If I could offer a guess, Subaru's mid-range "classic Subaru" vehicles in the Forester/Outback hit kind of a perfect balance on the size/power/efficiency triangle.

They're decent commuter vehicles with respectable fuel efficiency (engineering careers tend to be regular day jobs) that can be more reliable in bad conditions (engineer going out to a muddy build site) and have respectable hauling capability without going too large or inefficient (engineer hauling materials and tools to and from a location without having to rely on a truck getting trash mileage).

And just from a subjective view on the aesthetics of the vehicle...Subaru tends to stay pretty classic in its design. They don't have any goofy Chevrolet/Ford "front end looks like it was stolen off of a semi" grilles or "cat eye" Mazda headlight shenanigans. They just look like a car. And that's all you really have to say about them. A simplicity in the aesthetics can easily be appreciated by an engineer looking to avoid flashy designs. I know I sure as hell prefer it.

Subaru dealerships are also getting pretty easy to find.