Looking For a Car to Replace My Truck - I Need Your Inputs! Or: Talk Some Sense Into Me

[BuffCyclist]

2011+ MINI Countryman S All4.

It meets your requirements, has AWD, (though cost is around $22k-$25k depending on miles), AND it gets 32+ mpg and thats pretty sweet! Not to mention, the MINI is one of the most fun cars I've ever driven and hugs the corners tighter than a 1999 996 Carrera that I used to have access to.

Aside from their very small size, MINIs are EXTREMELY safe! Only downside to them though, is that if something breaks that you can't fix, its going to be pretty expensive for a dealer to fix. With that said, my 2006 MINI Cooper has given me 40k miles in the 2+ yrs I've owned it, averaging about 38-42mpg and the only thing I had to do to it was replace the thermostat as the gasket had a slight leak and would drain the coolant in about a week (but I did that myself for a cost of 2hrs and $45).

When I bought my MINI, I was driving my lifted Xterra 35 miles to/from work, so it was costing me about $350-400 in gas per month. Once I got the MINI, my gas budget dropped to about $100-150, if that, and the amount I saved in gas made the car payment. I'm considering selling it, and my Xterra, in the next couple of years and upgrading to the Countryman S ALL4 so I can have the fuel efficiency and AWD, so my opinion might be a little biased .

Good luck with the search!!

eta: The Countryman might set you back a bit in insurance, so if you haven't already, price out insurance costs for various vehicles you're considering too as that could really change your decision.