Opinion/thoughts on cars....

Those are no fun...you should totally go for the Audi RS 5....it'll blow those cars out of the water...(probably blow your budget too though....)

My mechanic highly recommends Infiniti - inexpensive to maintain and if properly cared for, will run forever. If you want something w/some power and luxury, get the M-series (35 or 37) - well appointed. He also recommends Acura for same reasons.

I am shopping for a car as well....am trying to decide between '10 Audi A4 and '06-'07 Jag XJ8....

Are you looking for passenger space, fuel economy, sportiness, luxury, quality, cheap on maintenance?

The Solara is a great car and any of the Toyotas in the level will be fine. Same with the Honda. The Infinity is going to cost more and it's really just a Nissan.

For 2013, I like the Honda Accord the Toyota Camry. You could save a little and get a Civic or a Carolla. If you need a little sportiness, you can get the Carolla S or the Civic Si.

I only wish American cars held their value and had the better quality record. They still have a ways to go.

New 2012/2013 VW Passat TDI SEL Premium .... great cars !! I work at the plant in Chattanooga,TN. We work hard to make a great quality car. This model will get you around 37mpg combined all the time. (I know 1st hand, I have one) Last 200,000 mi plus. And has PLENTY of room in it, and in the trunk. I am 6'2" and my 6'4" brother can sit directly behind me with plenty of leg room. And they have great financing options right now also !!

I own a Subaru and love it! My only issue with Hyundai is for the price you can get a Toyota or Honda (which has long standing reliability). I've haven't researched infiniti much.

If you loved your Toyota, maybe you could go for a Corolla S. Mine is a 2003 with 155K and I still have not had any major maintenance costs. It's sporty and fun to drive (I have a 5 speed) and gets 34 mpg on average. I'm going to be sad to see it go as well...but I don't see that happening for another 3-4 years...

My IL's had a Hyundai Elantra and it just seemed kind of cheaply made...they bought it around the same time I got my Corolla, but after 2-3 years, it seemed to have aged twice as much (even though they used it half as often) as my car. This was in the mid-2000's, so they could've gotten better since then...but I'd still stick with the Toyota over Hyundai.

If you have the budget, go for the Infinity, but if not, they are made by Nissan and other than some luxury upgrades they are relatively the same cars as the upper end Nissans.

That said, I personally have a 2009 VW Jetta Sport wagon and I freaking love this car.

I'm leasing a 2013 Nissan Sentra SL...I LOVE IT! It's redesigned this year and it has lots and lots of features. Also, Nissan is running a big incentive sale right now. If you are looking at Infiniti's...take a look at the Nissans. Same cars, same engineers, many of same features, smaller price tags.

@Amber - We live just south of Houston and thankfully missed last week's hail, but so sorry you were caught in the middle.

To answer your 2 choices, between an Infinity and a Hyundai, I'd go for Hyundai. They've definitely upgraded their look and style, and in the long run will be cheaper. Especially with insurance in Houston (think of the last Infinity you saw on I-45, was it doing the speed limit?)

As for a car in general, like someone else mentioned almost all the new cars come with an option to raise the seat. I'm only 5', drive a new Dodge Durango, and thankfully the seat raises and the steering wheel telescopes. Drive multiple vehicles and see what you feel comfortable in. The new VW's are very nice and last, I'd go for a Nissan over an Infinity. I had a Corolla S and loved it. Biggest thing is shop around, if you find a vehicle you love, go to different dealers (DON'T run your credit) and see what they try and sell you. Good Luck!