Scotty help! My girlfriend is a bad driver but refuses to stop driving my car (2019 Hyundai Elantra SEL, it's a lease), she's hit a guard rail, backed into and sheared off a fiberglass flagpole, been rear ended, and now has scrubbed against one of those yellow concrete filled guard poles with the driver's side front bumper! She needs her own vehicle, she wants an AWD SUV but it needs to be "durable" and reliable! She just started a new job so she'll have to save up. What would you recommend? Thanks, Jim
Buy her a tank. She will be safe. Now, for others on the road? Not so much but you have to have priorities I guess. Lol
Get a RAV4 or CRV.
Tell her to get a junk yard wreck. Cuz anything she gets will soon be one!
Bubble wrap. LOTS of bubble wrap.
In all seriousness, and depending on how new of a vehicle she's wanting, I'd look at Nissan Xterras. People here seem to have issues with Nissans, but these don't have CVTs (which is the biggest sticking point). The plastic cladding is less prone to noticeable scratches and dents, it's a body-on-frame SUV with skid plates, and there are plenty of after-market add ons to beef those features up even further (think steel bumpers, side steps, brush guards, etc.). 2005-2009 had the potential for the SMOD issue (Google it), but it's easily avoidable and very much preventable. 2011-on were fine. I bought a 2010 for my son and immediately swapped out the radiator and replaced the differential breather and that took care of 99% of the issues anyone can have with one. Cost me less than $200 to do those things and it runs like a top.
+1 for XTerra, if you can find one that hasn't been thrashed.
She could get herself a 4Runner or even a Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis. However, I honestly would suggest that she practice driving so that she can get better at driving.
Unfortunately, if she is driving the way you describe, any newer CUV/SUV will still sustain some damage, and if they have the ADAS onboard those will have to be repaired and calibrated by the body shop (hopefully, they have the “know how” because not all of them do), and for the insurance company it will be super expensive which will be passed onto her in the form of higher premium.
A similar question was asked before, and we recommended (being seriously here) an older Crown Vic since those can take a beating and still run. It was even joked that it would take a meteor strike to damage those things. I say this half in jest (I know you also said AWD SUV), but at the same time they are very dependable and can take a beating, and insurance should be cheaper. She is going to damage whatever she gets, it seems like, unless she changes something about her driving.
Look at a Rav4 or CR-V. You can also look at the 4runner since those are indestructible.
Uhhhhh, I wouldn’t worry about her car as much as her ending up killing someone…
What I did gets is either a big SUV from Toyota or an old Volvo brick or anything other heavy and reliable, not to forget very good car insurance - it sounds like you’ll need to use it quite a lot…
Buick stands for Big Ugly Indestructible Cat Killer. Maybe an Enclave?
Actually, ignore my previous comment. Those are garbage. Haha. Get her a 1983 Chevy G20 with a small block 350 Chevy V8 engine. Those things are big heavy lead sleds. Solid steel half ton van. My husband has one. It can tow a boat too.