Which car for my wife?

Wife is thinking about a new car, not just to have something new, but also as a way to lower the tax load on her business.  To do that it means something with a gross vehicle weight of over 6,000 lbs.  Most mid sized SUV's like the Cayenne etc are heavy enough.  She's interested in an Audi SQ5 but I don't think that's heavy enough.  Google isn't spitting out an answer, anyone know the GVW of it?

If that's not heavy enough, what else in the Cayenne mid sized class is out there?  She doesn't want anything larger, so something like an Audi Q7 is too big, as are a Tahoe, etc.

If she does end up getting a new to her car, I'd probably sell my Touareg and keep the Cayenne for myself.  It has a few features the Touareg doesn't have and is just a generally nicer car inside vs the Touareg...

Which car?  If she's anything like my wife, the one she picks out for herself. 

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

Yes, definitely.  But I need to give her some choices that'll check the boxes, so over 6000lbs gross vehicle weight but the same size or only incrementally larger than her current Cayenne.  I'm just not sure what else is in that weight class....

In reply to Paris Van Gorder :

She's not a car gal, doesn't really care too much about performance.  She likes how nice her Cayenne diesel is and how it drives.  So something that's a unibody (not body on frame SUV), with leather, heated/cooled seats, CarPlay, etc.  She likes the SQ5 because of how nice it is and the size of it.  She also likes the Macan but I don't think the SQ5 or the Macan weighs enough...

SQ5 is under 6K. I would say the new gx550 but I know your issues with Toyota in general. 

Stick with what you know, another Porsche. 

1988RedT2 said:

Which car?  If she's anything like my wife, the one she picks out for herself. 

Hah! My wife has been shopping for a new car since 2019 and hasn't made a decision. 

In reply to docwyte :

I found this list of cars that qualify for that Tax load you were looking at all broken down by make, model and weight.

 https://www.taxfyle.com/blog/list-of-vehicles-over-6000-lbs

I would take this list with a grain of salt and do more research on them but I think this a good place to start to see all the options that could qualify. 

In reply to bmw88rider :

She'd be ok with that except the size of it.  The GX550 is much larger than her cayenne...

I wanted to see what JLR was offering, and the first suggested follow up listed all of their SUVs with GVWR over 6000lbs. Seems to be a common option for people in your wife's position.

In reply to STM317 :

Are the new Defender 90's reliable?  Or is it the same owner experience of reliability woe?  

The deduction is called Section 179 and here's a list of vehicles that qualified for Model year 2024

Let us simplify.

I bought the cleanest and nicest used Lexus for my Wife that we could pay cash for. 

And its been stellar.

Keeps me from wrenching on stuff that I don't want to have to think about. 

Paris Van Gorder said:

In reply to docwyte :

I found this list of cars that qualify for that Tax load you were looking at all broken down by make, model and weight.

 https://www.taxfyle.com/blog/list-of-vehicles-over-6000-lbs

I would take this list with a grain of salt and do more research on them but I think this a good place to start to see all the options that could qualify. 

Looks like its missing quite a few things at least by virtue of being too specific. For instance listing a specific model of x5 when all of them should be over 6k

Is she EV curious? Lots of options in the higher weight without being too big, and can open some additional tax benefits. 

I'd trade my ex for a yugo.

bbbbRASS said:

Is she EV curious? Lots of options in the higher weight without being too big, and can open some additional tax benefits. 

Either that or a hybrid? The latter wouldn't require charging but would add weight and improve MPG.

The new Pathfinder is on the list linked above.  I know nothing about them other than I think they look really good.

In reply to theruleslawyer :

I noticed that as well, missing VW Touareg's, other models of Cayenne's, etc, etc.

docwyte said:

Wife is thinking about a new car, not just to have something new, but also as a way to lower the tax load on her business.  To do that it means something with a gross vehicle weight of over 6,000 lbs.  Most mid sized SUV's like the Cayenne etc are heavy enough.  She's interested in an Audi SQ5 but I don't think that's heavy enough.  Google isn't spitting out an answer, anyone know the GVW of it?

Dunno about the SQ5, but GVWR on an RS6 is 6030...

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Hmm, really that much?  So that means an E63 AMG wagon would be the same and work too?  I've always wanted one of those...

I cracked up at the idea of a business needing to buy the biggest, heaviest vehicle it could find to get a tax break. That's some quality environmental policy right there Also helps explain how Japanese businesses somehow make do with Kei trucks (although it helps that they carry the most generous tax savings over there).

I was also thinking that en EV would be a good way to meet the requirements of the tax code without forcing your wife to drive something enormous around and avoiding long-term fuel waste all at the same time. There are Rivians that meet the minimum but they are huge money. A Hummer EV or Cybertruck obviously would as well, but both are even more money (new at least, used Cybertrucks prices are falling through the floor now) and the Cybertruck is also hilariously unreliable. This article lists a few more, the Cadillac Lyriq or F150 Lightning look like the cheapest new options:

https://over6000pounds.com/electric-vehicles-that-unlock-the-6000-lb-tax-credit/

The 4Runner might be the smallest newish ICE pickup that meets the requirements.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

Yeah...  I use my vehicle almost exclusively for work (like, 90%+ of miles are for my little business), so I've been trying to figure out how to not drive a behemoth but still purchase something when the times comes that is light and good on fuel.    I'm currently using my 2021 Miata for it that I bought before I started my company..   I don't need a truck!

GameboyRMH said:

I cracked up at the idea of a business needing to buy the biggest, heaviest vehicle it could find to get a tax break. That's some quality environmental policy right there  

All it does is change how you can write off the vehicle. Under 6k it has to be depreciated over a few years, over 6k it can all be written off in one. It's really meant for "heavy equipment" purchases, but as vehicle weights have crept up, no one adjusted the rule. 

Under 6000lbs you depreciate it over 5 years vs over 6000lbs is all in 1 year.  It makes an enormous difference to depreciate it all in one year and is far more advantageous tax wise.  The 6000lb tax code was meant for farm equipment, long before a mid sized passenger SUV weighed that much.  It's stayed on the books when really it should be amended to a much higher weight.  I'm not convinced an EV is for her, plus we'd need to install a charging station at home.  I've got 240 running to the garage for the lift, but I don't have a garage sub panel, which we'd need to run another 240 line, our main panel doesn't have another spot open to run another 240 line. 

I've got a personal issue with Tesla's and will never buy one, let alone a CyberJunk.  I don't the EV's as is are really where they need to be yet.  I'd be more inclined to get one from a legacy maker like Audi etc just for peace of mind that they're not going to disappear.  Up in the air if Rivian is going to last, despite the fact they make well thought out vehicles...

I'm pretty sure (but you should check) that to qualify for section 179, the vehicle needs to be purchased "in the name of the business."

This may also lead you to commercial auto insurance, not cheaper personal auto insurance.  

YMMV.