Tell her to go drive a car she thinks looks pretty - my gf was heavy simping over the W205 C classes and within 2 minutes of being in it she said she knew this was not the car for her. So now she's absolutely simping over a G29 Z4 which is nice because BMW and not a Benz.
I disliked the W205 after driving two variants (C220d sedan and C180 facelift wagon) for non-engine reasons, for what it's worth.
Seriously though, I'm sure TN is more open than IL too. Go on a carmax or two, and see what she thinks is nice for herself. Obviously we care about different things than many others do so we like german cars that are nothing but trouble but I've came to realize most girls around me pick their cars based on if they like how it looks or not.