My entries: 1997-2002 accord: Mine does my 450miles/wk commute, w/o hassle. Decent mpgs/ little maint( I'm at 267k miles/ Seats arent great for my bad back.
1993-1997 volvo 850: Amazing seats/ decent mileage/ I don't feel tired after 2hrs in the car. Will require maint
Lexus LS400: Comfy and eats up miles like its Cherry Garcia ice cream
Oh btw since people are mentioning it my 36-38mpg hwy/30mpg combined is at 80mph. Typical socal freeway. If that's what a prius gets going that fast I guess I know why I made my choice. In terms of comfort I easily drove from Bentonville Arkansas to San Diego CA solo in two days. (1500 miles, 23hrs) the weakest link on that trip was by far my bladder because the car was great and I was not getting tired from driving it.
I actually bought it because I was looking at stuff like a Lexus Hybrid or some other larger car that would fit my family and still get decent mileage while being a nice place to be for my daily 45minutes to 1hr commute each way
If you were around Socal/San Diego you'd be welcome to check it out. (that goes for any of you lot)
I couldn't resist, I just picked up a 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe 6spd, 58k miles...for just $8450. Even the base model like mine comes with heated seats, Bluetooth and satellite radio. They're very comfy inside and are nice places to spend time. In the roughly 300 miles I've put on it so far, including stop and go rush hour, I'm at 38mpg. It's not fair to call it a "beater" car, because it's too nice, but it'll fit my 110 mile round trip commute quite nicely.
Klayfish wrote: I couldn't resist, I just picked up a 2013 Hyundai Elantra coupe 6spd, 58k miles...for just $8450. Even the base model like mine comes with heated seats, Bluetooth and satellite radio. They're very comfy inside and are nice places to spend time. In the roughly 300 miles I've put on it so far, including stop and go rush hour, I'm at 38mpg. It's not fair to call it a "beater" car, because it's too nice, but it'll fit my 110 mile round trip commute quite nicely.
That sounds like a great deal!
I'm super happy with my 2015 Accord. Sport trim with the 6 speed manual. Bought new last august for just over $20k. Highway with cruise gets around 30-31 mpg. Good seats. Fun to drive, and I find the 4 cyl to have enough go to be entertaining.
In reply to 2002maniac:
(In advance I haven't read through this entire thread yet.)
I started my job in January driving 120mi/day 4 days/week and the last day is 250 mi for the day. And I have been driving my 97 miata 5spd for 95% of it. (In the winter I drove my truck in the snow, and occasionally I'll drive the e28 to work, but the bike isn't an option with these highways...)
-Comfort is most important. Some people don't fit well in Miatas, I find mine fits me pretty well.
-MPG is next: I usually get 26-27 MPG in my Miata.
-Some days the 5spd is a pain, but most of the time I love it.
Bottom line is find what you can put up with being in for hours on end. Personally I'd love to get 40+ MPG, but I love being able to put the top down and enjoy the breeze. I've also driven a Prius before and I hated it, so I am biased against them. The TDIs have very tempting gas milage, but I don't do VW either.
Alright, I read it all now. I still stand by the fact that as much as a lot of you recommend the prius, I hated the one I drove. To each his own.
To each his own.
Certainly. As much love as you will find for the Miata around here (much greater than the tiny amount of Prius enthusiasm), i found nothing compelling about street driving any of the NA/NB/Mazdaspeed i've driven (although i suspect the NC and ND i would like quite a bit), including the one i owned. I had a lightened, lowered, stiffened NA that i put BFG sport comps and a race alignment on and even though i only had about $700 in it i still found it boring/annoying for street use, ESPECIALLY highway use. I traded it for a broken 924.
There are a lot of cars that you have to come into already looking for or appreciating their strengths, or they will fall totally flat. That is as much true for a Miata as it is for a Prius.
And speaking of using a Miata for a highway commute, the closest highway race i had in mine was with a 1g Camry Hybrid up to about 110mph (because in an na miata, who has the patience to go any faster?). I'm pretty sure he was getting better MPG the whole time.
Jaynen wrote: Oh btw since people are mentioning it my 36-38mpg hwy/30mpg combined is at 80mph. Typical socal freeway. If that's what a prius gets going that fast I guess I know why I made my choice.
That sounds accurate for a Prius. With a headwind, uphill both ways.
Ours would average right at 40mpg at 80mph. Anywhere from 45-75 in town, depending on how you drove it. And it was a 1st gen. Each generation has had large efficiency jumps.
A Camry Hybrid might be a good compromise between comfort & economy. No berkeleying way I'd want to do a commute like than in a Miata.
Actually, no berkeleying way I'd want to do a commute like that in anything. I'd move or find a different job. But, as the Internets say... to each his own
Vigo wrote:To each his own.Certainly. As much love as you will find for the Miata around here (much greater than the tiny amount of Prius enthusiasm), i found nothing compelling about street driving any of the NA/NB/Mazdaspeed i've driven (although i suspect the NC and ND i would like quite a bit), including the one i owned. I had a lightened, lowered, stiffened NA that i put BFG sport comps and a race alignment on and even though i only had about $700 in it i still found it boring/annoying for street use, ESPECIALLY highway use. I traded it for a broken 924. There are a lot of cars that you have to come into already looking for or appreciating their strengths, or they will fall totally flat. That is as much true for a Miata as it is for a Prius. And speaking of using a Miata for a highway commute, the closest highway race i had in mine was with a 1g Camry Hybrid up to about 110mph (because in an na miata, who has the patience to go any faster?). I'm pretty sure he was getting better MPG the whole time.
I'd agree. I've owned 4 NA and 1 NC. Maybe it's just my age, but no way in heck I'd use an NA (and presumably the NB) for a 110 mile round trip commute. They're super fun...I'm in the market for one now...but not for the daily grind I have. An NC, maybe, if I could do a foamectomy on the seats.
My 2010 Prius averaged 41-42mpg in mixed 80mph highway and gridlock traffic. Just filled my Elantra for the first time, and it got 37.5mpg in the same commute. Not bad for a non-hybrid. And I bet I can do a tiny bit better the more I learn how to drive it efficiently.
Some people might call me crazy (or blame it on me being young) but I love driving my miata.
I just don't think I could stand driving a boring car all the time. If I'm going to be in the car for 2+ hours a day I want something I can enjoy.
My friend has an Elentra sedan manual that I sort of think is nice (but I wont tell him that). I like how some of the interior parts are squishy. My favourite thing to do is when we are walking to his car in a parking lot I'll try to get into the first red sedan I see (corolla, accord, corolla) and be like oh sorry thought it was your car, I have a running joke that the car is so boring I forget what it is. MPG is pretty darn great on it..
Fiesta 1.0L ecoboost.
Fellow on Fiesta Faction does the 100 mile thing.
He is now at 40K with no problems.
Fiestas are fun to drive.
AWSX1686 wrote: If I'm going to be in the car for 2+ hours a day I want something I can enjoy and has some comforts.
FTFY...see when you're over 40, priorities start to change. 
My miata has the comforts of the wind in my hair. ;)
Seriously though, for me at least the miata fits well and is comfortable. My e28 is definitely less comfortable whenever I drive it for the long commute, and I've swapped the seat out for an e46 sport seat already. The truck is not bad comfort-wise actually, but 15mpg highway means it is only on duty when 4wd or hauling capabilities are required.
I wouldn't mind a z4, but I've never actually driven one so I don't know how comfortable they are.
I do have tentative plans to buy an nd miata in 3-5 years after they depreciate a little. We'll see when my commute is at the point.
(Can you tell I like my roadsters?)
AWSX1686 wrote: Some people might call me crazy (or blame it on me being young) but I love driving my miata. I just don't think I could stand driving a boring car all the time. If I'm going to be in the car for 2+ hours a day I want something I can enjoy.
I think it depends on the type of commute you have. If it takes you 2 hours to go 30 miles (not atypical for me) in bumper to bumper traffic, then you can't enjoy the car anyway. If it takes you two hours to do 100 miles with clear, open roads, then I agree with you.
iceracer wrote: Fiesta 1.0L ecoboost. Fellow on Fiesta Faction does the 100 mile thing. He is now at 40K with no problems. Fiestas are fun to drive.
Yep, I said this earlier. Great commuter. Much quieter and better riding than my previous tiny cars. I manage 40 mpg with very very little effort and enjoy blasting down windy roads even on the stock LRR tires. I have done almost 20K in less than a year and still love it. That is saying a LOT from me as I have auto ADD real bad.
So, yeah. Since the concussion, wife has been driving the Subaru. Even she told me to dump it. And I'm doing the same commute as the op, maybe less interstate. Mostly rural areas. And no stick, as I can't drive one every day anymore.
As this is effectively my what car thread already started, I'm looking at max budget of 6k. As that's what I can dump in cash.
So, what car?
Prius, 2nd Gen neon, focus zx3, mazda2, and fit all come to mind. I'm looking for the cheapest, lowest maintenance, most comfortable, highest mpg, least soul sucking appliance that I can find here.
Seeing how ridiculously low maintenance costs are on the prius, one would think you'd include that in the equation. I'm trying to talk my dad into one considering his budget and how he uses his car. I've spoken with several people who've driven them for years with only oil changes. Simply amazing.
Out of curiosity, I checked the fuel economy on my C5. 26 MP(US)G. I don't commute, and don't drive it easy, either. A non Z06 would probably be even better, and commuting would put you (IMO) in the high 30's.
In reply to Dusterbd13:
I am going to say avoid the Mazda2 and probably the Neon (just guessing here). I have had a 2 and currently a Fiesta and the difference is night and day on daily comfort. The 2 was more lively in corners but that is probably the 400 lb weight reduction. A Focus should be better to DD than the 2 as well.
AWSX1686 wrote: My miata has the comforts of the wind in my hair. ;)
As I said, when you're over 40, things change. Most of us that age don't have hair anymore... 
I love roadsters too, I'm shopping for one now and Miata is high on my list again, as it always is.
Dusterbd13, for $6k auto trans beater, I'd try to find the nicest Civic, Corolla, Elantra, Soul that I could get. Will run forever with no fuss and get good mpg. Corolla is soul sucking, but the others are decent. Mazda3 is a ton of fun too.
Wasn't the scion just rebodied Toyota stuff? And I almost forgot about the mazda3.
I've also got a thread about the fiesta, but that's sounding less than a good idea.
All Scions are basically rebadged Toyota except for the FRS (Subaru) and the IA is a rebadged next gen Mazda 2.
Some people might call me crazy (or blame it on me being young) but I love driving my miata. I just don't think I could stand driving a boring car all the time. If I'm going to be in the car for 2+ hours a day I want something I can enjoy.
In your defense, i would probably really like an NC as an all around car and the only reason i don't look at them is because they compete in price with things i find WAY more interesting. Im sure it's a far better highway commuter than na or nb miatas were.
But on the highway, going straight, a Miata IS boring. I've autocrossed a lightened NA on rcomps and yeah, that was fun. That's what it's good at. I've got a local friend with a turbo miata that traps 119mph in a 1/4 mile. That one is fun! But every near-stock NA or NB ive driven has been a fairly terrible car for going straight and/or fast in. And that's 99% of what i do on a highway commute.
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