Since Everyone's Talking About Daily Drivers...Efficient Automatic Cars That Aren't Awful To Drive?

I recently found out that my day job is sending us back to work in the office a mandatory 4 days a week. I love the job, but the commute is not going to be fun. 

I live roughly 50 miles outside of the city, so that's 100 miles a day I'll be putting on the car. Current daily driver is a 2020 Kia Forte GT with the 6-speed manual, which I bought in the middle of the pandemic. It's been a decent car, and has about 39k on it now. But is it a great commuter car for my type of commute? Half the commute is highway, while the other half is sitting in soul-destroying bumper-to-bumper Boston traffic getting into the city. Clutch in, clutch out, brake, rinse and repeat for 8-10 hours a week is not good for me or the poor car. Another result of this commute is a nose dive in efficiency; I was averaging 29MPG before the commute, and now I'm averaging just 22-23. On top of that, it feels like a car that's built for JD Power Initial Quality award chasing, with long-term reliability a complete crapshoot. I've already noticed trim and seat wear that are typical of a 200k+ mile car at my current mileage, and that won't get better, I'm afraid. 

Before someone says "just take the train", I used to take public transportation before the pandemic, but I HATED it. Unreliable trains, worrying about if my car will get broken into all day, a 20+ minute walk to the office in mostly bad weather, and having to deal with the "human element" of other angry commuters and people who literally passed out on me on the train so much that one of the conductors nicknamed me "pillow"... yeah, no thanks, not doing that again.

So, I've been considering maybe trading the Forte GT in for something slightly more sensible. Requirements are as follows:

-Comfortable place to sit for hours on end, so creature comforts are a must
-Good stereo with Android Auto/Car Play
-Somewhat engaging to drive when I am not sitting in traffic
-Automatic, but no CVTs if I can help it (might consider a DCT though if it can handle the traffic)
-At least as fuel efficient than what I have, if not better
-Somewhat affordable (would be buying new or CPO most likely), so around $30k or preferably under
-Can handle New England without falling apart in 5 years

That's a lot to ask in a modern car. I've thought about electrics, since our parking garage has charging infrastructure, but after observing the parking spots for a few weeks, they are perpetually full, and I'd also have to add a charger at home. Most of the tried-and-true sedans now have CVT's, and I can't stand them; every one I've driven drives me insane with the rubber banding at highway speeds. And it seems the "fun" commuters either have manuals (like my current car) or aren't fuel efficient due to high powered engines, etc. Cars I've considered:

-Acura TLX A-Spec (Probably with the 4)
-Last-gen Honda Accord Sport 2.0T
-Toyota Avalon TRD
-Genesis G70 
-Mazda 3 Turbo
-VW GTI with the DCT

What am I missing that's out there? It's very likely that I just soldier on with what I have, but I always like to know my options. 

I would keep it. 

I drove a lot of Chicago traffic in a 5-speed Honda Accord.  The stick kept me focused in traffic.  I think the smaller size helps too.

Truthfully, I think you should just drive the car and utilize that 100k mile warranty. It's a fun car and its meant to be driven (for me personally, I don't think its in one of those "Garage queen" class type of cars). I think any ICE powered car will suffer in stop and go traffic so the MPG thing is a non-starter unless you want an EV or hybrid.

The new generation Prius is pretty damn cool... and efficient 

The new Prius is built for that task, also looks like a nice car within your budget. But first I'd drive the Kia until it's just short of warranty expiration - unless the manual just becomes dreadful. 
 

..and sorry to hear about the WFH situation. My company is making a play in that direction too. Except we only have seating capacity for 45% of our head count so it's going to have to fail before the plan gets amended. 

I used to daily a manual Festiva in SF Bay Area traffic. I sort of liked being the only one with a manual. Until I got an auto Camry. My life improved just from not having to kick that clutch all week. It takes a toll. I felt less depleted at the end of th week.
 

I'd get an auto, or tell your work you won't come in more than once a week. 
 

I like the auto in the Mazda 3. I've heard good things about the Genesis. Don't forget the Kia Forte has a DCT too, since you're a Kia guy now. 

Take a look at the used Audi Q5 e-tron like ours. Plug-in hybrid so you can get 20-25 miles of "free" driving from home, preferential work parking maybe, and you'll average 45+ mpg overall. Get one with the full automatic cruise control and it can drive itself in traffic. When the traffic clears, put it in dynamic mode, use the flappy paddles on the true DCT trans, and hustle through the corners with 362 HP and outrun every SQ5 you come across. You should be able to easily find a CPO one in your price range, and they have a 7 year/100K warranty on the drivetrain *including the hybrid components*. 

I bet you could easily get this one into your price range: 2020 Audi Q5 e-tron

VW Passat, Jetta, or Golf? The DCT is a pretty good one and they're quite comfortable.

In reply to Tony Sestito :

Camry XSE hybrid or the Honda Accord hybrid equivalent.  (Full disclosure, my wife's DD is a '22 XSE hybrid)

I'm a little embarrassed by how much I like driving it.  Decent road manners, surprisingly good performance and ridulously good fuel economy without really trying.  Leather interior with heated seats, 9 speaker JBL sound system, 19" wheels with tires that are somehow wider than the ones on my Mustang...  We've had ours for about 8 months and it's averaging over 45 mpg and has returned over 50 mpg (actual miles driven / gallons added) on a couple of tanks this past summer.   For the commute you're describing it would seem to be a good fit.   

I don't have much experience with hybrids, but DD#1s high-trim C-max is a very nice commuter car.  It is no penalty box. When she was commuting in it she was knocking down 40 mpg and it is comfortable to be in.

I know they were discontinued so I don't know how new the newest available used one is.  I know they were replaced by a more CUV type thing that may be worth looking into.

Despite being a CVT, they are not the rubber-bandy type.  It feels very solid in operation, and they are much more reliable.

Good suggestions so far! Some additional notes/responses:

-I thought about the new Prius Prime. It's supposed to be a nice car, although I am a bigger guy and might bounce my head off that raked roof. If I fit, that's an option, and they are faster than my Kia. 

-Let's assume the Kia has no warranty, since they have been reluctant to cover anything so far, even under the current bumper-to-bumper warranty. 

-Only German car I would really consider is the GTI to be honest. Always liked them. Always cautious of VWs from previous ownership nightmares though. 

-The Forte GT DCT is a dry clutch unit, and I have heard they do not enjoy stop and go traffic. They get juddery like the infamous Ford Powershift transmission. Their wet clutch unit in the higher powered stuff is supposed to be much better. 

-If I went CUV, I would just get a Mazda. No one does it better. We LOVE our CX-50 Turbo and the CX-5 that preceded it. 

I see you have Toyota Avalon TRD, what about a Lexus ES350 with the F sport package?

Can be had around $30k, Toyota reliability, comfy and quiet...

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=carGurusHomePageModel&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d2720&zip=02344#listing=366480040/NONE/DEFAULT

Tony Sestito said:

Good suggestions so far! Some additional notes/responses:

-I thought about the new Prius Prime. It's supposed to be a nice car, although I am a bigger guy and might bounce my head off that raked roof. If I fit, that's an option, and they are faster than my Kia. 

-Let's assume the Kia has no warranty, since they have been reluctant to cover anything so far, even under the current bumper-to-bumper warranty. 

-Only German car I would really consider is the GTI to be honest. Always liked them. Always cautious of VWs from previous ownership nightmares though. 

-The Forte GT DCT is a dry clutch unit, and I have heard they do not enjoy stop and go traffic. They get juddery like the infamous Ford Powershift transmission. Their wet clutch unit in the higher powered stuff is supposed to be much better. 

-If I went CUV, I would just get a Mazda. No one does it better. We LOVE our CX-50 Turbo and the CX-5 that preceded it. 

Based on the last statement and your original post, maybe its time to start looking for a Mazda 3 Turbo. DCTs are terrible in traffic (My wife once had a DCT Kia Soul Turbo) and I hear traffic kills them fast.

I have a Q5 and a 911 both with DCT's and they are fine in traffic. No different than a regular automatic.

Elantra N?

May not seem likely at first, but I'm digging my Maverick for DD duty. Ecoboost awd has grunt, I'm getting about what you want for fuel economy, the 8speed auto is pretty good, and I was close to your price on my XLT lux with copilot 360. 

For the traffic jamb thing you gave though, adaptive cruise with stop and go would be very high on my list. One of those luxuries that would make life much more relaxed in the daily grind. 

For maverick, likely means lariat lux at a higher price, but worth thinking about for whatever you wind up considering.

I'd definitely be looking at a new or newish Mazda 3 AWD with their "adaptive cruise control with stop n go".  Or another car with that feature.  The auto in my 2018 3 is quite good and the chassis, steering and interior materials and ergo is really good too.  Awesome car.

adaptive cruise in my Tesla is epically awesome in stop n go.  You set it and chill.  The car moves when traffic moves and keeps pace with the car in front of you and stops when the car in front of you stops.  Sooooo nice to have.  Presumably it would work similarly in other cars offering that.

With the Mazda, I'm sure you can find a Mazda friend to get you S-Plan pricing.  Comes with the SCCA membership.  More details at Mazda Motorsports website.

Apexcarver said:
For the traffic jamb thing you gave though, adaptive cruise with stop and go would be very high on my list. One of those luxuries that would make life much more relaxed in the daily grind. 

This right here.  Our Mercedes has this and it makes traffic no longer as infuriating.  I just sit there, the car goes and stops and steers and I get to enjoy the massaging seats and not worry about it.  

It seems like a turbo w/AT might be aggravating in stop-and-go. My company car is a 2023 Explorer with the turbo 4, and it is non-linear in it's power delivery - enough to be annoying when slogging through heavy commuting. The tranny wants to upshift ASAP and doesn't want to downshift unless you give it lots of throttle, then it bangs off a downshift with lots of boost and it's too  much. 

Something to consider.

Does and EV or PHEV have any advantages for HOV lane access on your route?

While not the most fun to drive, a small SUV might be the best option for commuting into Boston. Small footprint for parking, better visibility in the sea of SUVs, many of the features mention (adaptive cruise being high on the list), and not a huge mpg penalty. 

I know you love the job, but that commute means you're effectively taking a pay cut. 400 miles per week worth of fuel ($50-75 if you get 25-30mpg and gas is $4/gal), and depreciation adds up to real money over a year. The IRS mileage rate is $0.655/mile this year. That's $262/wk or over $12,500 if you commute 48 weeks per year. And that's not considering any money spent on a new vehcile for the job or the value of the 8-10hrs per week that you now get to devote to your job without any compensation. I don't know if you're salaried or hourly, but if you break down your compensation in $/hr including the time and money spent on commuting things probably don't look as rosy. I'd be doing everything that I could to commute less, or quietly looking for another job.

In reply to STM317 :

I am not going to be looking for another job right now. I do, however, anticipate some compensation for the commute to be part of the yearly increase. They did last time they did this pre-pandemic. I also have a feeling that the push back on this move will result in more flexibility. 

MK7 GTI is the droid you seek. I'm biased but a 19 Rabbit Edition is what you want.

Performance pack standard, no sunroof to fail/leak, and some of the best headlights you'll ever use.

It's taken a ton of track and auto-x abuse as well with no real issues you'd ever encounter as a daily.

https://www.datadrivenmqb.com/tripreports/thebeginning

More comments/responses:

-That Lexus ES350 F Sport looked like a real option until I remembered that they have the most infuriating infotainment system on the planet with a stupid touch pad in the console that controls everything. They have thankfully moved away from that distracting, moronic setup in the latest models, but they haven't hit the depreciation curve hard enough yet. The Toyota equivalents do not have this, so something like the Camry TRD could be an option if I can get over the styling. 

-I like the idea of the Mazda 3 Turbo. I adore that drivetrain in everything else I've driven with it including our CX-50. But nearly $40k for one is just way too much for what it is. And as much as I like the interior of the new 3, the hatchback (which I'd probably buy because I like hatches) has those massive C-pillar blind spots. That may be annoying. I think they do make a sedan flavor, though. 

-A Mazda 6 Turbo might be an option, although I don't like the old Mazda Connect system. It is annoyingly slow. The one in my Forte GT is light years better. But man, those cars are fun! Reminds me of the old GM W-Body supercharged stuff. I had a blast test driving one when I went car shopping last time. 

-Adaptive cruise with full stop-and-go is nice. Probably not a lot of options for that in my price range, though. 

-There is a "HOV Lane" on part of my commute, and they used to allow hybrids and EVs in there, but you have to have 2+ occupants to enter the lane now. Also, the traffic isn't much better in there, so not a lot of time savings to be had there anyway. 

-On the DCT thing, it really depends on the DCT. Some are better than others. I've read that the wet clutch units can take the abuse far better than the dry clutch ones. The unit in the new GTI is a 7-speed wet clutch, otherwise it wouldn't be on the list. 

-Someone mentioned the Elantra N. It's also an option, and had the wet clutch DCT. My worry about those is how high strung they are. They are also pretty loud and without some of the creature comforts I'd want, but they do make for a compelling performance package. 

-Ford Maverick pricing around here is still sky high, and I don't know if I need another truck in my life, since I already have one. If I went with a small truck, I'd be looking at other stuff. The new Colorado Trail Boss has caught my attention, for example. I think mileage is not too far off from what I get now. Fitting a truck in the parking garage (even a Maverick) is also a pain.