Car for 100 mile commute?

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Originally Posted By: AZjeff
So SIL might take a job 50 miles away. They currently have 1 car, a 2015 CX-5. Daughter has to do some driving for her work as well so a 250K beater car is out. Mileage is nice but safety is more important, so thinking midsize something. The drive is about 50% 4 lane and 50% nice 2 lane with some chance of occasional bad roads in winter. Not sure of a budget but say under $10K. They're not brand loyal and he's no mechanic. Not sure they want to rack up the miles on the Mazda.

The go-to without thinking would be the nicest 4 cyl Camry for the money but what else should we be considering? Any sleeper commuter cars? Like a Crown Vic that gets 30 mpg or something?

Thanks for your thoughts.

You got it !
 
If a bigger car is desired, look for a Buick with a 3800 engine. My daughter's LeSabre is roomy, comfortable, and gets very good gas mileage. Car is currently on the far side of 260,000 miles, and runs great, using almost no oil.
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Not too many Crown Vics/Grand Marquis getting 30 MPG, I think 25 would be pushing it with hypermiling techniques. Some Cruze Eco owners have reported 45 MPG in highway driving, plus FWD would be a plus in (not severe) winter weather.


I regularly got 24-25 in my Crown Vic at speeds up to 65.

Comfort is the key if she's going to be doing it day after day after day, so make sure whatever it is, is comfortable for her.
 
For $10K, that wont get you a lot of car. If you want the newest, lowest mileage car you can get, then you will have to find a car with terrible residual value. Something from Chrysler, GM, perhaps Ford. Cadillac STS, Focus, Chrysler 300, Kia Optima or Forte, Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Vibe (a rebadged Toyota Matrix), etc.

If I'm driving 100 miles a day, I'm not doing it in a Fit or other econobox. Midsize car will be much more comfortable, better power, better driving experience, more passing power for the highway, etc. Hard to beat a Camry or Accord for a basic commuter car.
 
I would do it in a Honda Fit, but I'd get it fully loaded if I lived in the thing.

Hondas and Toyotas handle high mileage with regular maintenance.

Oh and I am a 6'1", 225lb Bear.

This is the type of driving small fuel efficient cars are made for.

You purchase them not lease when you do 30,000 miles a year.

And I'd just drive it into the ground.
 
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I have 2 Crown Vics. My 2008 Non Police P-74 with a 2:73 ratio rear end can knock out 26 miles per gallon routinely on my trips from Dayton,Oh to northern Cincinnati via Interstate 75 (58 down miles and 58 miles back) Its safe and reassuring and I have never touched it other then regular maintenance. My Police Interceptor 2006 Crown Vic with the 3:55 rear end runs much better despite worse mileage 23 miles per gallon on the Highway. Both are Solid Cars.
 
Plan like gas isn't going to be $2/gal forever.

Figure $4/gal gas and see if the CV is the way to go.

Think of mpg as a way to reduce your tax burden.
 
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The Crown Vic was only mentioned as an example of a car you wouldn't necessarily think of for this use. 25 mpg highway not bad for a land yacht.

Making a list for them to look at.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
. For 10k I would be after a 1.9tdi A3.


Interesting. Are these involved in the emissions fiasco? What about reliability?


Dead reliable if you run the right proper specification of oil, but the pump duse engine is not easy on lifter buckets. Have seen some with over a quarter million miles and still ticking. These are pre-scandal, and some are pre-DPF.
 
Originally Posted By: mehullica
Prius C. Very good used pricing & MPG


The Toyota Prius C is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact hatchback...Toyota explained that the 'c' in 'Prius c' stands for "city"-centric vehicle as it is much smaller than the normal Prius
 
Originally Posted By: tig1
Ford Fusion


+1 Great car, good structure, nice ride and good mileage. Get a Gen 1 Fusion in nice shape pretty reasonable
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I would not get a costly car. Something in the $7,500 range ought to do it ... You'll carry a higher deductible to keep the cost down, so not something that will eat you out of house and home if it gets totaled ...

Fly out to LA, spend a weekend kicking tires. Buy a rust free one and drive it home
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Originally Posted By: BrocLuno


Fly out to LA, spend a weekend kicking tires. Buy a rust free one and drive it home
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Umm..we live in Arizona.

They escaped Irvine last December with no intention of going back.
 
For $10K I would be looking at Toyota Avalon or Lexus ES330. Both are easily found in the 100K mile range for $10K or less and are good for another 100K miles with minimal maintenance (ok, well a timing belt and water pump).
 
Some midsize gm product with the buick 3800 v6. They are [censored] reliable, able to get to 200k miles with little maintenance (oil changes every 5k transmission fluid and filter EVERY 30K!!) I had a 2000 Buick regal that would get about 25 mpg mixed (40 miles to work one way, 55mph highway with little towns of 30, 40, and 45. I have a lead foot and always do 5-7 mph over the speed limit, had to pass a bunch of people doing 40 in a 55 due to the fact of getting called in early often. (I was a cab driver and live 40 miles away from where I worked.) If I drove economically, I could get 26-29 mpg on the highway.
 
This engine was used in the following vehicles:

1996-2005 Buick LeSabre
1997-2005 Buick Park Avenue
1996-2004 Buick Regal LS
1995-1997 Buick Riviera
1995 California only, 1996-2002 Chevrolet Camaro
2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala
1997-1999 Chevrolet Lumina LTZ
1998-2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (Z34, LT, SS)
1995-1999 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight
1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
1996-1998 Oldsmobile LSS
1996-1998 Oldsmobile Regency
1995-2005 Pontiac Bonneville
1995 California only, 1996-2002 Pontiac Firebird
1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
 
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