Oh yes. EVERYONE should get their knives sharpened. It’s a miracle.
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And learn how to properly hone.
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A vaccinated babysitter? A road trip to an air bnb with a pool/on the beach…etc
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More car questions before I go to a dealership and get bombarded by someone trying to sell me something lol. I last bought a car 9 years ago.
My driving is minimal, probably 10k per year, in town driving mainly. I drive varying distance for work appointments a few times a week, sometimes a couple miles, sometimes 30 minutes, but I actually work only a couple miles from my house.
Do I care about 4 cylinders vs 6? My current car is 6.
Do I care about FWD vs AWD? We do get snow and ice but not a ton.
What else do I need to consider?
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Probably not. Modern cars are turned with turbos that make a modern 4 cylinder have more “pep in its step” than an older 6 cylinder (unless you are towing). Horsepower is a better indicator here.
(To quote my engineer husband: “modern cars are doing a lot more with a lot less engine”)
Are you likely or able to modify your behavior for snow accumulation? Does it take a long time for your streets to get plowed? Do you ever need/want to drive mountain passes?
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Usually. Not usually. Never. 
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In that case, FWD should be more than adequate it sounds like!
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4 cyl is plenty if there’s an option.
If you’re comfortable driving in your climate with FWD, stick with it. If you regret your decision down the road, I’m told that snow tires on a FWD car are better than driving AWD with just regular all-season tires.
I’ve owned multiple cars with both. The main advantage of AWD is getting going from a stop in snow, especially through snow banks where a plow has passed. Actual grip when cornering and braking is determined by the tires, which is why you often see people with AWD or 4WD in the ditch, because they get overconfident.
Edit: that said, when I have the choice I’ll always take our AWD in the snow because I know how to use its advantages without suffering from overconfidence
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If you’ve got specific brands or models in mind I can give further thoughts
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I don’t really yet. I’ve been happy driving a Fusion for 9 years, but I don’t like the way the new ones look so I’m looking at other brand similar size cars at this point. If I’m going to drive something for that long, I need to like how it looks as well as how it drives.
I’m happy to look at whatever others here have been happy with, or hear what you’re unhappy with too.
I have a max budget of 25k, less is better of course, and would like something mid sized. I really like the looks of the Buick Encore small SUV but have not driven one or done any research yet. I’m not sure how a “small SUV” compares to a “mid sized car” in the drive feel or interior roominess factor.
How do I know if my current car is AWD or FWD? Is it in the manual? Now I’m curious.
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There aren’t that many that are AWD standard. Well, I guess it is becoming more common now, but it used to be that Subaru was pretty much the only one? (I think. I mean, Subaru’s are AWD, it’s one of their selling points and why so many people drive them in like New England and Utah mountains.) But it will be a main selling point, in your face. Otherwise assume FWD. I think some vehicles nowadays can switch from AWD to FWD (with the touch of a button, not like the old rigamarole that you had to go through to put a Suburban into 4WD lol, no locking the hubs on these bad boys!).
My sister’s family all drive Subarus and my parents too. They get relatively worse gas mileage because they are AWD all the time BUT they are great in snow. They are great in the mountains.
I drive a teeny tiny Toyota Yaris, a sub compact that weighs almost nothing. Theoretically it should not be that good in snow because it is FWD and it weighs not very much (weight helps in snow). However, I have very good snow tires. I would probably not try to drive it in the mountains in a snowstorm, but I have no reason to. It handles great in the snow in moderate conditions and on hilly but not steep terrain.
Tires as Esme said are much more important than drive train.
Also, manual transmission, IMO, is better than automatic, when driving in inclement weather. You have much more control. Manuals are getting harder to find though. All the new Subarus sold in the US are automatics I think, now (as if this year or maybe last year?) (
). I never want to drive an automatic and hate that I might be forced to in the future.
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I have accepted that this will be the case for our next car, but have come to terms with it because our next car will also be electric.
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I guess if my next car is electric that might be ok but I want it to be self driving and I will still hate that it is automatic. My hope is that I won’t have to make this decision for 10 more years so maybe it will be a moot point by then? 
I just hate how disconnected I feel from the road in an automatic.
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I bought a pair of heels second hand and I have this situation. I also have an unopened thing of ‘Shoe Goo’. Is there any reason not to apply one to the other or should I take them to a cobbler?
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The Fusion has an AWD model now but I’m pretty sure they didn’t back then. There would be a AWD badge on the back of the car.
The base Subaru CrossTrek fits in your price range, just barely IIRC. We’ve been very happy with ours so far, though admittedly we have one of the top trim levels so somewhat fancier inside. We get about 26mpg in real life driving, fairly even mix of city streets and highway.
One thing I forgot to mention is that when buying new cars, a great way to negotiate on price is asking multiple dealers for an online price quote on what you want. Usually their initial quote is very close to their absolute no-budging price right out of the gate. Sometimes you can squeeze a little more by saying “dealer X quoted me $____ less” and showing them the email and playing them back and forth, though with our last car I didn’t bother. With both of our cars, the initial online price quotes were all lower than even the Costco auto buying program price.
With used cars it’s harder to do that because you’re not comparing apples to apples, so usually I just ask them what their best price is.
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I’ve driven both and honestly prefer automatics in bad weather now, especially with modern niceties like traction control. Much easier to accelerate delicately without burning up your clutch
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I would try it - shoe goo works pretty good. And if it should fail, the cobbler can help fix it up. 
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I have a Buick Enclave which is huge, and that works for me with carting kids and stuff and general family life. I think the Encores are adorable! I really love my Enclave. Buicks are sooooo comfy and quiet and smooth. I really appreciate that about them. It’s not a feel the road/drive for the love of driving kind of brand. It’s all about being comfortable and making life more convenient. They have so many bells and whistles which I’m all for. And I think they are pretty, like the finishes inside are nice. Oh, and my speakers are awesome!
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The Buick Encore doesn’t seem to be getting very good ratings. I need to do more research.
Options so far
Buick Encore
Chevy Trailblazer
Nissan Rogue
Mazda 30 ? (can’t remember)
I’ve always driven cars, I’m not actually sure I would even like a small SUV. So, possibly
Chevy Malibu
Nissan Altima
Others?