Girlfriend wants SUV ( it " looks nice " )

[darcane]

I lost this battle with my fiance (now wife) too.

well, sorta...

She had a Ford Exploder ('94 V6 Auto 4WD). On it's best day, I couldn't get even 20mpg out of it. It stranded her on the side of the road twice, and I was able to convince her to get something different. Her primary factor in choosing a new car was that she "wanted to sit up high". Ugh...

We ended up with an '04 Saturn Vue 4cyl manual (Do NOT get the CVT). She's usually getting 22/29 mpg city/hwy, I've gotten 33mpg with it. All stock. So, it's not too bad, and compared to the Exploder, it's vastly superior.

Mike

[BHarvey]

Just make sure SHE pays for the gas!

[Ford Man]

Originally Posted by cfg83

Cd -

I can't blame her for liking the way it *looks* (I'd install a Pikachu tail made out of a magnet). I loved my Tonkas too. But you gotta crunch the numbers and show her the cost of ownership. Registration + fuel + insurance.

PS - I wanted this when I was groing up but the Karmann Ghia in me couldn't *justify* it :



CarloSW2

I also considered buying a new Trans Am in '77 with the 7.5L engine about 10 mpg if I'd stayed out of the 4bbl. How much do you think that would have happened considering I was 17 at the time. I ended up settling for a Buick Regal with the 5.7L 2bbl. which got about 15-16 mpg, not bad considering at that time about the best thing out got in the low to mid 20's with the exception of the and Honda Civic and that was way underpowered for me when I was 17. lol Funny how our priorities change, I had a car that would run too fast for my experience, now I have a 4 cylinder that will run 100 mph+ and hardly EVER sees anything over 60 mph.

[Frank Lee]

^HA! Exactly.

I had mostly slow equipment as a youngster and wanted to drive fast (the CB450 did surprise a few folks tho') and now that I have some fast equipment I rarely ever do so... what the hey? :?

[Phantom]

Get her into a few cars see if she likes the something like the cobalt or pontiac g3 g5 or g6 I believe the g3 has an XFE model that gets epa 23/37. If she wants something muscular and powerfull try a G8 should still do better that the Jeep.

I would highly recommend having her look at a WV Golf (TDI).

[Rusty Marina]

Just my .02, with gas this high and rumored to go higher I would not want it unless I lived close to my job.

[TheMarkofPolo]

I think the Vibe/Matrix might be an option too. It sits up higher than many cars, giving it the feel of a taller, "safer" car.

They also have plenty of cup holders and come in several cute colors. ;-)

[jtbo]

Holy moly, what is that yellow thing on first post

Girlfriend training requires several steps, one is to train her understand that looks are meaningless without function, however this is the most difficult tasks and works only with best examples of girlfriend.

If she still requires muscular looking car, get her VX Civic or similar and add something like this to dashboard, she does not see car when driving so she easily will accept it:


One other alternative is to get her do pocket parking with car she likes to have, if she is typical girlfriend, she will come up with idea of something easier to park would be better.

I'm spending my days with around 20 young female that are different ones each week, I have to teach them technical stuff, that really is giving one bit of idea from average girl and a technical stuff relationship complex, only practical example with them trying will open their eyes, it is useless to even try to talk her out from it, that is at least my experience.

[Joenavy85]

as much as i dislike the exterior, i've always liked the PT Cruisers as far as interior and how they drive, my dad has one with a sheet metal upper grill that fits and looks just like the factory grill, but it doesn't let much air flow through the crack, he also closed off part pf the lower grill with some plexiglass and sheet metal screws (I'll see if my mom can send a few pics). The interior is roomier than it looks from the outside and the ride is pretty smooth.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Cd

My girlfriend wants a FJ Cruiser in bright yellow

That's got to be the ugliest SUV I've ever seen !
Butt-ugly doesn't even get close, and the interior is just as tasteless.