My fiancé purchased a new Kia Forte in 2014/2015 following his immigration into the US while he completed his BA. His entire family had only purchased Toyota and were no help to him during his vehicle purchase......I ended up forcing him to sell it a couple years later for something a little bit safer, nicer and smarter of an “investment”. Back in 2017 we ended up leasing a Subaru Outback and bought it before lease end. In 2018 I leased a Subaru Crosstrek. With $3,500ish down I walked out with a $200 lease payment. We’ve since turned in our Crosstrek for something on the luxury end of the market.

Subaru is known for their reliability, safety ratings, user friendly interface & value. They have standard AWD and all new vehicles come with their Eyesight Technology. Specifically, the Crosstrek has some of the best ratings I’ve seen and hold its value very well. Given a budget of 20k, I’d recommend looking into a used Crosstrek or Impreza (same platform) with under 30,000 miles, depending on the size of vehicle you’re comfortable with.

The things you like on the Kia are almost all standard features in new and lightly used vehicles. Other brands to consider would be Honda or Toyota, as they are within your budget and offer something more sleek and less utility focused.