reliability - crv and rav4 are safe bets. also, if your sister is not familiar with cars, she can get AAA membership for around $50 a year that covers basic towing, trip guides and deals, and tons of discounts. family and i have this all the time.

fuel economy - i think all your listed options are pretty good mpg for suv. im not sure if this is a factor is she mostly will do short drives.

resale - why not get a 08 or later used or certified used unit instead and let someone else pay for depreciation? forester, crv, and rav4 again are sure bets here. or she can consider hybrid since gas price seems to stay high (so are hybrid values i observed).

also, i strongly advise her to start trying out cars at carmax. it is a used car dealer with all makes and models. sales people are by salary so there are no sales pressure at all. ive been there tons of times to try out different rides.

if she happens to be in socal and also open to small cars (im hunting for one right now), i may be able to assist her is she like.

Quote Originally Posted by umi001 View Post
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  • Reliability - My sister does not know anything about vehicle maintenance, therefore it is absolutely imperative that the car be one which is reliable and well-behaved - she would not know what to do if the car got a flat tire, let alone engine or mechanical problems. (As an aside, she does plan to learn more about vehicle care while over there, understanding that she won't have family to turn to in case something happens.)
  • Fuel Economy - Ok, an SUV isn't the best choice for fuel economy, but that being said, I'm sure some are more fuel efficient than others?
  • Resale Value - Since she's only going to be there for three years (barring finding position at a US hospital), she will most likely be selling the SUV when her residency is up - so a vehicle which maintains it's value over that time period would certainly be a plus.