[Chris in WNC]

friend of mine who trailers Buicks and Caddys cross-country a lot, wisely told me "use the biggest vehicle possible to tow".
I'd never consider anything smaller than a 1/2 ton truck. We had a 3/4 ton longbed Dodge diesel that was a killer tow vehicle.
As mentioned above, the U-haul approved vehicle list is a safe bet for this decision- it is a very conservative, lawyer-driven list.
Another friend was shopping for a tow vehicle and had a similar wife situation- she did not want a truck. He was considering a new Accura MDX and started quoting me the stats that the salesman gave him for reassurance. I reminded him that the salesman would be nowhere around if he found himself in a ditch in the rain someday......
Get you wife a car she likes (happy wife) and get yourself a good used 3/4 ton diesel truck for towing (happy life).
As also mentioned here, if your towing needs are infrequent, just rent a truck......j.m.h.o.