MadScientistMatt said:VW Passat, Jetta, or Golf? The DCT is a pretty good one and they're quite comfortable.
The biggest problem with a DSG is the volkswagen that holds its goodness inside. 
That being said our 15 jetta with the slushbox is a decent daily and the dsg cars are better.
This won't help you much in the colder months, but I always thought that if I had to commute in a big city, I'd choose a motorcycle so I could squeeze in and out of traffic, assuming that wouldn't get me arrested. I drove a rental car around Boston once and didn't encounter any roads where I'd prefer a fun car over one that was comfortable, quiet, and had plenty of sidewall for poor road conditions. I'd look at the awd Mazda3 with the non turbo motor, as in real world conditions I'm told it gets 10 mpg better on the highway than the turbo version, and is approx $10k less to purchase. Also based on my personal experience with the S60, maybe consider a Volvo sedan with some sort of extended warranty, I was really impressed with the mpg, comfort and quiet ride in mine on a ~ 600 mile trip to the beach this year.
In reply to flatlander937 :
and it comes in cornflower blue, which is one of the prettiest paint choices out there.
I commuted in a 2018 GTI for a few years about 30 miles each way, although with a manual. It was a nice place to be, and would be where I'd start looking as well.
On the stop & go cruise. I'm not sure which models get it, but our '21 Sportage has a variation of it. It's better at slow crawl since after it come to a complete stop it requires a tap of the accelerator or the "res" button in the steering wheel to start moving again.
We get 20-25 on average with the awd, and with car play, climate controls, and heated seats it isn't a bad place to spend time commuting. Sport mode makes it a bit more responsive, and it handles New England weather without issue.
I cant speak much to the other cars on your list but I just got back from a 2500ish mile trip in our project MK7 GTI and it was a great car for that. Both highway and back roads with some traffic and I have no complaints, plus it was extremely capable on the autocross course and did One Lap of America no problem.
Jetta GLI would be my pick. All the 2019+ cars are the 2.0T MQB with limited slip diff and Golf R brakes as standard. More comfortable than the GTI (Just my opinion) and more stealthy, can be had with low miles for a great deal. Tune, intake, downpipe, and then enjoy smoking muscle cars while getting over 30mpg on the highway. I currently have the older MK6.5 version (2017) and absolutely love it, and it's nowhere near as good as the Mk7 cars (but can be had cheap with low miles, like $15-19k).
Agree with Luke above. I commuted 40+ miles a day with a Mk6 (2014) GLI and saw 30+ MPG (stick) trouble-free 125,000 miles. GLIs seem to be had for cheaper then their equivalent hatchmates and the ride is a little more subdued then the GTI. Mine was silver so it definitely blended-in when needed... Also the Jetta trunk was larger then you might think and came in handy a number of times.
The only thing that I really had to watch for was potholes in Philly... Low profile tires and PA roads were not a good mix...
I agree that a smaller car will not only be more efficient but also more fun to drive, but you all are missing the most obvious car - a MINI Cooper S! six speed auto with flappy paddles for fun, 4 cyl efficiency, plenty of interior room even if you're a tall or large person and more fun to drive than anything you've ever been in. The turbo engine makes good torque almost from idle and the engine loves to rev.....
Go drive one, then decide......
For fun, I poked around the local Mazda dealer's site this morning. They have two 3 Turbo AWD's on the lot: a hatch and a sedan. The hatch with incentives is still about $38k, while the sedan is a couple grand cheaper. I know that cars cost more than ever and all that, but that's still a lot of cash for what it is.
Same dealer chain has a VW store, so I've been watching that as well. They have a sub-$30K last-gen GTI with the DSG and some options (the SE package) on the lot. If I went new, I'd probably be happy with the base S package, but then again, might make sense to get the older one, since I've heard the new all-touch infotainment is not great to live with.
And speaking of the Jetta GLI... I nearly bought one when I bought the Kia. That was actually my next stop; I was going to look at a used 2019 model. Never got that far though. I definitely prefer the GTI over the GLI though.
Is that S-Plan pricing on the Mazda?
This is maybe a hot take but I think the Mazda 2.5 turbo is unnecessary in the 3. The 2.5 NA scoots them around perfectly fine and has also proven to be an EXTREMELY reliable mill.
Yeah the 2.5 in the 2015 Mazda 3 my dad has is plenty quick for me. 0-60 in high 6s to low 7s. It's probably slower but with AWD, but I don't think the AWD is necessary either.
I really want to like the GTI/GLI, but I'm still uneasy about the German car thing. I hope I'm wrong though because it seems like a perfect car.
My wife's Mk7 GTI is at just over 100K miles. It has had several annoying failures (AC stuff was really bad, thankfully happened under warranty), but has not had anything happen that kept it from being drivable. That said, if I'm commuting on the highway that much, I'd want the longer wheelbase of the Jetta. The GTI gets a little bouncy on rough pavement.
No idea what the used market is like, and they are kind of big, but how about an Ecoboost Mustang?
Are GTI and GLI Uber drivers reporting 400k engines and more on the trans? I'm serious. I wonder if I'm living in a self fulfilling sorry that VWs are not "reliable."
In reply to CyberEric :
I bought a CPO '16 GTI with ~20k miles back in...2018?
Within the first year the car was reporting strange errors related to the keyless entry system that were an ominous sign, but nothing ever seemed to actually stop working and I never figured out what was wrong. This never stopped.
A couple years later at ~60k miles the car stopped boosting and I got a constant CEL. Turned out the electronic solenoid-controlled wastegate actuator had seized due to a really dumb pivot design, just out of the CPO powertrain warranty. VW wanted $2500+ to replace the entire turbo assembly. Thankfully the aftermarket came to the rescue with some kind of EU-spec Skoda part that fit with a custom shaft adapter sleeve. It was a bitch to replace, but made the problem go away. I was awestruck at how dumb the design was, though.
After experiencing just how much plastic was under the hood, with a steadily increasing number of weird gremlins (a different CEL was starting to intermittently come and go), and no more CPO warranty to cover my ass, I dumped it to Carmax when the auto market hysteria kicked off and paid off the loan. I knew that I was coming due for the typical intake valve cleaning along with a handful of other services, and the car had started to put a bad taste in my mouth.
Every VW/Audi product I've owned (8 of them) has been a giant pain in the ass and I figured that if a basically-new one gave me the same trouble, I'd know that I could be done with them forever. This one was less problematic than some others, but still annoying enough to not make me want another. It was a great car in a lot of ways but if I had just bought the Mazda 3 I was initially interested in, I'd probably still have it.
YMMV, caveat emptor, etc. Some people have had stellar experiences with them, but mine was mixed.
And that's the type of story that I keep hearing. Thanks for keeping me in line.
CyberEric said:Are GTI and GLI Uber drivers reporting 400k engines and more on the trans? I'm serious. I wonder if I'm living in a self fulfilling sorry that VWs are not "reliable."
Depends. Tsi has had oil ring issues on and off. Our 1.8tsi is at 120k and its drinking it like a sailor that just hit port.
More thoughts:
-The VW Nightmare has a real chance of materializing, which makes me weary of them. I mean, I tried a VW once, but that was a MKIV Jetta. That thing was the WORST. Seems like the chances of getting a good one have increased over the years, but the threat is still real.
-Mazda pricing I saw was not S-Plan. That particular dealer doesn't mess around with pricing too much though. We've bought a few cars with them and they have been fantastic and fair with pricing.
-The 2nd and 3rd Gen Mazda 3 with the N/A 2.5 MZR and the 2.5 Skyactiv are zippy, fun cars. The newest gen though... not a fan. I found it lethargic, boring, and not engaging to drive whatsoever, a complete and total disappointment. Last time around, it was the first car I drove, and it was heartbreaking, since I loved my old 2012 3. The chassis really lost its edge and it felt downright pokey. The turbo engine though... completely different story. It's turbo or nuthin' for me in these.
-Gonna have to say no to the Mini. I know lots of people like them, and I think some of them are pretty cool, but they really aren't for me. I'd like something a bit bigger and not made by BMW to pile miles onto. I have some trust issues with modern BMW products after watching friends get put through the works with them.
This has been a good conversation with lots to think about!
If you're weary of the VW, I wouldn't touch any Mini with a 10ft pole. I'm really good at replacing turbos and clutches and all kinds of weird stuff on them.
I swore off German stuff forever, but having a few friends who are VW techs that told me they're reasonably stout eventually wore me to the point of buying one. FWIW I will not touch any non-MK7 with a 10ft pole. Everything before it is trash as far as I'm concerned (and was a big reason I swore them off for so long). I never had to deal with any real issues on MK7s when at Carmax. As opposed to repinning melted fuse boxes on a MK6 GTI... What a nightmare.
ABSOLUTELY AVOID ANY VW WITH A SUN ROOF. They're put together dumb, the tray cracks, and it is epoxied to the roof skin. Requires body shop to replace. VW has kots to essentially "patch" the cracks, but IMO it's a hokey repair. 2017 Sport, or 2019 Rabbit are the only worthwhile options IMO. If you don't care about the awesome headlights, then a 19+ S trim is also good.
The EA888.3 engine is stout. Main common-ish failure points are water pump and thermostat, PCV valve (usually cause of oil consumption), and to a lesser extent AC condenser (visually check condition), and wastegate actuators.
Water pump is pricy but has an extended warranty to 8yr/80k.
Whatever you get, plan on buying a Ross Tech VCDS scan tool. Useful to have, can customize lots of stuff (if it has rain sensing wipers, can make the windows roll up when it rains while parked for example).
I will add that Koni Special Active shocks on stock springs on the GTI are amazing, and ride better than stock. More compression and less rebound makes it absorb bumps and fine road imperfections so much better.
I won't pretend it's the most reliable option out there. I'm sure it's not. I worked on all makes and models at Carmax for 15yrs. Every car is a POS in some way. The VW is at least a REALLY nice place to be that is far more upscale than most other stuff for the price.
Also look into FCP Euro. You can literally return oil and filters for oil changes for credit for the next one. It's ridiculous but if you really want, maintenance can be cheaper than most other stuff if that is utilized.
Flatlander, have you had any of those issues? I remember you having all those badass Mazda 2s, so I trust your taste, but I am still verrrrrry nervous about VWs.
Tony: How much are turbo 6s going for? Seems like a nice car to eat up miles in, and still handles well.
CyberEric said:Flatlander, have you had any of those issues? I remember you having all those badass Mazda 2s, so I trust your taste, but I am still verrrrrry nervous about VWs.
My only issue was the PCV on track. Tend to smoke after hard braking + RH turn followed by accel. It had zero problems on the street, or under any other conditions.
I've flogged on it about 20 days on track since the beginning of 2022, plus a half dozen autocrosses. Purchased with 30k, now at 54k mi. Aside from the PCV thing, it's been dead nuts reliable.
Overall it's been a really fun and solid car. If I were to keep it bone stock-stock, I was over 10 sec per lap faster at VIR on all seasons and street pads (2:26) than the Mazda2 ever was near it's final iteration.
Fastest lap yet is a 2:12.55 at VIR for reference, though 2:13s-2:16s is more typical pending traffic/weather/how much sleep I got the night before. There's still another ~1.5 sec in it if all the above come together, but I have a sense of self preservation and am rarely "in the zone" unfortunately.
The Mazda2 did a 2:38 with me driving, and a 2:35 with a much faster TT licensed buddy in it.
I have tons of info on the MK7 VW stuff (as far as track prep and data logging) at www.datadrivenmqb.com.
2019+ 330i AWD? Seems like a return to form for bmw, great fuel economy and zf8.
An EV for this commute would be great even in the cold weather of Boston. Pre-heating on shore power would reduce the range impact but at 100 miles total, even a standard range Model 3 would get the job done. The standard autopilot is absolutely fantastic at stop and go traffic. The LFP battery likes to be charged to 100% so you get all of the 262 miles of range everyday. No maintenance in my experience in over 100k miles of EV driving. New is 39k so above budget unless you can take advantage of the tax credit, but there is a used one in Norwell with lower miles for 32k.
In reply to mattm :
I have thought about pure EVs, but I'm probably staying away for now for a few reasons:
-Unknown costs of parts replacement if something fails
-Lack of control over replacing parts on my own
-Range/charging anxiety
I know, I know, those are some of the go-to complaints or holdbacks, but for me, I'm just not ready yet.
Also, no Teslas. I've sampled a few and have not come away impressed, and I also do not like that they can shut off things remotely if they choose to. I understand that people like them, and to each their own, but they are not for me.
I'd probably go with one of Hyundai's EVs if I went full BEV; I have checked out a few of those and they DO impress and drive/feel like a real car made by an actual car manufacturer that has experience building cars.
If I did anything like this for the next car, it would likely be a plug-in hybrid like a Prius Prime or something of that nature.
Long-time VW family here, currently have a 2016 Jetta and 2019 GTI, neither have had a problem but because of the pandemic and working from home both have unusually low miles, 33k for the Jetta, 16k for the GTI.
Because of the low miles, and because I'm not a fanboi of any brand, I won't discount the reliability issues others have brought up. But each car is literally generations ahead in reliability over the MK4 Jetta we had in the early '00's. It was a nice little car, but it had a myriad of small, niggling issues.
Both of the current VW's are very good commuter and road trip cars. We've driven from Austin to Chicago and Austin to Santa Fe multiple times in both and they're just great.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned, and this is just a "me" thing since I've spent so much time on the VW forums: I wouldn't buy a used GTI unless I was 100% certain it wasn't modified and then returned to stock for the sale. Or, I'd have to know the seller/history.
Note that I'm not saying that they can't take being modified, they absolutely can. The EA888 is almost like the small block Chevy when it comes to the aftermarket and being able to produce reliable horsepower.
What I am specifically saying is that 90% of the VW forum content (in my opinion) would disappear if all of the botched DIY stories were filtered out. Things as basic as "brah, I tuned specifically for 93 octane high hp and torque, but now gas is expensive so I've been using 87 and now I've got cel's all over the place."
And after years of seeing grenaded turbos from botched diy installs, screwing up intakes, Frankenstein-cutting to make intercoolers "fit", downpipes not being connected and melting a nearby wiring harness, and even one dude unscrewing a bolt in his DSG transmission thinking it was the oil drain plug, etc., from people whose "reach exceeds their grasp" ... only to have them eventually post something like "I'm returning this POS German crap-car back to stock and unloading it on Carvana!!"
Again, these can be tuned easily and reliably but be wary if the history is unknown. Or at least I would be wary.
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