We've had a little Kia Soul as our only car for 14 years now (we both work from home so don't use the car for commutes, but often go on 100 mile day trips on the weekend). She just won't quit!

Fits your price range - and I've got nothing but good things to say about this car. So much so that when she does finally give out on us, I think we're going to go out and get another Soul.

Look for a used Subaru Forester or Crosstrek. Perfect for your needs.

Can you take train to the location 130 miles away? Do that or similar and then Uber to and from work. Guessing that costs you $200 a month. Then you have no maintenance, insurance or gas to spend.

Toyota Corolla (but not sure if AWD)
I still have a 20 year old Corolla that has been mostly trouble free.

We need a second car, but will only use it one week/month. On that week, I will drive to a location 130 mile away and then spend 5 days commuting just 8 miles/day for the week and then drive 130 miles home. And then the car will mostly sit for 3 weeks with occasional city driving.

Thoughts on the best car for this? We want to spend 25k or less and will likely pay cash. Safety features are importantly to me, and I potentially want all wheel drive (occasional snow at destination). We’d love some advice!