Two years ago, my wife thought she made a sound decision when she bought a 2012 Scion iQ. In her eyes, the iQ was cute and fun like my Smart Fortwos, but should be reliable because it’s a Toyota. Unfortunately, not only has the car been a reliability disaster, but it seems nobody else thinks the car is cute and fun. My mom just revealed that she thinks Sheryl’s car is a massive disappointment and disrespectful to her profession (she’s a lawyer). Now, my wife is looking for a new car that fits her career a little better. What should she buy?
If you’ve been in the car community for long enough, you’re probably well aware of the concept of buying a cheap car that makes you look like you have money. In theory, this is especially handy if you work in a profession where you need to project a certain image, but you might not have the dough to buy a new ride for that purpose. I didn’t subscribe to that idea for a long time. I thought that if you bought a 20-year-old Mercedes-Benz, you wouldn’t be fooling anyone. I thought that you didn’t have to be a car enthusiast to deduce that someone’s driving an old car, no matter the badge that’s on it.
Witnessing my wife’s experiences with her cars has taught me that the concept of “balling on a budget” is shockingly and confusingly accurate. When Sheryl drove a 2010 Toyota Prius, she was seen as a sort of environmentalist lawyer, and she got no complaints. Sheryl told me that she even blended in, as some lawyers do drive Prii and other hybrids because hybrids are green and trendy.
When Sheryl switched to the 2001 BMW 525iAT that we bought from our secret designer, the Bishop, her positive-image score spiked off the chart. Almost daily, she would get compliments about the BMW. There were several instances where guys offered her $5,000 on the spot for the wagon. It blew my mind because that BMW was a rustbucket that I had purchased for just $1,500 – but it did look really clean with tinted windows and fresh wax.
Everyone complimented the BMW, from Sheryl’s clients and opposing counsel to my family. Everyone sort of treated the BMW as a massive upgrade from the Prius. It was almost like Sheryl had won it big or something. Practically overnight, Sheryl was taken as seriously as those lawyers with the billboards and expensive suits, when all she had done was trade a decent hybrid for a cheap and rusty BMW. Clearly, people didn’t care. She really was balling on a budget.
Unfortunately, the BMW’s rust advanced to the point where the car’s jacking points could no longer be used. Worse, driving it 40,000 miles in a single year did a number on the BMW’s engine. So, she decided to pass it on. In hindsight, this was the wrong decision. We could have fixed Wanda the BMW. Even worse, the guy who bought it ended up committing a hit and run with the vehicle after failing to register it for months. Guess who had to mop up that mess? Oh, and then the friend that we loaned the Prius to managed to destroy the car by ramming a deer.
The Cute Mistake
Sheryl found herself in the car market again, and this time, she decided to get weird with it. She adored driving my Smarts, but I warned her that Smarts are way too finicky to drive 40,000 miles a year without major headaches. Sheryl chose the next best thing, the car that was more or less a Smart, but by Toyota.
At the time, I thought it was an okay decision. The example she chose appeared to be in great shape with tons of life left in it. While I didn’t think it was a “lawyer car,” I also knew that Sheryl typically enjoys being underestimated. She sort of plays a character not unlike Peter Falk’s Columbo, and it’s amazing how well it works in real life.
So, she got the iQ, and at first, things were great. The car scored 40 mpg, everyone thought it was oh so cute, and we got a decent deal on it. At first, the car didn’t even give us any issues. It started every single time without failure, even when my own cars failed me. We then drove the iQ most of the length of Route 66, and the car was an absolute joy on that monster of a road trip.
Then, the house of cards began falling apart. We installed an aftermarket cruise control system, which eventually grew a hunger for accelerator pedals. The cruise control managed to kill not just one, but two accelerator pedals over the course of just 10 months.
The problems only get more frustrating from there. The engine had a mystery issue of randomly sputtering and then shutting down while at idle. I replaced the spark plugs and coils, which fixed the issue. Now, the car has an intermittent rough idle. The engine stays running, but something is sometimes unhappy. I went through the work to put the old coils back in, and there was no change.
Update: The iQ has developed a new and fun problem. Last week, it blew both of its low-beam headlight bulbs at the same time. I replaced some somewhat crusty-ish headlight relays and the bulbs. Well, the bulbs just stopped working an hour ago, then came back to life 10 minutes ago. This is fine, totally fine.
As of a couple of weeks ago, gas pedal number three has intermittent failures. This is concerning since we did have the cruise control uninstalled. Previous diagnosis seemingly confirmed that the cruise control killed the gas pedal. But that’s no longer a factor. What’s going on now?
This morning, the iQ presented a new issue when the heater refused to blow warm for 30 minutes of Sheryl’s freezing morning commute. The coolant looks great. Maybe the blend door got stuck? There’s more, from the incessant whining of the CVT and the rust that’s appearing in strange places, to the fact that it occasionally throws traction control errors.
In fairness, the Scion didn’t get like this all on its own. Sheryl crashed the iQ during the summer, and then crashed it again only three weeks ago. Many of these recent issues cropped up after that second crash.
Everyone Hates The iQ
Yet, it wasn’t exactly the unreliability that soured Sheryl’s relationship with her car. Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed how people who used to think of the car as something cute and novel have turned on the vehicle.
The same people who complimented the car or expressed wonder two years ago now call the car a total piece of junk. Clients think Sheryl is a joke because of the car, and opposing counsel have gone from underestimating Sheryl to just openly mocking her. Somehow worse is that Sheryl seems to now have a negative reputation. I cannot begin to type out what these people are actually saying, but they’re calling her a type of transphobic slur who drives the tiny piece of garbage. [Ed note: What is wrong with people? Gee whiz. – Pete]
This negative reputation has reached the point where she lost a lucrative contract, largely because of the car. Her own clients have cursed Sheryl out over her car. Mind you, Sheryl’s law practice is unique in that the client names the price they pay for her work. Many of these people do not pay for her services at all, but demand that she drive a new luxury car. Basically, she’s no longer Columbo.
But the worst sting came from the inside. Not only does Sheryl’s best friend want to commit violence against the iQ, but my mom spent a great portion of Christmas dinner dressing down Sheryl in front of everyone about why she thinks Sheryl’s car sucks.
Seriously, this conversation went on for longer than an hour, and my mom went hard. She said that, by driving the iQ, not only is Sheryl insulting me, but she’s disrespecting the family and me as a whole. Mom also said that if Sheryl cared about me and actually respected me, she’d drive a real lawyer car and make more money. This conversation would normally be way too personal to publish, but it hit me like a ton of bricks because it came out of the blue and was weirdly harsh. Long story short is that, apparently, over the past two years, my mom has lost respect for my wife because of the iQ.
I defended Sheryl throughout this conversation. I have a fleet of crappy, weird cars. I am not disrespected by my wife choosing to drive a weird car. She’s a grown woman and can make her own choices with her own money. But Pandora’s box has been opened. The words that have been said cannot be taken back. It’s clear that everyone now hates the iQ.
Our conclusion is that the iQ is actively harming Sheryl on multiple fronts. She has been depressed about this, and I have been dealing with headache after headache. I honestly have never seen a car cause so much strife before. Yet, most people seem to agree that the iQ sucks. In fact, our very own readers have been saying it for over a year now.
We’ve made the decision to get a different car, but the question is: What car?
So Many Choices
When I posed this question to The Autopian‘s staff and contributors, I used the qualifier that it should be somewhat “lawyer-like.” Ideally, I’d love to pay cash for this car, but that would mean a budget under $10,000. Financing also works, but Sheryl’s not looking to get into a loan on a $40,000 car anytime soon.
First out of the gate was Jason Torchinsky, who recommended a Scion xB. Or, specifically, he said that we should buy a dirt-cheap first-generation xB, and then pay someone to make it the most luxurious xB in the world.
David Tracy was next, and his recommendation was a 1980 Subaru GL wagon. I’m not even sure what to do with this recommendation.
Matt Hardigree returned us to reality with the recommendation for a Lincoln Town Car, but specifically one that isn’t black. The idea there is that Sheryl won’t look like a livery driver. Also, I guess she’d get to say that she’s a Lincoln lawyer?
Stephen Walter Gossin recommended a 2000s Jaguar on the account that they look great, are plenty luxurious, and can be had for dirt-cheap.
My mom said Sheryl’s new car has to be high-end luxury. The wildcard is Sheryl’s best friend, a Honda fangirl, who recommended a mid-2010s Civic, an early 2010s Accord, or an Acura.
As far as Sheryl’s own picks, she wants something like a mid-2010s Subaru Legacy, an Infiniti G37, an Infiniti EX35, a Toyota Avalon, a Lexus LX470, a Lexus LS400, a mid-2010s Mazda3, a Hyundai Veloster, a Hyundai Genesis sedan, or another Toyota Prius. She also wants another BMW E39, but she’s reluctant since the last one didn’t go so well.
The good news is that Sheryl’s mileage has gone down over the past two years. As of now, she puts about 25,000 miles a year on her car, an improvement over her old mileage of 40,000 miles a year. Still, that’s nearly double the national average, so Sheryl needs something that’s at least somewhat durable.
I don’t think a Civic is a good pick. Civics are extremely hearty cars, but I’m not sure it would give Sheryl the image she’s looking for. Likewise, early 2010s Accords are often seen as great first cars, so I’m not sure that will also complete the mission as desired. I know Sheryl also loves the Hyundai Genesis, but will the Hyundai badge turn people off? I also adore Stephen’s suggestion for a highly depreciated Jaguar, but I’m positive my wife will get murdered by repair costs.
The Legacy, Veloster, and Mazda3 are Sheryl’s bucket list cars, so those would be considered in spite of how anyone feels about them.
Since we have direct access to the people who hate the iQ, we started polling them on my cars. I have like 13 crappy cars, so I can easily sell some or give one to Sheryl. Apparently, the most “lawyer” car in my fleet is the BMW E61 wagon that I bought from the Bishop, but that has over 180,000 miles and is already very finicky. I do not trust that BMW to take Sheryl’s beatings without breaking in a hilariously expensive way.
The three cars that both line up with the image goal and with Sheryl’s own desires are the BMW E39, a Lexus LX470, and a Lexus LS400. E39s are easy to find in decent condition for cheap enough. But Sheryl has deep concerns about long-term reliability, which is fair. The two Lexus (Lexi? Lexuses?) are great ideas, but I’ve been gobsmacked at old Lexus values.
Most of the Lexus in my local area have well over 100,000 miles, and their sellers are still demanding $7,000 to $8,000 for them. I could have sworn that these were $3,500 cars back in 2019.
Anyway, I have found some affordable Avalons, Priis, Camrys, and some newer Honda Accords. What’s stopping us from moving forward is just being unsure. I don’t want to blow a ton of cash on a car that fails at improving Sheryl’s image, or worse, is a car she ends up hating.
The shortlist for now is a Toyota Avalon, a BMW E39, a Toyota Prius, a Subaru Legacy, or a Honda Clarity. But we cannot seem to make a decision for fear of making the wrong decision. It’s funny because I’ve purchased cars entirely on impulse before. But that’s me. I can get away with buying a dumb car. My wife doesn’t have that luxury, so I want to get this right.
Whew, it sure took a long time to get here! Now I want to turn it over to you. What car should she buy? Should she just tell my mom and her haters to buzz off? What car would you expect someone who functions like a public defender to drive? Please help me, my brain is melting from the indecision.
Top graphic image: Mercedes Streeter
A tiny Aston Martin is the correct choice.
My other choice is a Toyota Century, being the completely opposite end of the Toyota spectrum. Nothing wrong with going extreme, right? (I have ulterior motives there. I’m working on talking my wife into letting me get one and having some wonderfully written articles about such a vehicle could help my cause.)
And that’s my alcohol influenced idea for the day. Clearly I have good judgement in this state of mind.
I don’t want to presume your financial situations, but I’d give two suggestions:
In the $10k range, get the cleanest Lexus RX you can find
If you can consider $25k and maybe some financing, get the cleanest Lexus RX you can find
Everyone looks at Lexus as the sensible luxury choice, at 10k you’re getting an older 330 model but then you look prudent and responsible, at 25k you get a 10 year old example which will basically look “new” to most people and will last you another 10-15 years.
I know it’s an appliance and the antithesis of autopian, but that’s what you’re for. She’s got (from what I’m gleamed from what you’ve posted) and extremely important job helping the less fortunate in the midwest, she needs to not get stranded, miss court dates etc. And she needs to look presentable because she is indeed in a field where that matters.
Best of Luck!
Matt was almost right. The correct answer is Lincoln Mark VIII. Old enough to be simple, but not so old that it feels like an antique. Luxurious, but not elitist.
if you want to get external validation from other people based on what car you drive you are just setting yourself up for failure. Drive whatever you feel like driving, haters are going to hate no matter what.
I know you’d prefer to pay cash, but it sounds like it might be worth bumping to <25k with a 10k loan? Her professional and personal life is being affected… which is insanity. Unfortunately image is everything to most people.
The early Genesis still has the Hyundai issue, Toyotas and Hondas are reliable, but not what I would consider is of a lawyer image. She’d need an Acura or Lexus. Infiniti… they were great in the 00s but they are not looked well on currently. Fart box exhausts and teens and 20s guys have ruined the image imo.
Maybe look at an EV? I got a killer deal on a Mach E for under 25k with lower milage. I don’t know what the charging situation looks like for yall tho, but I drive 25-30k a year like your wife and usually have no issues. It is newer, not totally pretentious, but it’s deceptively nice for being a “ford”. An Ioniq 5 or 6 would work as well and can be found for attractive prices. On the same note, an Audi E-Tron fits too and they’re getting dirt cheap. 150kw flat charge rate when DCFCing makes them still a decent buy for occasional extended drives.
People give more leeway to “pedestrian” makes when they’re newer. I drove my friends Mach e before I bought mine and he’s a director at a Fortune 500 company. Considering how nice the Ioniqs are as well, it’s not hard to see a lawyer driving one. The Audi is… well and Audi and would fit the bill in Premium plus or Prestige guise.
A modern BMW with a B58 would fit the bill too, and those are getting affordable and they’re relatively reliable. To add to the idea pool, you can find decent 328d x drive sedans for the mid teens. They’ve proven to be fairly reliable vehicles.
A Volvo from the 2010s, at least in CO, is the definition of stealth wealth and people know it. I know people who are in C suites and drive early SPA vehicles and love the luxury feel but that it’s not as “out there” as a BMW or MB. The non PHEVs seem to be fairly reliable even in turbo supercharged guise and the later PHEVs are pretty reliable. S60s and S90s are sexy as hell, have all modern features of most new cars, and were still in production up until this year for the US.
A 2010s ES hybrid isn’t a bad option. They’re practical, reliable, and luxe. In the same note the LS460s are in the teens and 20s as well. The CT hybrids, GS’s, and maybe an RX from the late 00s and 10s are all around your price range and would work too. Do your research on the CT and the other baby Lexus hybrid model because I’ve heard they could have oil burning issues.
A Golf all track could be a great option since your wife likes wagons. That may be too pedestrian for some though.
A current gen CX-5 is a great car, same with the CX-50.
A family friend is a Lawyer and she drives a red Tri-coat 2005 Escalade.
Final thought, 2016ish and newer mini cooper of any variant.
This isn’t about car enthusiasm and I understand your wife wanting something like the Infiniti or the 10s era Mazda, but I don’t think either have the cache she will need for her professional career. It’s about image and she has a public facing job where that matters. Lawyers are expected to drive nice cars. Be it new mainstream cars, or luxury cars. I wish you luck on your search and I want to validate you on the absurdity of it all.
In the end though. Drive what you guys like. Everyone has stupid opinions and judging someone on their car is absurd. I’d rather drive that Toyota and be debt free than go buy a 6 year old BMW for 30k. Most of the successful lawyers, directors, entrepreneurs etc that I’ve met or have a personal relationship drive 10+ year old chevys, fords, Jeeps, Subarus, Toyotas, Lexus, Mazdas etc. but Colorado is known for being pretty casual in that way.
Edit: I just remembered the Cadillac CT6 PHEV exists. That might be a good option too.
First off, I’ll echo what others have already said – being judged by what kind of car you drive is messed up, and I’m sorry that you and Sheryl feel you need a new car (at least partly) because of that. However, it’s almost impossible to dissociate our self-worth from how other people feel about us, no matter how hard we try, so I understand the decision to get some new wheels that will be perceived as an upgrade.
My vote would be to pick up the best Lexus GS you can find for your budget the next time you’re in California; something like this one (but there are plenty on the market between $8k-$12k). Rust-free, eats up the miles, and according to Elise (NHRN) the service experience isn’t too shabby.
I’m married to an attorney as well.
She drives a Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring – bought used, street-parked in Miami for three years, complete with the dents and dings that come with that. She loves that car.
It’s taken her to courtrooms and depositions, on errands and road trips – and has carried her to cases where she’s helped win millions for her employer’s clients.
Before this, she drove an almost 20-year old Rav4 with dents, dings, and scrapes in every body panel. The only reason she got rid of it was that it was totaled in an accident.
No real point here… just saying: the CX-5 is doing just fine and so is your wife’s iQ. Drive what you like.
First off, bummer about the holiday dustup with family. It’s a tricky fine line to traverse when you love your relatives but their thinking drives you away at the same time.
That said, how about a 2007-2008 Toyota Solara coupe, SLE model with the unkillable 3.3 V6, as long as the timing belt has been maintained, high 20’s highway mileage, heated seats, sunroof, comfy seat, decent trunk, and semi luxury styling that stands between Lexus and Toyota of the time, and an aux audio port to stream music through. California and Florida models should be relatively rust free and under $10,000 dollars. The chassis underneath is basically the 2002-2006 Camry and up to 2005 ES 330.
I’m a little biased because I own a 2007 Solara convertible, and it’s been great mechanically, just cosmetically worn from top down sun wear in Guam.
I second the Solara, especially in convertible form. They’re comfy boulevard cruisers, reliable af, and really not that expensive. Just be sure to budget for a timing belt replacement. The other bugaboo is an antiquated stereo, but installing a modern stereo and backup camera was a easy as pie in mine.
Gotta get pedantic for a moment and call out that you gotta get a 2007 or newer for the aux port. But if you can, the 2007 mid cycle update is the way to go. I went with an 06 because of the condition and lower mileage when I got mine a few years ago. The tpms system apparently is an updated version that actually reads psi instead of wheel speed, there’s phone controls (useful for the aforementioned stereo update) and imo the refreshed steering wheel makes the interior look more upscale. The interior lighting was also changed from green to a pale blue that looks nicer, though I replaced all my lights with white LEDs that was easy to do.
My Solara convertible is probably my favorite car I’ve ever owned.
I agree, the mid year refresh of the 2007-2008 models brought some nice updates, stylish led tail lights that actually styled the led lights into the overall design of the tail lights instead of the initial Toyota led trend of just putting a square or rectangle block of led lamps in place of the conventional bulbs. The gauges have a cool turquoise/bluish corona burst of color around the center of the guage dials that’s nice at night. I agree the steering wheel and steering wheel buttons update was a nice change. Yes, the Bluetooth for phone feature and aux audio port were only available on the 2007-2008 model years.
I recommended the coupe over the convertible because Chicago area winters would be brutal on the convertible top if you can’t park in a garage daily.
I have several suggestions:
Aston Martin Cygnet
Suzuki Esteem (Better Call Saul)
1997 Cadillac DeVille (Breaking Bad)
Buy what you want and put “billionaire doors” on it.
https://verticaldoors.com/
“ What car should she buy?”
Well given the current car is giving her issues, my suggestion is she get the Lexus version of the Prius… the Lexus CT200H. Here’s a nice one with 68,000 miles in Florida for about $12K
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/764231196
And here’s one in Georgia wih 73,000 miles for about $15K
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/754737469
Or get a Lexus HS250… like this one in California
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/761131141
Or this one in Ohio:
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/761145640
This, this is the answer
The HS concerns me from a long term parts availability standpoint, but you can certainly get a deal on one compared to an ES hybrid.
“The HS concerns me from a long term parts availability standpoint, “
I wouldn’t be worried. It’s essentially a Toyota Corolla chassis. And they hybrid powertrain is the same as the late 2000s Camry hybrid.
The only thing that might be hard to get as it ages are maybe some trim items.
But if it’s being used as a daily driver, by the time that becomes a real problem, it will likely be close to EOL anyway.
Buy a Hybrid Camry or Avalon. These will run to 200+ miles without issue and be very comfortable highway cruisers. I should know, I’ve put 140k trouble free miles on my ’14 Camry Hybrid since late 2018. I’m now at 260k and am only recently seeing a drop in efficiency.
Sorry to hear that Cheryl’s clients are following flash. FWIW my father (an attorney) drove 2 Audis to 300k miles, each with absolutely trashed exteriors. Lexus or Avalon both seem like good options, and since the Autopian encourages offbeat suggestions how about a Volvo or Mercedes wagon?
The CT200h immediately sprung to mind, but I think you’ll still run into the hatchback=cheap car image issue in a way a Prius seems to avoid.
A Lexus GS might be a good stairstep before an LS somewhere some time in the future. An RX would work as long as she doesn’t mind clients first thinking it’s their realtor pulling up to the courthouse.
An Acura RL/RLX might fit the bill although might still a lot to pick through that it’s maintained vs. a Lexus. Timing belt, transmission fluid, AWD system etc.
Avalon gives off an ‘old money’ air at least in my area, if that would fly. Go for the Touring for an almost modern Olds 88 LSS vibe.
I think I saw Lincoln MKZ hybrid mentioned, also good pending thoughts on the Lincoln image.
Volvos?…
Is Sheryl a fan of the Lincoln Lawyer series? If so she already has the answer. If not, might I suggest Jason’s Dedeuche CV which will get her and her clients to court without issue, assuming Jason resolved all issues with his 2 CV and is the driver. Though, UBER may be a worth considering.
Lexus LS all day long. Change the timing belt (if it hasn’t been done) and enjoy that silky-smooth and reliable as nails 3UZ V8.
Cynical, world-weary answer: a Lexus, any Lexus, who cares
Badass answer: a BMW R1300GS
Fuck the haters. Lexus is a fine appliance choice. Do you want an appliance? If you’re going to keep the budget low, get something that shouts: “this is a choice, not a compromise”. How about a Volvo V60 Polestar?
She should choose the car that SHE likes, and not try to please anyone else.
BOO to her mother-in-law for ragging on her for half an hour about her car.
Out of the final five, I would recommend the Avalon. They are excellent in every way, except for parking in a very small parking space.
Cars are personal choices, like clothes, or who you love, or what career you pursue. As much as I dislike certain brands/corporations, if the owner likes them, then more power to them.
She could also test drive a Miata, if she has not done so already. They do make life very nice, especially on a curvy road through the hills and mountains.
I think a Mercedes 300cd , the w123 turbo diesel coupe is exactly what you want. Reliable as a hammer, not that expensive to run, look like an expensive classic to people who are impressed by that sort of thing, look like a frugal tank to people who are impressed by that sort of thing. Will run till they outlaw cars. It could easily do that Colombo thing.
Oh and the name would set the stage for all sorts of of conversational mischief.
Or maybe the IQ just needs some fancy dress https://astonmartinbits.com/models/10-CYGNET-2-12/parts/4793
I don’t think a classic is the way to go to look professional.
My nicest car is a 280Z and I wouldn’t take that to professional events. It either shouts “expensive toy from someone who over-bills” or “weirdo”. None of those are good.
You may be correct, but most of my professional friends looking expensive is sort of the whole point, and the architects and designers charge extra for being weird.
I still think you can’t go wrong with anything that is used as a taxi in Third World countries.
Looking too successful can be detrimental too! A plumber showing up in a Ferrari is suspicious.
Note: I live in France, we have a different relationship regarding money compared to the US.
Maybe… But a 560 S class (W126) is definitely something you can go to work in.
Of all the cars presented I would go with the Avalon. A rock solid engine and a soothing luxury ride. This is a car that would take care of her. Your personal life is none of my business, but NOBODY would treat my wife like that. Bye Mom. Don’t think it’s been a pleasure, because it hasn’t. Sorry if I overstepped.
Avalon is Toyota building a better Buick than GM ever could. Get the hybrid for even more.
You probably should get rid of the iQ, but in the odd chance you don’t, I’d put money on a bad ground causing all this. Your failing gas pedals? Could be failing because electricity has to travel to ground and maybe it’s feeding back through the pedal wiring. Same with the lights, blend door, etc. those are all electrical things (likely the sputter at idle is too), and that, to me, points to ground.
My wife’s grandmother had a ‘95 Olds 98 that would randomly die while driving. Then the heater stopped working, lights would intermittently go off, the dashboard would occasionally light up all the warning lights, etc. All of this turned out to be the result of a bad chassis ground under the carpet in the driver-side footwell. My FIL relocated the ground to a cleaner, less-moisture-prone place, and put another 100k miles on the car without any electrical issue whatsoever.
A bad ground would explain so much! SWG has sent me a link for a tester tool to locate a potential bad ground. Looks like I have some diagnosis ahead of me!
Check for ac voltage bleeding from the alternator too.
Grease on ground points is a good idea.
Best is silicone dielectric.
I’m interested in what that tester is.
I could suggest some useful test leads.
Also, while on the subject, check the coolant level. You may have already.
I wouldn’t peg the rough idle issues on it alone, but the lack of heat pointed me in that direction. A very slow leak caused by the fender-bender might be the culprit. I spend a TON of time trying to diagnose a surging idle on an Element once to eventually find out that they put the temp sensor right at the tippy top of the engine. If the coolant level drops even a little, the sensor isn’t always submerged and the computer alternates between “engine is hot” and “engine is cold, high idle!”
So many people have said so many good things in support of your wife, I can’t possibly add to it.
That said, the iQ has clearly served its time and should be paroled for good behavior.
Also, I drove an iQ for almost 9 years, Took it on road trips that would scare the bejeezus out of my friends and family. The only problem I ever had was the headlight bulbs burning out, as you have also experienced. I still love that car and miss it. It finally had to go when my right ankle swelled up like a grapefruit from holding the go pedal down on my way back from Florida to Virginia.
Get the Lexus, any of them!
My take with 10-15yo cars has always been, get the best condition (no rust or body damage), most under-stressed engine-transmission you can afford. Since you have amazing connections with a dealer in no rust area, and transporters, I’d take advantage. I suspect what is hard to come by in your rust belt (a rust free, low mileage Avalon or better non-collectible) , is not as prized there.
Just buy the Lexus.
I really wouldn’t take my advice. A coworker had a G37 manual that seemed very nice, but that was before he was promoted to manage our Japan office oh, 15 years ago. The Avalon I rode on back in the aughts was also nice, but it didn’t have a stick.
Personally, I’m done with anything from Germany. If I could get a gently used Peugeot 307 stick, I’d be tempted, fortunately, I don’t have a two-car garage. And the neuropathy in my feet seems to be worsening, so having a third pedal to deal with probably would probably be less than ideal.
It’s nice to hear that her annual mileage has been nearly halved.
Also, I probably stay out family politics (including my own) but your mom’s attitude doesn’t seem like it would make for happy or at least pleasant and polite Thanksgiving dinners.