the entire assembly; this problem has been fixed with the current models).
My second choice would be Volvo; I rather like looks and specs of the C30, though I haven’t driven one yet. Volvo has had some intermittent reliability and build problem issues in the past, but in the last five years or so they seem to be very solid in rankings and reliability metrics. My third choices would be Audi on the higher end and Honda on the lower end. (I used to avoid Audis because of noted reliability problems but they seem to have improved significantly, and of course Honda has always had high marks for reliability.)
What a bald-faced lie; BMWs aren’t “very expensive” to maintain; they’re extremely expensive to maintain. 
Parts and labor are going to be very pricey, and Og help you if you need to replace sheetmetal. And while they’re out of your price range, I’ll just note that M-cars are astronomically expensive to maintain. The lower end of the 3-Series–which just fits the top of your budget–is a solid but unremarkable car in performance and handling, its supposed value inflated by the marquee, and that value practically drops in half once you drive it off the lot. I’ve had several status-conscious coworkers buy them recently, and I am manifestly unimpressed; and this comes from someone who drooled over the original 6- and 8-Series when they came out back in the day. Unless you need to impress tools of the conspiracy, cross it off your list.
Stranger
I might conclude the same would apply to anyone who considers paying sticker. Like I said, 07 (less than 10K miles) cert pre-owned 330i for less than $30k. that model year tested incredibley well by CR
How many have you owned?
BMW service is included in purchase price for first four years or 50,000 miles, this can be extended (for a price) to 8 years or 100,000 miles - this includes wiper blaeds, oil changes, etc.
I’ve owned Vovlos and VWs and both were more expensive to maintain than either BMW.
Also try doing up a lease on a 3 Series BMW. They are cheaper to lease than virtually any other marque. Rightly or wrongly, BMW finance believes the resale value of the 3 series to be very high.
Figaro beat you to the punch by about half an hour. Better luck next time.