There are times I would love to have a small car that I could just use around town & when not hauling my horse trailer......but calculating the price of a new or even used small car along with insurance & taxes, it buy's a lot of gas for my dodge hemi 1500 4x4 truck even at 12mpg.

Get lots of "love your truck" & lots of "that truck is too big for you" at 5'2".....I can relate to what your MIL wanting a car that fits her. First time I drove my truck, I went to our state fair & parked it out where no our else parked....came out to my truck & it was surrounded by cars & I had no idea how I was going to get it out of the parking place without taking out all the care around me.

Since then, I have gotten so used to my truck, I can park it in the smallest possible places, back it into tight spots & haul around my horse trailer like it was just a normal part of me. Love the V8 power....a first for me.....can get me out of really tight spots.

Find it interesting how we can get so used to whatever we are driving that it almost becomes one with us. Hope your MIL will be able to make the change that will help her feel more comfortable & more reasonable on gas. Always nice to have a new care also....nothing like that new car smell either.

Have always heard good things about the Subaru's....friends who have had them have always loved them.