I’ve been a car guy most of my life myself, but since Covid I’ve kinda fallen out of the loop. My wife has hit the point she wants to trade in her GMC Terrain and get something new. I put her through the gamut of brands, models, etc.

She’s settled on 3, and I’m just not really sure where to advise her from here. I’ve told her what I know about each brand and we’ve done some research together, but I take all that with a grain of salt.

2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy- I’ve owned 4 Hyundais in my life and they’ve all been solid. The palisade seems like a good mix of luxury and features for the price, and is competitive in the sheer space market. However all this talk of constant engine issues and warranty denials has me a little leery. Is it all that bad?

2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX Platinum- Toyota is pricy for the features and a little lacking in the luxury department, but has always had a solid reputation of reliability. However it seems cracks are starting to form in their bulletproof reputation and talks of engine failures and other issues are becoming more common.

2026 Volvo XC90 Ultra- Sweden is good at a lot of things, and Volvo has made a name for itself in the US market. It’s hard to get a solid feedback loop though because a lot of places seem like an echo chamber for Volvo lovers.

Wildcard: 2026 Toyota Sequoia Limited- totally different class of suv but the extra space and towing capacity is appealing. More appealing than a Yukon or other full size SUV, but they get real expensive real quick.

Overall I’ve urged my wife not to make any kind of heartfelt commitments to anything until she sees them in person and takes them for a drive. I was hoping this community could give me some personal experience and guidance towards or away from any certain model.