New Commuter Car ideas... maybe more fun

[Smokescreen]

My commute is 80% hiway.

Let's qualify my definition of fun: Acceleration to legal limits. I don't get tickets, I don't speed, but I enjoy getting up to speed quickly.

I also put a stiffer rear sway bar and lowering springs on the Corolla to make it turn better, so I enjoy twisties when they arise. I am not opposed to modifying the suspension in this next car to up the fun factor either.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: wag123
It sounds to me like you will be keeping the car until the "wheels fall off". After owning the Corolla for so long you will be disappointed with the long-term reliability/durability/longevity of most of the other cars recommended. Anything with a turbocharger will be problematic in the long run.


The turbo on my 2007 MS3 was still working fine at 8 years and 158,000 miles when I flipped it for the 2er- yeah, I sure wish I had bought a NA four instead.

Originally Posted By: wag123
...get a Camry V/6, with 301 HP they are FAST but will exceed your budget by a couple of grand.


I hate to burst your bubble, but in 2017 a car that runs the quarter in the mid-fourteens is not "FAST." At best I'd say that it is maybe a tiny bit quicker than average for its market segment. Today I'd say that a car has to run mid-twelves to be considered to be legitimately fast.

I will also be the first to point out that acceleration alone does not make a car entertaining to drive- see: Civic Si, Fiat Abarth, Fiesta ST- all of which are a riot to drive despite posting mid-pack acceleration numbers

Relative to the Corolla the OP is replacing, the 301 HP Camry V/6 IS fast! He should be more than satisfied with the performance. Even the new 203 HP 4-cyl Camry will offer the OP a noticeable (and maybe satisfactory) performance improvement over the car he has been driving. If he opts for the SE version, the car is even fairly entertaining to drive for a car in this market segment, and a 4-cyl SE can be purchased in the mid $20k price range and gets excellent "real world' gas mileage for a car this size. Also, to Toyota's credit, they have chosen to keep a gear-type automatic transmission with a torque converter in the Camry. My advice to the OP is to go to a Toyota dealer and test drive a Camry SE 4-cyl. The SE does ride a little rough, but it does handle better.
My advice about staying away from turbo-charged cars stands. For every person that says they have not had any problems, there is another person out there that HAS had problems. It is not really a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN.

 

[SatinSilver]

You maybe happy with a 4cyl Camry but not the SE since it rides too stiff esp over bumps. It's close to 200 HP, won't attract attention and will easyily hit 200k like your Corolla and be reliable. It still comes in first place in the latest issue of the CR buying guide. The 4 cyl will be a nice upgrade in power over the Corolla. One poster on here had one as a rental and thought it had a small V6 in it. I think that was Jaraxle(?) who said that. So not some noob fresh off the turnip truck.

Second place is the Subaru Legacy and 3rd is the Kia Optima.

If going for a Fusion I'd get the NA 2.5 engine to reliably hit the 200k + mark. All cars I've mentioned so far are on the CR recommended list.

The new Accord wasn't tested by CR since none were available.

There's a huge overall upgrade going from the Corolla to the Camry. I remember elfefino(sp?) mentioning this a while ago. So not just me.

A GTI will be high on the fun factor but you'll need to get a part job for all the repairs it will need to reach 200k + miles. Plus it will attract more attention.

 

[Nick1994]

The Toyota V6 is fast, for this segment. You can't compare it to a Camaro or a Mustang, or a Porsche. Those are totally different cars. For a daily driver, it's got a ton of power. I drove a 2016 Avalon V6 last summer on a 5,000 mile road trip. Not once was I disappointed. I did lots of full throttle passing runs, not because I needed to, but because I could and it was fun. It can't take a corner to save its life, but the power is all you could need. It'll squeal the tires up to 30-35 mph.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
it's too bad performance and longevity don't seem to go hand in hand. deep down inside I was hoping to find a Jekyll Hyde that offered up decent fuel economy but then could put a smile on my face when I hit the go pedal..without drawing too much attention to it parked.

It looks like I will have to peruse the used market and check things out there.

Anyone know what years of the Camry V6 that were not good?


They can. There are plenty of high mileage BMW M5's out there for example, but they are not a maintenance-free car, and maintenance and repair items aren't inexpensive on them either. An SRT Charger would be another car that is reliable, however it doesn't have the zero-flash factor that you outlined in the OP and probably doesn't get gas mileage that you would consider acceptable. One with the 5.7L might however, as long as the Charger body style isn't too obnoxious for you, and the R/T can be reasonably well equipped in terms of creature comforts without costing a fortune.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
it's too bad performance and longevity don't seem to go hand in hand. deep down inside I was hoping to find a Jekyll Hyde that offered up decent fuel economy but then could put a smile on my face when I hit the go pedal..without drawing too much attention to it parked.

It looks like I will have to peruse the used market and check things out there.

Anyone know what years of the Camry V6 that were not good?


They can. There are plenty of high mileage BMW M5's out there for example, but they are not a maintenance-free car, and maintenance and repair items aren't inexpensive on them either. An SRT Charger would be another car that is reliable, however it doesn't have the zero-flash factor that you outlined in the OP and probably doesn't get gas mileage that you would consider acceptable. One with the 5.7L might however, as long as the Charger body style isn't too obnoxious for you, and the R/T can be reasonably well equipped in terms of creature comforts without costing a fortune.


I'd pick the Charger R/T over any FWD sedan. They are a lot of fun to drive- infinitely more so than a Camry of any age or trim level.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
it's too bad performance and longevity don't seem to go hand in hand. deep down inside I was hoping to find a Jekyll Hyde that offered up decent fuel economy but then could put a smile on my face when I hit the go pedal..without drawing too much attention to it parked.

It looks like I will have to peruse the used market and check things out there.

Anyone know what years of the Camry V6 that were not good?


They can. There are plenty of high mileage BMW M5's out there for example, but they are not a maintenance-free car, and maintenance and repair items aren't inexpensive on them either. An SRT Charger would be another car that is reliable, however it doesn't have the zero-flash factor that you outlined in the OP and probably doesn't get gas mileage that you would consider acceptable. One with the 5.7L might however, as long as the Charger body style isn't too obnoxious for you, and the R/T can be reasonably well equipped in terms of creature comforts without costing a fortune.


I'd pick the Charger R/T over any FWD sedan. They are a lot of fun to drive- infinitely more so than a Camry of any age or trim level.


Yes, a few of our guys had a black Charger R/T rental when we were down in Cali. After less than 24hrs with the thing, both of them wanted one.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
it's too bad performance and longevity don't seem to go hand in hand. deep down inside I was hoping to find a Jekyll Hyde that offered up decent fuel economy but then could put a smile on my face when I hit the go pedal..without drawing too much attention to it parked.

It looks like I will have to peruse the used market and check things out there.

Anyone know what years of the Camry V6 that were not good?


They can. There are plenty of high mileage BMW M5's out there for example, but they are not a maintenance-free car, and maintenance and repair items aren't inexpensive on them either. An SRT Charger would be another car that is reliable, however it doesn't have the zero-flash factor that you outlined in the OP and probably doesn't get gas mileage that you would consider acceptable. One with the 5.7L might however, as long as the Charger body style isn't too obnoxious for you, and the R/T can be reasonably well equipped in terms of creature comforts without costing a fortune.


I'd pick the Charger R/T over any FWD sedan. They are a lot of fun to drive- infinitely more so than a Camry of any age or trim level.


Yes, a few of our guys had a black Charger R/T rental when we were down in Cali. After less than 24hrs with the thing, both of them wanted one.

What does awd do to these cars? Some extra weight up front atleast, but do they get into lifting the front end or limiting suspension travel?
Out west you can end up driving on polished ice on the side streets for weeks, as it won't get warm enough for salt to work, so rwd and snow tires may not work as well as it does here.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

What does awd do to these cars? Some extra weight up front atleast, but do they get into lifting the front end or limiting suspension travel?
Out west you can end up driving on polished ice on the side streets for weeks, as it won't get warm enough for salt to work, so rwd and snow tires may not work as well as it does here.


Honestly, I've never driven one with AWD, so I don't know. Anecdotally, I've heard it works quite well

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
What does awd do to these cars? Some extra weight up front atleast, but do they get into lifting the front end or limiting suspension travel?


They can weigh as much as 4500 lbs. So probably not the best commuter.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: HoosierJeeper
Cadillac Brougham. Preferably a later one with the 350. It's a sofa on wheels.

Screams get out of my way. I would LOVE to commute in one of these. If I didn't need SUVs for clearance and snow capabilities, I'd rock one.

But if you want something new, I have literally not heard anything bad about Mazda recently.







Always remember, Red Right Returning.

If you're returning upstream.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

What does awd do to these cars? Some extra weight up front atleast, but do they get into lifting the front end or limiting suspension travel?
Out west you can end up driving on polished ice on the side streets for weeks, as it won't get warm enough for salt to work, so rwd and snow tires may not work as well as it does here.


AWD? Meh; fit decent winter rubber and you should get around just fine.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: IndyIan

What does awd do to these cars? Some extra weight up front atleast, but do they get into lifting the front end or limiting suspension travel?
Out west you can end up driving on polished ice on the side streets for weeks, as it won't get warm enough for salt to work, so rwd and snow tires may not work as well as it does here.


AWD? Meh; fit decent winter rubber and you should get around just fine.

Even in tropical southern ontario where I am, there's not too many people that go with rwd in winter. If you took the subset that have to drive some distance to, or for work, I think the number with rwd would drop to near zero.
It can be done, but its more of a potential PITA than most people want to deal with.

 

[jeepman3071]

People are suggesting a Charger R/T as a commuter vehicle when the OP says fuel economy is still somewhat of a priority?

I think the VW Jetta would be a good compromise. I have 3 friends with 2013-2015 Jettas and my sister just bought a 2013 2.5 Jetta. Comfortable, sporty driving dynamics for a compact, and the 1.8T gets close to 38 mpg on the highway. Pretty basic low profile car but has some nice features like sunroof, heated fake leather seats, some newer ones have Apple Car Play and navigation, and they have a good sized trunk with seats that fold down.

One of my friends drives his 2014 1.8T back and forth to NYC and gets 37 mpg at 80 mph. Has around 170hp, 184 lb-ft of torque but is zippy. An APR stage 1 tune on the 1.8T puts the car over 200 hp.

 

[Smokescreen]

I looked into VW, but I am seeing lots of issues with the DSG and coil packs as well.

I see mentioned a few times on here Mazda 3 2.5L...does anyone have any feedback on these? Longevity, fuel economy?

 

[aquariuscsm]

I would love one of these:

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I would love one of these:







There is likely more metal in those hoods than there is in most compact cars of today.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
I looked into VW, but I am seeing lots of issues with the DSG and coil packs as well.

I see mentioned a few times on here Mazda 3 2.5L...does anyone have any feedback on these? Longevity, fuel economy?


If the GTI, Si, and ST are off the table then the Mazda3 would be my next choice. I ran a Mazdaspeed 3 for 158k miles from 2007-2016 and I would have gladly bought another if Mazda had decided to produce the rumored 300 hp AWD MS3.
As for the current Mazda 3 I'd definitely go with a 2.5 Touring or Grand Touring. With either 2 or 3 pedals it's certainly no rocket sled but it is far and away the most entertaining car in the segment- most everything else is a soul-killing appliance.