Oh speaking of Toyotas, the FJ Cruiser is cheap and reliable for a fancy SUV. It's a serious gas guzzler, but probably no more so than your pop's Explorer. It handles well ... for a truck.
Not sure if this one is under $35k, but the Acura RDX is awesome. A little smaller than the Explorer, but it is solid. AWD, turbo, and all kinds of features. Dolled up CRV, which is an elevated station wagon.
I saw a new Infiniti small SUV called the EX-something. Looks like it is built on the Nissan Rogue platform. Both really nice. I saw a Rogue, well-equipped for under $25k. Then there's the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CRV. Can't really go wrong with the good Japanese cars.
I hear good things now about Suzuki, KIA and Hyundai, too. Some of the Mazdas are worth a look, too.
Consumer Reports seems to love BMW and Audi performance, but in overall terms, they only seem to fawn all over Lexus/Toyota, Acura/Honda and Infiniti/Nissan. And Subaru of course. Best picks, recommended...those sorts of words only go the way of the Japanese automakers.
The other car sites seem to sprinkle enough praise to Ford, GM and Chrysler, MB, VW, Volvo et al.
Good luck Bray. Let us know.
Oh, and re: dealers and salesmen, I'm sure your dad knows the drill, but you guys ought to do a search for 'undercover car salesman' on Edmunds. It's an interesting piece.
Use the web for good pricing, obviously.
After test drives, I'd recommend going in to buy a car on a bad weather day. If it's a slow day for the dealer, the finance manager and the salesman are more likely to give you a good deal.
