What kind of car?

[Wayne]

We have been married for two and one half weeks.  I live in the country, 15 miles from the nearest city and three miles from a viliage.  I am looking to purchase a second vehicle.  It needs to be 4WD or AWD because of our winters.  She does not like American vehicles.  Want to get something about 3 or 4 years old.  She has a Russian driver's license, and I thnk she can legally drive in Michigan with it.  The green card is required before you can get a Michigan license, I believe.  

Any suggestions?

[KenC]

We have been married for two and one half weeks.  I live in the country, 15 miles from the nearest city and three miles from a viliage.  I am looking to purchase a second vehicle.  It needs to be 4WD or AWD because of our winters.  She does not like American vehicles.  Want to get something about 3 or 4 years old.  She has a Russian driver's license, and I thnk she can legally drive in Michigan with it.  The green card is required before you can get a Michigan license, I believe.  

Any suggestions?

Wayne,
A green card is not a requirement for a Michigan drivers license.  Even though she may not like American cars, you really can't beat the Jeep Cherokee or Jeep Liberty for your circumstances.  Keep in mind, she is gonna have a few fender benders along the way too.

BTW, you can get the Michigan drivers license guide book in Russian for her and she can take her test in Russian too.
KenC

Oops, Congrats and best of luck in your marriage!

[Andrew]

BMW X5?
 

[KenC]

BMW X5?
 

Andrew,
The X-5 is a nice ride.  I just turned in an X-3 I had leased.  Maybe too nice  to "bump" around and learn to drive however.
KenC

[Andrew]

Yes Ken,
It is a lovely machine, unfortunately it is out of most peoples financial grasp, mine included. However, I did have one as loan car while my M3 was being repaired. Think it was BMW's joke on me since I took my M3 "farming", by accident of course hehehe *blush*

[2tallbill]

About cars, the first thing I always look for is leg room but I always look 
for all wheel / 4 wheel drive and traction control as well because I am an avid skier. Although they aren't the most stylish cars Suburu's have excellent reliability and safety ratings, they make decent gas mileage and decent performance and they have been building all wheel drive cars since the beginning of time. Their replacement parts are reasonably priced as well (read fender bender fixing here).

I have a Mercedes ML320 it has excellent handling in the snow and ice, is very reliable and it has very good safety ratings. When I do have to replace something it costs a bundle and its mileage kind of sucks. I would hate to know what it would cost to fix after a couple fender benders.

My stepson loves his Audi and it's wickedly fast and cooler than cool. Audi's don't have the best reliability ratings and tend to eat very expensive parts. I would not recommend buying one for those reasons. My stepson by the way is a naval aviator headed towards Iraq. I guess it's hard to imagine someone who flies jets off of aircraft carriers to like fast cars.

I don't know much about Honda, Toyota and others. You didn't say what price range you are looking at,

Udachi (good luck)

Bill

[Andrew]

If its reliable you're looking for, forget about a German car. Get a Toyota if thats the case. They're like an appliance. Go on forever. Unfortunately they have about as much charisma as a toaster. Well thats my opinion anyway

[BillyB]

Get a car with low miles(reliable) and cheap. I've read on these forums a number of FSU wives getting into fender benders. Could be more, no telling how many men here isn't talking. After she gets the hang of driving here, then upgrade to a model your finances will allow.

[viking]

I have a Jeep Cherokee with about 125K miles on it and still going strong. My daughter drives a Jeep Libery with about 85K miles. Great in the snow and crappy weather, decent (not great) mileage and you can bump into a lot of things and the other car is the one with the damage. And you can find a lot of used ones at a very reasonable cost. They handle a lot of abuse.

[Jet]

If she's dead set on an import, My Mom traded in an Isuzu Trooper last year with nearly half a million miles on it, for a Toyota Rav 4. She has thoroughly enjoyed both vehicles. Hyundai has a couple of models that fit what you are looking for and although the Elantra my wife drives doesn't match the description of what you're looking for, I can say that we've had outstanding luck with it so far. They are built far better than they were in the early days and when put side by side with the Toyotas of the same class, give WAY more "bang for the buck" in terms of warantee and features.

[Muckraker]

My wife loved her 4WD RAV4 for a couple of years (needed something bigger when the baby came).  We got a Sequoia, which took a real hit one day from a street racer.  His Explorer flipped and he went to the hospital, but my wife was fine, even though the whole side of the Sequoia was totally smashed in.  If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten the big SUV right from the start.  It would have been disaster if she was still in the RAV4 or the first car we bought her, a Toyota Corolla.

I recall Michigan did have a screwy rule for a few weeks about no driver's licenses for non-residents, but I believe it was "fixed" by their legislature recently.  Some lawsuits were filed over it.

I think your wife would need an "international" driver's license, not just a Russian one.  It was a separate document in addition to the Russian license, IIRC, which was readily available from the Russian driver's license people for an additional charge.  Plus you have to confirm what your insurance company will provide coverage for.

Muck

[FredC]

My recommendation depends on wether or not she's comfortable in a truck or car. From personal experience, any Toyota truck is just about bulletproof. If not, right now I'm driving a Subaru Baja, it gets good gas economy, is comfortable to drive, last summer I took it on a 4000 mile cross country trip and by reputation they're bulletproof. I hope this helps............Fred

[2tallbill]

gas............

[ISORW]

I recall Michigan did have a screwy rule for a few weeks about no driver's licenses for non-residents, but I believe it was "fixed" by their legislature recently.  Some lawsuits were filed over it.

Muck

Unfortunately many states have such a screwy rule. My ex-RW wife had to wait 2 years for her green card before she could apply for a drivers license in NJ, never mind that she was here legally.

[Jumper]

in the realm of what you asked i'd say the
rav4,(maybe a good used 4 runner) suburu,or isuzu

but if shes comfortable with somethnig larger,, as muckraker impled get something along those lines.. ?

not to read to much into your statement,
or trying to be a  caveman,
but I would not let  her simply *right off* domestic vehicles..
unless she has some fundamental basis for that prejudece? unless shes buying it.

 if one is a good model, fits the need, is availible ,and fits  in the family budget-then it should also be in the consideration process? unless money is
no object.

my wife was not overly thrilled with her first car,,
but it was her first car, i was buying it and paying any damage or insurance lol ,,  and as such, we could discuss it and she certainly had influence in the various choices,, but it was going to be something inexpensive, reasonable and not of any particular brand. something practical  was going to be fine,
 until she had some long term driving experience.
turns out she was a great driver,far better than myself.
 i still do not regret the "beginer" car she started with,,
and despite being *underwhelmed* at the time ,she now looks back on that as a smart move as well.


I think its great you are getting her mobile immediately,
my wife was as well and helped a lot in her adaptation adjustment and initial happiness.
(it would have been like prison,if stuck at home)

[Ronnie]

 She does not like American vehicles......  
Any suggestions?

Yeah, I got a suggestion.  Tell her if she's gonna live in Michigan, USA, she's gonna have to learn to like... no LOVE American vehicles!

The woman's got a lot of nerve.  Wayne..you're a proud Michigander aren't ya? Get her a Ford F-150 diesel and convert it to biodiesel.  Tell her Al Gore and the United Nations ordered you to do it. Hey, I'm serious (and maybe just a little premature).

If she's still on her 90 days she can show she's legally present to get her SSN and MDL otherwise, you gotta wait until the EAD comes after filing for AOS.
Do it PDQ.
Here's a link to what Michigan says you need. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/DE40_032001_20459_7.pdf

[Wayne]

Her Russian driver's license has the information also listed in English, and I think that is all she needs.  The internations certificate (not License) is merely a translation into several languages and is used in addition to the driver's license. She got the social security card in about two weeks time.  I would like to know more about the Michigan tests and study guide in Russian.

I have looked at some Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV and Subaru Forester.  All the Subaru models come standard in AWD, whereas, other brands charge extra for 4WD or AWD.  I do not think she will be going off-road, it's just that we get a lot of snow and ice on the roads in northern Michigan.  We get a lot of lake effect snow across Lake Michigan. 

[KenC]

Her Russian driver's license has the information also listed in English, and I think that is all she needs.  The internations certificate (not License) is merely a translation into several languages and is used in addition to the driver's license. She got the social security card in about two weeks time.  I would like to know more about the Michigan tests and study guide in Russian.

I have looked at some Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV and Subaru Forester.  All the Subaru models come standard in AWD, whereas, other brands charge extra for 4WD or AWD.  I do not think she will be going off-road, it's just that we get a lot of snow and ice on the roads in northern Michigan.  We get a lot of lake effect snow across Lake Michigan. 

Wayne,
We started out in MI before moving to CA.  IIRC, the DMV office should have a study guide in Russian available at the office.  The Russian test is also available upon request too.  My wife drove on her Russian license for a year with no troubles in MI.

I had a summer home in Charlevoix and my daughter went to school in TC for a few years.  You get some stupid snow up there!  I always saw a lot of Isuzu's on the road in your neck of the woods.  (There had to be a reason for it)  As Jet said. the Hyundai's are a great value too.  I rented a Hyundai SUV and was very impressed with it.  Why is she so dead set against American vehicles?
KenC

[catzenmouse]

turns out she was a great driver,far better than myself.

LOL! We've seen pictures of "your" driving AJ!

[aikorob]

N. first vehicle is a used Explorer--for all of the reasons AJ mentioned before.
While she is learning to drive, it WILL get scuffed; and it will protect her better when those accidents occur.

[2tallbill]

Gas prices

[2tallbill]

Always Inspect Auto Safety Equipment.........