My wife and I just traded in both of our cars (hers, a 1997 Nissan Altima; mine, a 1999 Toyota Tacoma) for a 2008 Scion xB. Neither of us needs to drive much, but we needed something that could transport our two dogs (75 pound lab/poodle mix and a 60 pound golden retriever/poodle mix), as well as my drum set.
The xB is a great car so far. The base model comes with all sorts of features: traction control, ABS, stability control, iPod connectivity, etc. It's amazing on the snow and ice (although almost any vehicle would seem amazing compared to my old 2wd Tacoma). It's not the coolest car around, but it definitely meets our needs.