Car Talk

After eight years and just over 100,000 miles together, I must, sadly, donate my 2002 Honda CRV. The New England winters during grad school took a heavy toll. Rust is eating out the vehicle from the inside and various panels have fallen off from underneath. Nothing can be done. This year the AC stopped. The battery died. The caliper needed replacement. The gear shift locked in park. Finally over the weekend, AAA came to tow the car away again..this time beyond repair. So it goes. Now don't get me wrong, I loved my Honda and it served me well. But I'm now in need of something new. I want a reliable model with good mpg, all-wheel drive, and most of all, a great safety rating. It must be affordable and sturdy enough to handle the occasional trip to an off-road field site. Not too large, yet able to carry heavy equipment (or at times, a feisty sun conure). So I turn to the car experts out there... What do you recommend and what are you driving?