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
Assuming….
I would suggest a lease on a BMW i4. $399/month.
Snobby? Check
Clean transportation ? Check
Reliable? Well, under warranty.
Back in high school, there was a lucky kid that had a gearhead for a father with great taste and a bad back.
The great taste was that he got a very early 911 back when he was stationed in Germany. When it had problems that were expensive to fix, he put it in a garage and replaced it with a Corvette LT1. As he had a family, the Corvette was a daily driver with a station wagon and later Chevy Conversion van.
When the kid got to be 14, he asked about fixing up the 911. The kid found a great way to make money and had the car professionally restored to be in perfect, although not stock condition (long story involving a shipping company mistake). The 911 became his and his dad could rarely drive it because of the back.
Now for the curveball. The Corvette was still being daily driven by the mother. It showed the 15+ years of use with worn seats, faded paint and the like. Reliable, but worn. Mom was a Real Estate Agent. She would meet customers with her old Corvette and not always give the best first impression.
So, on days his mom had a showing for a really nice house, mom would take the restored 911 and the kid would drive the Vette. The Vette had over twice the horsepower and a lot less traction than the 911 and everyone in my high school would find out about the switch because the parking lot would be full of a combination of white and blue smoke and the kid would see if the old worn LT1 could still vaporize the tires at high RPM.
I made this comment in your last story on this subject.
MUSCLECAR.
Get her a late model Camaro or Mustang that can be serviced at dealers and non-dealers throughout the state, where parts are readily available and is a comfortable (-ish?) highway cruiser. Nothing would be better than having your legal superhero show up on your door in a musclecar. Imagine her drifting her way to a deposition! That would be SO SWEET.
(Buy winter rubber though)….
Used Cadillac ATS. Not too big, decent mileage, and somebody else paid the depreciation. Bonus: when it breaks, you pay GM prices for parts.
ATS is a bit low-volume, and the ones in budget are going to be tired. I also find them cramped, probably because of the camaro platform.
I have a customer right now that has a 2014 with a failed engine (2.0L) and there are literally zero used compatible longitudinal 2.0Ls in the country in good enough condition and low enough mileage to get as a replacement. Her service plan also probably won’t cover a teardown and rebuild. It’s a mess, and she may have to take a buyout on the vehicle which isn’t really in her financial cards right now.
The Lexus is the right decision…..she’ll love the personal attention she gets at the dealership too. Pure class all the way.
Don’t get a Subaru or modern Honda if she’s driving 40K+ a year. Avalon; Camry; ES hybrid; RAV4; Lexus with the 4.0, 4.3, and 4.7L V8s; any Mazda with the 2.5L SkyActiv-G, and a Ford truck or van (or the aforementioned Town Car I guess) are the only vehicles I would feel confident suggesting that they could take that sort of abuse.
A Mazda might be the sweet spot between classy without being too pretentious, economical, and appeasing her friend’s Japanese preferences. They’re comfortable, perform well, lots of value for the money, and dead-nuts reliable in ways honda, Nissan, and Subaru can only dream of nowadays.
I’m with this one… 2018-2020 Mazda 6 in an upper trim is a great car. Just got rid of our 2018 which we bought new.
Modern Subarus are great for high mileage driving. There’s a 2015ish Crosstrek with 1.2 million miles on it that I know of.
I wouldn’t call a 2015 exactly modern, but more modern than 2005, I suppose, so that’s fair. I’d also guess that’s probably a manual transmission car and the owner is fairly fastidious about maintenance. Neither of those tend to apply to recent subarus and their owners.
Modern mainstream subarus have CVTs, thin metal, cheap materials, and are horribly ugly. They don’t particularly have any advantages over their competitors unless one wishes to accessorize, perhaps.
My line for modern depends on context. Here, since Mercedes was considering 2010s Legacy, I was drawing the line in my head as 2005+, where CANBUS was in Subarus, vs. the pre-2005 ones I prefer myself. Yeah, that Crosstrek had a manual, and courier drivers tend to do good maintenance.
The Subaru CVTs have been updated year to year and getting better in driving performance and more reliable. If you ignore the pretense that the CVT fluid is “lifetime” as Subaru of America says and use the fluid replacement interval Subaru says is needed in the Japanese market (something like 3 years/50k kms), I’ve seen reports of Subarus going 400k+ without no CVT issues (2018 Outback). Buying used, your best best is to get a lower mileage one and do all the fluids including CVT. Toyotas in general (not this iQ) might tolerate abuse better than Subarus in general but well maintained Subarus go a long way.
This is the right answer.
I’d throw in the MKX, MKZ, or Continental as well if we’re looking at Lincolns.
Oh man, I think you might like this one:
Import the body parts to convert a lower-mileage iQ in better shape to an Aston Martin Cygnet clone. Should be less than $10K all-in, even if you had to have some painting or wrapping done.
You get to have a car she likes, while giving the finger to the haters, not that you should care about their opinions anyway.
Apologies if someone else beat me to it (on my lunch break, no time to scroll through the comments).
Not here to comment on the car choice. But here to comment with my respect and appreciation for both Mercedes and Sheryl. Without Mercedes, this site would be much less fun (motorcycles and off roading FTW!). Without Sheryl, there would be a lot of people in Illinois without the representation they deserve. Peace, love and happiness to you both and to all your supporters on this site.
Initially, I figured a few Aston Martin badges would solve the image problem, but your savvy mom may not be fooled.
Based on what we’ve heard, Sheryl is basically a modern day Dr. Gonzo.
So the answer is obvious: 1973 Chevrolet Caprice convertible in glorious red with a white interior.
2022-2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness. Keep the slurs going, if you want to, with a simple “I <heart> MY RESCUE”. And before you start… I DD a 2025 OBW, so I got some experience on this one. I added a brush bar, LED off road lights, my Thule kayak racks, and got an OEM trailer hitch which brings about some attention at gas stations and Buc-ee’s. People comment on it all the time and ask where we go with it (places like: Acadia, Upstate NY, Blue Ridge, SNP, upstate Michigan, etc.) which brings up the *best* conversations. No one will think you’re cheap – they’ll think you’re adventurous – and and, in the back of their head, they’ll know you could run them over for non-payment and not even dent the brush bar… in theory only people… in theory only.
Late to the game here but LEXUS LEXUS LEXUS. Sheryl is doing some amazing legal work and while she needs to project solidity, competence and success to her clients and opposition, she also needs transportation that’s relatively immune to the gremlins in her spiritual entourage.
My god, this was depressing. I don’t have anything to comment as everyone else in the comments has already made great points – I’d just like you to know how much I enjoy your articles and how god awful sad I am to know you and your wife are going through this.
You had a couple of perfect cars on your list – Toyota Avalon, or a big Lexus LS. An Avalon Hybrid IMHO would be perfect. It conveys the image you want, gets great gas mileage, and can be found cheaper than a Camry of the same year and mileage. When I bought my Escape PHEV last year after my C-Max was totaled the second choice was an Avalon, I went with the Escape largely because the tax credit brought the price down on a significantly newer vehicle.
Ridiculous your wife is getting so much flak over the car she drives.
But I’d recommend the best-condition Lexus you can find for your budget. A bit of prestige, a bit of luxury, hopefully Toyota reliable. Although your luck with cars doesn’t seem to be the best lol!
A six-cylinder E39 wagon is definitely a car I’d like to own at some point (per insight from Enthusiast Auto Group, the BMW experts, the non-M-car V8 from the E39-gen isn’t quite as stout as the E39 M5’s V8), though just about any six-cylinder E39 would be great.
Avalons do great at blending in, and in many ways they are a discount Lexus. Though based on what one of your fellow writers penned about the LS430, that might also be worth taking a look at.
If we’re going with wild-card suggestions, might I suggest an X150 Jaguar XK? As long as they’re run regularly and/or stored on a battery tender, they’re pretty good on the reliability front, from what Imports Unlimited (the British car experts in Gurnee, IL) once told me. And it’s from the Ford era, so at least some parts aren’t necessarily break-the-bank expensive.
Lexus CT200h
Its a Prius in a fancy outfit
The fuel economy of a hybrid (with all those miles, got to be better than a V8), the quality and reliability of a Toyota, the premium badge of a Lexus, and the equipment that goes along with that (like cruise control that you don’t have to bodge). And modern safety standards. With seating for 4.
Oh my! I never knew that people are so shallow about what kind of car their attorney drives. How about a used Buick LaCrosse or LeSsbre? Upscale in looks downscale in price. Different too!
A lot of lawyering is about image.
It needs to survive 40K miles a year, I wouldn’t trust a Buick or any modern gm to hold up to that kind of use.
PS these days Teslas are a no, no. Even if they are cheap.
So the Prius was a great fit, but the BMW upped her status? Sounds like you need a fancy Prius.
Sounds like she needs a Lexus CT 200h. Aka, a Fancy Prius.
There’s a 2012 sitting in my city with 101k (~63k miles) for 12.8k ($9400 USD)
So it’s reliable, in budget, and gives Sheryl the image boost desired.
Surely a Lincon Town Car like Michael Halley in the Bosch-Lincon Lawyer sagas…
Use ethanol fuel for green credentials, or covert it to LPG.
This was a painful read. Something similar happened to my mom (although like 1/100 severity) when she drove VWs as a banker and was passed over for promotions and opportunities because her car had some (small) rust spots and was over 10 years old. After I got her to give up the VWs (reliability) and get a 2-year-old corolla people at work would actually come up to her and tell her good job for getting rid of her VW.
Unfortunately, (especially for women) you have to blend in with the normies to get ahead or even be tolerated in more socially conservative fields like law, banking etc.
I would recommend getting a CPO Corolla or Camry which can be had all day for 20-28k. Payments aren’t bad and they usually come with a 100k powertrain warranty which you can upgrade to a full warranty for a couple of grand.
The current Toyotas are actually very nice cars and have improved significantly from penalty box status. My mom cried at how shitty the new Toyotas were in 2016 when we bought her last VW, but she loves her 22 corolla SE which is actually a reasonably engaging car to drive and pulls down 40 mpg all the time. The automatic radar cruise control will also be a huge boon for someone who drive so much.
Also, a corolla is the automotive equivalent to an invisibility blanket as there are so many of them driving around and it seems Sheryl could use all the anonymity she can get.
If more lawyer cred is needed a Lexus is the logical choice but unless that’s important a late model Toyota will at least project to people that the driver is a logical, value driven individual who isn’t a cheapskate.
Not sure why this is, but in my experience executive decision-makers are very visual. I’m guessing it’s because it lets them make quick decisions (usually based on visual markers of competence and yes, stereotypes) and getting into an executive position is very much a “first-est with the most-est” game so it favors quick decisions over considered ones.
And it sucks especially for people who favor substance or utility over appearance.
First, people talk too much. Second, I like the iQ, but that one may be cursed.
No personal experience, but Infiniti and Genesis can be pretty nice and fit the image. The Avalon sounds reliable, but I don’t know if it hits that upscale note people are looking for without the Lexus badge. And from my observations, repairs on Lexii can be strangely expensive versus their Toyota brethren, so maybe steer clear of them.
Genesis has made some significant strides, and they look the part. I don’t trust their powertrains yet, though, and their dealer service levels is still allegedly at typical Hyundai/Kia levels, not the “white glove” or similar that established luxury marques tend to offer.
Infiniti doesn’t really have much cachet nowadays, and their designs don’t really mesh well in the space.
I’d suggest Lincoln or Mazda before Genesis, but that’s me.
1. This whole thing is so stupid and I’m sorry to hear it. But I can kind of relate – as a real estate/finance guy there is something to be said for putting on a front for clients, which is why I have the BMW that sees maybe 5k miles/year even though I daily an old manual shitbox mini truck when no one’s going to see me.
2. Sheryl is a deeply impressive person and, I discovered a while back, an incredible Bluesky follow. Even if a lot of what she posts is so damned frustrating because it’s stupid bullshit from the stupid people her work brings her into contact with, or just intolerant asshats in general. I can’t imagine writing her off because of what she chooses to drive.
3. I went through a phase where I was buying a ton of cars at auction to fix up and either drive for a few months or give to family members. My favorites were Volvos and Buicks – entry/mid-level luxury bought and babied by rich old people who part with them in excellent condition (minus Grandpa’s myriad bumper scuffs). Lexus/Acura are nice for Japanese durability and still a luxury brand, but as Mercedes mentions they tend to stay expensive used. Lots of other people have said Avalon, and that’s a good one – just as luxurious as a Lexus without the upscale badges…
As someone in a somewhat similar position (not an attorney but business) Sheryl needs to try a Volvo. Used ones are reasonably priced, excellent rust protection and some of the best seats around. A great place to soak up the miles. And Volvo’s are just low key classy no matter what.
This. Just avoid the earlier 2.0L turbo models as they had piston ring issues (kits if good info about what years/models to avoid). Also don’t get one that is both super- and turbocharged, if only to minimize complexity.
-5-time Volvo owner, with an XC90 V8 and an XC60 currently
The same era 5 cylinders had that problem too. I speak from personal experience on that one.
-4 time Volvo owner (99 S80, 05 S40, 16 XC70, currently 18 XC60) and a 2005 Saab 9-3.
Indeed, but those are less common. Hopefully they’ve all been addressed, too.
Clearly the correct answer is a 403 Cabriolet.