If it were me, I'd choose a Focus/Civic sized car. I get ~40mpg with a 70-75mph commute over the same distance. And you can find cars that size pretty easily in the $7-10k range.
But if I were to get a brand new car, not being biased toward any company, it would be the new Camry with the 2.5l engine. If it gets what we see it getting, you'd likely clear 50mpg going at a constant 60mph. Sadly, a new car does not seem to be part of the choices.
Can you get a Lexus GS450h in that price range? They're fast (0-60 in 5.4 seconds, 1/4 mile in the 13s), comfortable, get great gas mileage (34 or so highway?), and are reliable.
In reply to alfadriver :
It will be replacing a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek that I just about hate now.
This is a great role for a plug-in hybrid. Even if you can't charge at work now, you probably will be able to in the future, and you'll be able to charge at home. So a Volt or Prius could do the job.
Around here that is a short quick commute and no traffic , dude, Sweet. for some reason Gas prices only pixx off people here and 15 mpg is fair , that trip needs a hotrod or a good pick up . today 6/28/18 gas is 2.59-3.00.
MrChaos said:In reply to alfadriver :
It will be replacing a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek that I just about hate now.
Not sure why you hate that, but if it's because it's a soul sucking boring car, I'm sure many of the others here, including the camry, are that way, too.
I used to do my 35 mile commute in a Miata, and have been fine with the Fiesta, but I prefer the Focus over that. At some point, I realized that the drive was so boring on it's own that it did not justify having an interesting car to drive, as it was 99% riding.
I'll second the Volt given your constraints. Their packs seem to age well and if you can't charge at work the $ math still works out fine. I couldn't stomach a Prius either, not when there are non Prius options that do Prius like things.
At my local gas prices a Bolt would save $150 a month on your commute, $200+ minus electrical. But that option hinges on local incentives. You need them to bring the total cost down to where its a competitive option. For rubber band haters, the direct drive will feel good. Oh, and 160kW, 266 torks, 6.3 seconds to 60 and the handling is decent.
In reply to alfadriver :
Because even though the Subaru is a decent place to be, it's slow (9.2 0-60), the clutch is weird, the gearing is terrible even though it is a 6 speed, and the shifting is so bad.
8valve said:
For rubber band haters, the direct drive will feel good.
I assume this reference is for the cvt, and it should be said that the Prius cvt, and the Ford Hybrid cvt (very similar designs from the same supplier) have no bands like the traditional cvt in the Subaru does. They use multiple electric motors instead, and have a much lower rate of failure than a cvt with bands or cones:
For what it's worth, my Fusion Energi averaged over 46mpg on my drive to work today (20+ miles of 55-60mph, followed by 2-3 miles of city) and that was driving as a hybrid the entire time as I didn't plug it in last night. There's 20 miles of all electric range that can be tapped if I leave with a full charge that can really boost the numbers from there as well. The first generation Fusion Hybrid is mostly the same tech in a cheaper package. I've seen them with under 60k miles in your price range. It might be a decent option if you want a very fuel efficient option that's a bit larger than a Volt/Prius/Civic/etc.
MK4 ALH TDI stick shift, functioning AC and cruise control, make sure it has had a timing belt (the interval is 100k) and just drive it til the wheels fall off (they wont)
I've always wondered if the hive could convince someone to go full JFK moonshot on a commuter. "We choose to commute in this car not because it's easy, but because it is hard."
How about a Suzuki Samurai? It will theoretically keep up with traffic on a good day and is constantly one quick maneuver from sliding on it's roof. A first gen Insight with a manual is a tough car to drive. Almost every one has a bad second gear synchro, trying to conserve the battery at highway speeds involves constantly monitoring a little light on the dash and shifting gears at the slightest change in incline. Maybe an early 70's Triumph? The top will leak with even a heavy dew. Every single car on the road with you has better brakes, even the school bus in the lane next to you that hasn't seen you for the past three miles. There is a list of 1000 cars that would make your commute better, but the list of cars that will make your commute a borderline dangerous adventure every day is much shorter and more interesting.
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
That's what motorcycles are for...
Nick Comstock said:In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
That's what motorcycles are for...
Motorcyles are the gas station sushi of commuting. Cheap, available, and pretty darn good for what they are, but you know in the back of your head that you're dancing with the devil.
Golf TDI. Had 180k on mine before buyback. Maintenance and tune and it was awesome for a long hauler. Kinda fun too!
My current main plan is to buy an nb/nc with cash and sell the crosstrek to CarMax
MrChaos said:My current main plan is to buy an nb/nc with cash and sell the crosstrek to CarMax
At 70mph, my '99 would get 30mpg. I recall doing 55 for one tank in the middle of Michigan- that jumped to almost 40. And if you are willing to modify the car, Doc Brown has some great things you can do on it to maintain performance AND get some better fuel economy, with the original engine- modified trans and FDR.
For that long of a drive, I would consider the NC over the NB.
In reply to alfadriver :
6 speed and the 3.9 or 3.6 gears sounds like it will be good
Volt still works with no work charging. Your drive to work is still gas free, and the drive home is still at a very respectable hwy mpg on gas only (they still get 35+ mpg hwy), so you're still getting like 70mpg equivalent in a car that everyone states is a whole lot nicer place to be than a penalty box Prius.
I do double that commute, and i've used a TDI for the job. Diesels on the highway and their effortless torque makes them downright relaxing. I first ran a mk4 ALH TDI Golf manual to nearly 300K, then jumped to a much nicer mk6 Golf TDI manual... which I racked up ~150K on before VW dieselgate prompted a generous buyback that made my ownership effectively free.
I'm currently shopping BMW E90 335D's. They're not the most economical choice, but they stand alone as a diesel hot rod. Not quite 40 mpg hwy, but they make 265hp and 425! ft.lbs. stock. A quick tune puts these at 350hp / 550+ ft. lbs. if you're one to modify cars, and still knocking down the same (or better) highway mpg. Sport models gained much nicer seats and sportier wheels/suspension. Base models can be had under $10K.
Outside of the diesels above I've done my share of econobox gassers, but I'm done with those from a quality of life standpoint.
Yaris. I used to have a 110mile commute. Behave while driving I would regularly average 50-54mpg a tank. Beat the snot out of it and get like 45mpg
mazdeuce - Seth said:Nick Comstock said:In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
That's what motorcycles are for...
Motorcyles are the gas station sushi of commuting. Cheap, available, and pretty darn good for what they are, but you know in the back of your head that you're dancing with the devil.
But if one is looking for a "borderline dangerous adventure" while pulling down decent mpgs it fits the bill better than any car does.
I like renting the newer altimas. Peppy 4cyl, yeah its a cvt, but a very comfy car, not a tiny econobox, can still have some fun driving it. Just rented one to go from FL to Tn for my grandfathers funeral. Averaged about 38mpg and that was me driving it how i felt, running it fairly hard, no attempt at getting better MPG. A used one should be in your price range.
You can get a brand new Elantra for about 12K. Hard to find a better commuter.
How about a Jetta? Very comfortable, about half your budget.
Is 35 miles now considered a long commute?
Ive been commuting 300 miles each way for the past year. 
I'd be tempted to get a 2011+ Mustang V6. 305HP, regular unleaded, and 30MPG hwy rated and seems people get close to that in the real world driving. I really liked the 2007 I had and the 2011+ has even better fit,finish and materials on the inside. It would be a nice place to be for a long interstate trip.
You could also have fun on the B roads if you wanted to take the long way home one day.
Make mine Grabber Blue or Gotta Have it Green
You'll need to log in to post.
