That’s a gift to remember!
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@snowball hope your SUV shopping is going well!
@thumper1 I am still researching and window shopping, having not test driven any yet. Each car on my smaller list has pros and cons, whether my own, or what I have read in reviews.
The top contenders at the moment, and it’s a girls prerogative to change her mind 
are: Lexus RX-350, BMW X3, Acura RDX and Infiniti QX 50. If I keep this next car 13-15 years like my last cars, I can rationalize spending an additional 10K to get a luxury model. That said, the BMW could become a money pit closer to 10 year, so I have that to consider. The Infiniti may also be a service problem in the future.
The Madza CX-50 is narrow in the back seat, so when my son is here visiting, getting the car seats and an adult in the backseat will be tight; I also do not like the dealership by my home, so going for service would not be pleasant. The Subaru Outback has everything I would like, except I don’t like the plastic trim around the wheels and what looks like a bra on the front that comes around the sides! I also really don’t like the grill of the Lexus, but everything else is almost perfect.
My gut is I will go with the Acura or Lexus, and if so, will I go with the mild hybrid on the Lexus? I will test drive the cars next month and go from there. My hope is that I love something, and not attempt to settle. I am in my car a good bit, and much of that is on the expressway, so I want to be comfortable and in a safe car. I am not getting any younger, so I will take all the newest safety features available!
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Your “gut” is very smart. 
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I meant to mention one thing that may knock the Acura RDX out of the running is their weird touchpad. Instead of a touchscreen, there is a small touchpad (like on your laptop) on the center console. Many reviews mention how frustrating it is to use, which forces drivers to take their eyes off the road for too long. I am left handed, and while I use my right hand to text on my phone, I do wonder how comfortable I will be using the touchpad. Of course, there is a button on the steering wheel where I could use Siri; I don’t know what I would be unable to access that way, but will investigate.
The BMW X3 hasn’t been updated in years, but is due one for 2025. Because of this, the technology is older, although maybe not a terrible thing.
One thing that surprised me about many of the cars I would research, in order to get lumbar support in the driver’s seat, you need near the top trim level. Lumbar support is an absolute must have for me, no matter what. Even if the driver has lumbar support, the passenger front seat does not. We overlooked that when buying my MDX 13 years ago, and my car was the car we used for road trips. The passenger seat was horrible for me, so when my husband was driving, I had a pillow in the car that I had to use; won’t make that mistake again, although I will never be in the passenger seat.
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It’s good to think about the controls! It’s even hard to rent a car these days, because every one of them is different! I did not like the Nissan Rogue we were given when our car was in the autobody shop.
I like the idea of driving a car around for a day before deciding whether to purchase it. Kind of like shoes - you don’t know how they’re going to fit until you wear them a little.
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Spot on! I rented a Suburban a year ago. When I picked it up at the airport I couldn’t initially figure out how to put it in gear.
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The Lexus will allow you to do all the touch screen stuff by talking to the car. As in, Hey Lexus, tune the radio to 88.5FM. Hey Lexus, turn down the heat. Really helps to be hands free!
I really dislike trying to mess with the screen while driving. And based on the rentals Ive had recently, that seems to be the norm.
I suspected you’ll like that Lexus. I considered it (and loved it after having one as a loaner -’ smart move by my dealership!) but really wanted something much smaller.
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Hmmm, I recall a rental Tahoe last year where there were PRND buttons or switches on the dash console.
But it is true that seemingly every company wants to do its own thing with automatic transmission selectors.
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That was the exact issue. I hopped in and looked for a center console shift, then a column shift. I finally realized the buttons were on the cluttered dashboard.
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Every car rental is a bit of an adventure - from starting to unlocking the gas cap…
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I hate driving any car but my own, even before all the fancy gadgets! I know how my car reactions in different situations, so uncomfortable when driving other cars. Because we are Hertz Presidents Club, I am able to pick my car from the lot; you will find me opening driver’s car doors to check out the car before selecting!
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We are very happy with our Subaru Crosstrek, especially when it comes to value for money. We find it feels much more high quality than we would expect at that price point.
We will be switching to a plug-in electric once we’re able to get solar panels, but that may be a year or more away (roof repair in between).
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I’ve been able to pick my car lately and I’m not in any club.
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With Hertz, you get the luxury cars with President’s Club; in Austin it usually was SUVs. Once there was a mustang that my husband would have picked, but we needed room for car seats!
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Renting from the dealer for a day can be helpful, if that’s something that can still be arranged.
Non-SUV day rental story:
When shopping for my husband’s car in 2013, we found an Audi dealer that would do that. It was only $35/day. We rented an A4 and drove way up I70 into the mountains (Frisco, about 90 min away) for lunch. Great way to check highway comfort, acceleration uphill etc. I drove a very short stretch of it too. Then the next Saturday we rented an A6 and did the same thing. It was just a bit bigger, more comfortable… same mpg. Actually left our car at the dealer overnight and brought the rental home to check on garage fit. The exercise convinced us that the 4cyl with Turbo had plenty of pep… and that we definitely preferred the A6. On our two cross country treks during Covid, we were especially pleased with the choice.
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Yes! ,
My travel buddies all laugh at me, since I’m the self-chosen designated driver - I spend the first 10 minutes finding everything, programming the phone, finding the lights…everything! They’re used to me now 
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I am glad I have been able to eliminates cars through research only, as the dealerships are just as bad as I remember! I stopped by Lexus yesterday to sit inside the RX again and touch.
I of course was approached the moment I walked into the door; not a bad thing. I explained to the sales woman that I was just doing a quick look, but it seems they moved the RX off the showroom floor, so she would have to take me outside to look. No problem, and we talked about which trim I might be interested in. I told her, but she promptly took me to the Sport Performance version; this car interior is different, so not what I wanted to see. I assumed she would look through the computer and find a car on the lot I could look at, but instead, we walked the lot reading stickers until we found the trim I was looking for. She then had to go get the key.
Once sitting in the car, she kept telling the car to turn on the AC, but nothing was happening. Understand, my current car is 13 years old, so it still has a key that needs to be inserted. I mentioned that maybe the car needs to be turned on for the AC to work, or before you can talk to it. She then presses the start button a couple of times, where nothing happens. I can see the dash states to places foot on the brakes, so I do that, and low and behold, the AC turns on!
I asked a couple of questions, both were answered with, “I will ask my manager.” From buying my first car in the 70s to now, I am totally baffled how the sales people have no clue about the product they are selling. This is not every sales person, but at least at the luxury level, one would expect to have a knowledgeable sales person. Maybe I expect too much, and glad I do my own research. BUT, when it comes time for a purchase, I want someone with experience that doesn’t run to their manager for every line of the sales agreement, otherwise I walk!
The Acura dealership was totally different and the salesman has been there for 18 years. He was helpful and not pushy; exactly what I like to see. When I looked at the BMW a couple of weeks ago, I also had a salesman with knowledge and humor. The good ones are out there, but the vast majority seems to come and go and don’t understand their product.
I think I am ready to test drive, so will put my information into Costco and get the salesperson assigned and go from there. I am on the fence about testing the BMW, so will hold off in it for the moment. At least that is my thought this afternoon; I could change my mind tonight! 
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Same experience here. I have met many people in the auto industry that are extremely professional but there certainly are some unscrupulous and or simply ignorant people in the industry. There aren’t exactly large barriers of entry into the profession.
That is why we have stayed loyal to a few dealerships that sell multiple brands. We tend to get directed to very experienced employees versus just walking in off the street.
Have a great holiday and I hope you test drive the BMW.
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So what choices have you narrowed down to for doing test drive?