I'll throw my hat in the ring for the Toyota Camry. I have a friend with an '08 and it is very comfortable and roomy. Heck, my 2000 is still the best riding car I've owned (not saying alot of my other cars) and with 193K on it I haven't had any engine problems other than the usual maintenance (timing belt, water pump, oil changes). They can be found for a decent price and will get you good mileage in town and on the highway.
Just a thought but if she is used to driving big SUVs, maybe a crossover would be a good option. Better MPGs and still room to haul stuff like she may be accustomed to. Toyota makes great cars and also Mazda is worth a look. My wife drives a CX-9 and we like it so far.
Camry, Accord, Corolla, Altima....Go Japanese...lol
I know, I know. lol. My mom has a 2011 Impala. It just came out of the shop "again" Friday.
My wife has a 2005 Altima 3.5 SE currently rolling at 125,000 miles. Still runs and drives smooth as butter. It's quiet, as far as road noise and clinks and rattles. The acceleration is quick, steering wheel feels solid. It averages about 24 MPG on mostly highway travel, but is a very capable engine for this car and fun to drive for being a grocery-getting sedan with an automatic transmission. I understand the 2.5, while better on gas, is less reliable. I have no experience with it, it's just what I understand from my brother who used to work as a service manager at Bob Howard Nissan. What problems exactly? I don't know, it didn't apply to me so I didn't care to ask. My buddy has a 2006 2.5 and hasn't had issues in the 2 years he's owned his car, so who knows.
We've had it for several years without any issues, but the one complaint I do have about it is the turning radius. A school bus could do doughnuts inside the turning radius of my wife's car. Some times, it feels like that's no exaggeration. My 2004 Silverado turns tighter than this car by a noticeable margin. Performing 3-point turns to get into 1 out of every 10-15 parking spaces shouldn't be a concern with a car this size. U-turns are fun, too. My wife wants to get herself a Jeep some time next year and I've warned her to practice steering in one first so she doesn't roll it on the highway when trying to change lanes.
We've had it for several years without any issues, but the one complaint I do have about it is the turning radius. A school bus could do doughnuts inside the turning radius of my wife's car. Some times, it feels like that's no exaggeration. My 2004 Silverado turns tighter than this car by a noticeable margin. Performing 3-point turns to get into 1 out of every 10-15 parking spaces shouldn't be a concern with a car this size. U-turns are fun, too. My wife wants to get herself a Jeep some time next year and I've warned her to practice steering in one first so she doesn't roll it on the highway when trying to change lanes.
The Altima is a fine car. That would be a good choice. The cvt takes some time to get used to but now I have one I love it. No gear changing.....
my 2 cents goes to toyota,i have 3 plus a lexus and love them all.
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We had a mid-90s Altima and that car was perfect; nothing was wrong with it, no warranty work required in the 36,000 mile lease.
Get her a VW diesel - Jetta or Passat. They are good looking cars, run FOREVER, and I average about 48mpg in mine city/highway mixed. Just exceptional little things. Mine has 200k on it and runs like it's brand new.
