Could you get her to just TRY a Prius or HCH? I just gave up my AWD FEH(well, not entirely, but gave it up to hubby for "most of the time") here in the truly white north (lots of lake effect snow, the past two days we got about 10 inches in places, including the often-unplowed road I take to work), because I was won over by the Prius' utter coolness.

We have always had 2 4WD vehicles, one for each of us, and on some days it is a necessity - but we decided we could live with one in exchange for the vastly better mileage of the Prius, over my 40 mile round-trip commute. I mean, it's just me (and the occasional bag of groceries!), so why use all that gas? On really snowy days, I can take the FEH and let hubby either stay home (he works at home, so that's an option), or use the Prius for his more city-bound driving. And 90% of the time, I'm getting 50 mpg (I'm averaging the 45 I'm getting now with the 60 I expect in warmer weather), and he's getting 30 in the FEH, rather than the 30 (FEH)/17 (V6 Escape) we were getting before.

It was a little hard getting used to the idea of not having 4WD, the higher ground clearance, the cargo space, etc., but ONCE I DROVE THE PRIUS, I was sold! What I'm saying is, if you could get her to TRY it, she might actually decide that there is something to be said for sprinting around in a small, aerodynamic, red (if she so chooses, as I did), sporty little runabout, that gets 50 mpg and makes driving FUN! I suspect she enjoys the large trucks because of a feeling of power and fun (vroom vroom!), and some of that (albeit of a different kind - power that comes from agility and coolness, not from raw force) can certainly be had from a smaller, sportier car. (Now I guess I've marked myself as a true nerd, if I think a Prius is "sporty" - I know it's not a Corvette or Porsche or GTO or whatever - but compared to the boxes, trucks and SUV's I've driven for most of my adult life, it is!)
Good luck. (If you can't get anywhere with the car angle, then I would urge going with the FEH. Particularly if you don't need the AWD, the mileage is substantially better than the HiHy, and I think the cost is lower, too. And they're great vehicles!)