My Girlfriend Wants a "Cute" Car

"DAMG0014" (DAMG0014)
04/12/2014 at 15:33 • Filed to: SUV, Crossover, advise, tips, girl, girlfriend

Misogynistic implications aside, my girlfriend needs a car...

Let me give a quick summary, she's a tall girl (5'10"), she hates the pep of my Si ("too fast" and "too stiff"), and the Kia Soul is not an option (which I thought would be perfect), because her dream car would be a murdered-out Hummer H3 (how is that even "cute"). - Sigh. - She's not a car girl at all, and when it comes down to it, she's not opposed to just getting another 2000 Pontiac Grand Am.

This is going to be her true first car. Her credit is pretty bueno, so she's fine with paying-off a $15k loan the next few years. That doesn't mean she'll raise her nose to $5k steal on wheels though. Is there such thing as a totally not crap crossover? I just think an SUV would be totally pointless, because she doesn't need the room; it's just an image thing, because she's tall and busty, which is kinda understandable. To quote her, "I just want a car that will make me look cute." We have different definitions of cute though. A Miata is cute; a black Escalade is obnoxious.

Anyway...

It's pretty easy to narrow your options when you're looking for a sporty car with a manual; there's probably 10 total here in Fargo that are not riced-out junk or over $15k. But when looking for an SUV thing, well, where can't you buy one!? This is unknown territory for me. I just want her to have a good reliable vehicle. With her preferences, I was thinking about a Wrangler (but they seem to be over-budget, and most were manual). Maybe a Chrysler 300? There are just too many options, and most of them sound bad.

DISCUSSION (55)

Alex B > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:35

miata is always the answer.

Kinja'd!!!

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:37

Step 1: Search the interwebs and find a clean, cheap Miata

Step 2: Buy it

Step 3: Teach her how to handle the stick

Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until perfected

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:40

Why not a Jetta or Pasat?

Anon > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:40

WHATEVER YOU GET, DO NOT GET A FIRST GEN BMW MINI! If she ends up wanting a Mini, get the 2007-2013 as it fixes almost all of the issues of the first gen, like the terrible french designed, brazilian built 1.4 litre.

CPT Speedbump > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:42

Trailblazer SS? She can have a cool car, and have the same exact vehicle as her H3, just with more power, and body on it that isnt a fake hummer

catkam623 misses his 944 > Alex B
04/12/2014 at 15:46

I came here to say that and point out than you can borrow it whenever...

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:46

2011 Honda Fit

http://www.cars.com/go/search/deta…

2011 Mazda3

http://www.cars.com/go/search/deta…

DAMG0014 > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2
04/12/2014 at 15:47

Hahaha, I gave this notion a very hard though. Get another car for myself, but have her buy it, which is kinda in the back of my head, just tiny bit.

There's enough apathy in her; that that still may be an option. But that'd be selfish of me.

f86sabre > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:49

living in Fargo, donchaknow? Based on the discretion and knowing the weather I would say a Jeep or Subaru forester.

DAMG0014 > Anon
04/12/2014 at 15:52

This is one we sorta agreed on. I've read to avoid the "S" like the plague, because how stuffed that engine bay is. Her friend has a 500, and she hates the size of the cabin, so we may not go that route. But that was the one car we agreed was "cute."

CPT Speedbump > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
04/12/2014 at 15:53

Well, she has a boyfriend, and loose girls own Jetta's, sooo, thats probably part of why

Makoyouidiot > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 15:57

There is only one. Fiat 500. I love mine, and more women have come up to me to talk about it than have ever spoken to me in my whole life before. (probably)

Still tho, chicks dig the 500, and it's fun to drive.

DAMG0014 > f86sabre
04/12/2014 at 16:00

She told me she liked how Jeeps looked, but aren't they all crap, besides the Wrangler?

I think a Subaru would be a smart choice; she's not thrilled about them though.

DAMG0014 > CPT Speedbump
04/12/2014 at 16:03

An SS would be cool. Aren't those a bit rare though?

Textured Soy Protein > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:05

Compass and Patriot = total shite

Grand Cherokee = nice, shite mileage (I have a '99 just to drive in winter)

Liberty = not completely terrible although I hate the looks of the '02-'07; '08-'12 is an improvement

DAMG0014 > Makoyouidiot
04/12/2014 at 16:06

Our friend has one. I like it; she hates it. The cabin is too small for her liking. :/

Textured Soy Protein > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:08

Hate to say it but Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV or VW Tiguan. They're "cute" girl cars, get decent mileage, and have plenty of room in the back for when she inevitably finds some antique dresser at a garage sale and bats her eyes at you to help carry it inside from the car.

CPT Speedbump > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:09

I'm not sure, my police force has like 6 of them I know though, lol... Wiki sais that about 7 percent of Trailblazers were made with the SS package

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:13

She want's a black Escalade? GMT 800

Kinja'd!!!

Makoyouidiot > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:13

As a 5'10", 320lb dude, that makes me lol.

duurtlang > Anon
04/12/2014 at 16:15

You're mixing things up. The (gasoline) engines in the first BMW Mini were a Chrysler/Rover (BMW) design produced in Brazil. The engines in the 2006-2013 BMW Mini were of a joint BMW/PSA (Peugeot) design.

DAMG0014 > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
04/12/2014 at 16:18

Smart choices, they went through my mind. I thought a Soul would have the size she wanted and practicality she needed, nope, not cute. Maybe after searching becomes a headache, she might settle for something like those, but she's stubborn.

DAMG0014 > Textured Soy Protein
04/12/2014 at 16:19

Oh, Christ, I can picture it already.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:20

I had a Soul, and it was a great car up until I got rear ended. It had tons of space in the passenger area, and for the price came with a lot of standard features.

DAMG0014 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
04/12/2014 at 16:22

Yeah. Exactly. - "I would look so cute getting out of one of those!"

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 16:24

I wouldn't say that.. But the seats are comfy and roomy, good power from the 6.0, and the 4 speed is a decent trans. Plus plenty of room for whatever weird obscure shit she finds and needs to bring home.

DAMG0014 > Makoyouidiot
04/12/2014 at 16:28

Hahaha, that's funny.

I don't know; she's tall for a girl and very top heavy. Between being stuffed in our friend's car, and her bouncing all over the place in mine, she want's a big ol' steam roller.

f86sabre > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 17:34

they are pretty much crap, yes.

So she doesn't want a sports car and doesn't like the practical cars that are perfect for where you live. How about a Tacoma or crew cab truck?

GoliathRex > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 17:48

if she is OK with a car that costs 5k... then just get that. Why spend more when she obviously cares very little.

I think you need to assist her in doing some soul search about what she needs. That will make the subsequent search alot easier. If you are still considering a 300 and a wrangler.... god why do I even respond to these.

AthomSfere > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO
04/12/2014 at 19:27

I had a first gen Fit, and although it meets most the requirements it was also a bit stiff for someone who isn't a car person at all. Take my wife (No please, take her) she hated the one I bought her because the suspension and steering were too accurate. Accurate is my word, not hers.

AthomSfere > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 19:28

So her definition of cute is a surgeons trophy wife?

AthomSfere > CPT Speedbump
04/12/2014 at 19:29

Also, reliability... Might as well buy a push-cart.

Conan > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 19:32

FJ Cruiser if she likes SUVs.

DAMG0014 > AthomSfere
04/12/2014 at 19:45

She's weird, like if her upbringing would have been just right (or wrong), she would be starring in an episode of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

But she's totally down to earth; there's just glimmers of gaudiness here and there, like when I ask her what she wants for a car.

AthomSfere > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 19:48

My big gypsy wedding? Do I even want to Google that? Is it like Jersey Shore?

Pockets > duurtlang
04/12/2014 at 19:51

Rover didn't do anything with the engine on the first one, it was a Chrysler/BMW thing.

Makoyouidiot > DAMG0014
04/12/2014 at 23:22

Hmm...gonna be hard to find something cute with that sort of ride.

DAMG0014 > AthomSfere
04/13/2014 at 13:01

Yes. But worse. Like Jersey Shore is kinda funny; I mean, they're kids being young and stupid. Seeing the stupid get married, and the thought of them reproducing, is just ugh. Also, the show films men being openly sexist, and the worst part is how the women conform to these ideals; it's fucking bonkers.

Then there's the dresses. Think of Pimp My Ride, but with dresses. There's a silliness to appreciate and jeer here, but the reality of it all is just too upsetting.

Anyway, she's been without a car for about three days now, so her priorities are much more reasonable now.

DAMG0014 > Conan
04/13/2014 at 13:11

Those things are rad. I'd like to get one of those myself! But they're out of a reasonable price range. And that mpg!?

Conan > DAMG0014
04/13/2014 at 13:21

If you get her to Jalop up a bit more on an older one you could do it. They don't look different. The mpg will stay awful though.

ptak appreciates old racecars > DAMG0014
04/13/2014 at 16:32

A Chrysler 300? Man, that's like the least cute car on the road. In a good way. It's like, if Humphrey Bogart were a car from the 21st century, he would be a Chrysler 300.

bob and john > DAMG0014
04/13/2014 at 18:51

MIIIIIAAAATTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAA
travel to buy it if you have to

samssun > AthomSfere
04/13/2014 at 18:54

Her definition of cute is obviously the traditional one: small/petite/feminine. She's 5'10 and wants something big enough to downplay that, so the compacts suggested here probably won't do the trick.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > DAMG0014
04/14/2014 at 02:20

If she wants a good SUV/Crossover, try finding a previous gen V6 equipped Rav-4. A 270horse V6 and a 5-speed auto are a boring but proven combo. If I recall, it had best-in-class 0-60 times a few years back!

shirosake > DAMG0014
04/14/2014 at 10:49

Lease a new Crosstrek. My girlfriend thinks hers is cute as hell.

Frosted > DAMG0014
04/15/2014 at 10:18

Kinja'd!!!

Look at how cute and excited it is!

Aaron James > DAMG0014
04/15/2014 at 22:47

The answer to this question is always Accord.

DAMG0014 > shirosake
04/17/2014 at 11:49

If there was an affordable (and worthwhile) Subaru under 100k miles, I'd definitely go that route. That Crosstek looks nice; it's over budget though, and the one Subaru dealer here is filled with pricks who over-price their cars.

She wised-up and settled for a 2010 Kia Soul. It was really as simple as finding a black one. Black is cute, apparently.

DAMG0014 > Aaron James
04/17/2014 at 12:09

I was looking at the latest gen Accords when I was looking for my own car; those things look mean, and I like the acceleration numbers on the V6. I read that they had issues and sort of recall or something and that they feel bulky and heavy. I ended getting an '07 Si, which, of course, had transmission issues of its own. I see them on the road from time, and I really like how they look, but I also really like my four doors.

She got a Soul. I showed her a Mazda6, and she told me that it looked like a "boy's car"; I'm sure an Accord would have been along that same route.

Aaron James > DAMG0014
04/17/2014 at 12:53

You're probably right, I'm glad she found something that works for her. The last time I bought a new car was a 2001 Honda CRV for my then wife, we had the opposite problem as she's only 4'10.

tomtom615 > Anon
04/17/2014 at 12:59

You're crazy, the 07-13 MINI undid all of the great stuff of the first gen. Softer, slower, less focused, no thank you!

Anon > tomtom615
04/17/2014 at 14:22

Have you ever tried to live with one? The interior rattles like crazy. The driving ergonomics are terrible. The seats suck. The suspension is ungodly hard. The midlands 5 speed is one of the worse manual gearboxes I've ever had the displeasure of using! The clutch stiffness would put an 80 's super car to shame. And to top it off the non S engine sounds like a kid with asthma. How do I know all of this? Because I daily drive one.

tomtom615 > Anon
04/17/2014 at 14:28

I daily a R53 myself, I love it! The suspension is hard, but nothing swapping off runflats won't help (a lot). I have a 6 speed, so I do not share your transmission hatred. I have an S (why would anyone not) so I love my supercharger noise, the seats are fine, the driving position is good. I don't understand the dissatisfaction.

*the clutch is heavy, but if thats my biggest problem, its not a biggie.

**seriously ditch the runflats, makes a world of difference

Stef Schrader > DAMG0014
04/28/2014 at 22:08

I've always said these were totes adorbs:

Kinja'd!!!

Also, yay '00 Grand Ams! That was my first car.

DAMG0014 > Stef Schrader
05/03/2014 at 13:37

That would be just too wonderful. Sigh.