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Fortunately, there are so many good cars available these days that you probably can't go too far wrong. Depending on what you want to spend and what your wife values, you might also consider the following:
- Suburu Legacy Outback. The LL Bean edition with the big motor is a nicer car than you'd think.
- Various recent new/used Volvo wagons. I know of several people with the previous generation V70 and V90/960 who are happy with them. I've only driven the V90, but I was quite surprised at how peppy it is. They aren't performance cars and can't be had with a 5 speed, but your wife might not care.
- Infiniti I35/G35. The G35 is the new one that tested obscenely well in the R&T sedan shootout a couple of months ago. The I35 is the Maxima based car that is still available new and in heaps coming off-lease. I'm sure that dealers are blowing them off the lots with steep discounts. In general, the resale on these cars is poor, so buying a used one is a good bet. Hell, you could even buy your wife a slightly used Q45 for under $30K.
- Saab 9-3. The Saab is a nice enough car and is available at huge discounts as well. Depreciation on these cars is also pretty dismal and longevity is so-so, so I think I'd opt to lease one of these at a heavy subsidy for 3 years and then explore other options. If you think that you might have more children or your economic status would change enough to move up the automotive food chain in a few years, this isn't a bad deal.
Anyway, just some thoughts on other things to consider. Hope it helps...
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