Help Me Find an Urban Commuter

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I'm looking around trying to find a second comfortable car for the wife and I for commuting purposes. Initially thinking something with utilitarian purpose but we're now more focused on comfort for an urban environment, say a couple hours of driving per day. We're re-opening the search to all brands and styles as nothing has really stood out to us quite yet.

Some notes and thoughts from the search thus far:

-I had always ruled out VW in the past as my father was VW mechanic growing up and swore he'd never set foot in one again. I've been reading up on the 1.4T engine and what appears to be much improved reliability over the last few years. Color me intrigued and interested in folks experience with the base Jetta and Golf. Maybe a Passat?

-Subaru Legacy was on the top of the list but the one I had my eye on was sold, but could revisit. Same with the Outback. Seeing some compelling pricing options on VW and Toyota versus Subaru so made me think twice from my initial leaning.

-Toyota Corolla and Avalon have struck me as interesting options. I noticed some stuff online about the CVT in the Corolla and not sure if to take seriously or not. On the Avalon, I hear wonderfully comfortable - but is it too big and too thirsty? I suppose the Camry fits in the middle but always struck me as a car that does everything well enough though nothing well in particular. If I should rethink, say so.


Any and all feedback welcome. I will stay on top of questions as best I can - and thank you in advance.
 
What are your priorities?

If you don't care about a sporty drive, a Prius would suit well. They're very comfortable, possibly the most reliable car made and pretty spacious inside. You can even squeeze 50 MPG city out of them if you drive conservatively. For MPG, a hybrid can't be beat in city driving, and nothing else even comes close. There's also the new Corolla hybrids, which are going to drive nicer, but are smaller and (while almost certainly fine) still unproven in terms of reliability.
 
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Originally Posted by littlehulkster
What are your priorities?

If you don't care about a sporty drive, a Prius would suit well. They're very comfortable, possibly the most reliable car made and pretty spacious inside. You can even squeeze 50 MPG city out of them if you drive conservatively. For MPG, a hybrid can't be beat in city driving, and nothing else even comes close.

It's a good question. How comfortable are they in soaking up bad surfaces? That was outside my experience.

On priorities: comfort is a big one. The wife is coming off some heavy surgery so trying to find something with great seats and a fairly soft ride.
 
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Camry/ Avalon hybrid.

Notably these cars still have *glass* which helps your visibility which makes driving in an urban setting way more comfortable.

Since you're in Boston, you'll note that camry (hybrids) are very popular taxis down there.
 
Originally Posted by NewEnglander
Originally Posted by littlehulkster
What are your priorities?

If you don't care about a sporty drive, a Prius would suit well. They're very comfortable, possibly the most reliable car made and pretty spacious inside. You can even squeeze 50 MPG city out of them if you drive conservatively. For MPG, a hybrid can't be beat in city driving, and nothing else even comes close.

It's a good question. How comfortable are they in soaking up bad surfaces? That was outside my experience.

On priorities: comfort is a big one. The wife is coming off some heavy surgery so trying to find something with great seats and a fairly soft ride.


The Prius is actually outstandingly comfortable and smooth. The interior and seats are good. The numb handling and steering that auto journalists endlessly gripe about isolates the driver very well. When you're running on electric, as you often will in the city, it's whisper quiet, too.

It's a pretty great urban car, really. They're not perfect, of course, but I'd definitely give one a try. There should be plenty, both used and new (and the new ones are apparently a good improvement) on the market near you.
 
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I'd recommend one of our two daily drivers.
The Subie is easy to get in and out of, has a very soft ride and offers pretty decent fuel economy. It's also easily able to deal with whatever winter weather you'll see.
The Accord Hybrid is much lower but offers excellent fuel economy as well as a good ride, although not nearly as soft as the Forester.
It's also more fuel-efficient than the Camry Hybrid and much quicker, if that matters.
The Honda hybrid system is also less complicated than Toyota's Rube Goldberg setup, so less pieces to fail.
 
This might be a little on the "cheap" end, but my dad is on his second Hyundai Accent, and the '18 he bought is actually a LOT of car for the money. Sunroof, heated seats, 17" wheels, keyless entry and push-start, 7" touch screen audio with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. He's 6'3 and commutes 70 miles a day, never a complaint. I maintained his 2014 previously, and it never needed anything other than oil changes, front sway bar links, and a clutch. His new one is a 6-speed automatic and drives very nice. He averages around 38 MPG to boot, without any hybrid stuff to deal with. I think he paid around $15k out the door, fully loaded.
 
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Originally Posted by 14Accent
This might be a little on the "cheap" end, but my dad is on his second Hyundai Accent, and the '18 he bought is actually a LOT of car for the money. Sunroof, heated seats, 17" wheels, keyless entry and push-start, 7" touch screen audio with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. He's 6'3 and commutes 70 miles a day, never a complaint. I maintained his 2014 previously, and it never needed anything other than oil changes, front sway bar links, and a clutch. His new one is a 6-speed automatic and drives very nice. He averages around 38 MPG to boot, without any hybrid stuff to deal with. I think he paid around $15k out the door, fully loaded.

I am a huge fan of the Rio/Accent RB platform. As you'll see in my signature...but our Accent was totaled in a head-on collision when the other driver went over the double line oblivious to realty. Wife is recovering and is walking again but as you can imagine I'm shying away from another subcompact for that reason.

To be fair, the car performed like a champion and I am forever grateful - but also trying to up the comfort level this time around too.
 
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Originally Posted by NewEnglander
On the Avalon, I hear wonderfully comfortable - but is it too big and too thirsty?


Not really thirsty at all.

For Lexus quality and comfort at Camry price, it's really hard to beat an Avalon.
 
Originally Posted by 14Accent
This might be a little on the "cheap" end, but my dad is on his second Hyundai Accent.


All of my experiences with the Hyundai Accent have been positive.

For a "budget car", you do get a lot of value for the low cost.
 
My prius is not taking pot hole/ frost heave season too well.

It's otherwise a comfy car, WRT seats, driving position, etc.

But it suffers from the lesser suspension travel and tiny tires that also afflict many other small cars.
 
Corolla and Avalon are two very different vehicles. Econobox to luxury. I would have no issue driving my old 07 Corolla 2hrs per day plus and im 6ft6 over 300lbs. Avalon would def be more comfortable but depends on your needs etc. Test drive your choices and further narrow down your list. Whats your budget?

My father in law averages 38-40mpg in his 2018 corolla with the CVT.
 
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Originally Posted by Rolla07
Corolla and Avalon are two very different vehicles. Econobox to luxury. I would have no issue driving my old 07 Corolla 2hrs per day plus and im 6ft6 over 300lbs. Avalon would def be more comfortable but depends on your needs etc. Test drive your choices and further narrow down your list. Whats your budget?

I like to aim for 3-4 year old potentially off lease type cars. This time around 1-2 years is fine and older OK if lower mileage with a good track record.

Pretty open on budget though most of what I'm looking at falls in that 11-16K range.

On the Corolla any idea how the CVT has been holding up? There are 17's and 18's all over Hertz lots up this way at a superb rate.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27

The Honda hybrid system is also less complicated than Toyota's Rube Goldberg setup, so less pieces to fail.


I mean, you say that, but Toyota's system has proven to be outstandingly reliable over about 20 years of use and god even knows how many miles.

That the Prius is now very common in taxi service should serve as a good testament to the car's reliability. CR has rated it as the best, or near the best, for almost every year it's been sold, too.

That's not to say the Honda system is bad, but Toyota has more than proven their hybrid technology.
 
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If you're going for a VW get a Golf over a Jetta. I've owned both in MK4 flavour and am a city slicker. The Golf's minor size difference and better visibility will be more pronounced in a city car.
 
Originally Posted by NewEnglander
Originally Posted by Rolla07
Corolla and Avalon are two very different vehicles. Econobox to luxury. I would have no issue driving my old 07 Corolla 2hrs per day plus and im 6ft6 over 300lbs. Avalon would def be more comfortable but depends on your needs etc. Test drive your choices and further narrow down your list. Whats your budget?

I like to aim for 3-4 year old potentially off lease type cars. This time around 1-2 years is fine and older OK if lower mileage with a good track record.

Pretty open on budget though most of what I'm looking at falls in that 11-16K range.

On the Corolla any idea how the CVT has been holding up? There are 17's and 18's all over Hertz lots up this way at a superb rate.


CR hasn't reported any problems with the CVT worth worrying about. Toyota was ahead of the curve on that tech and I think they've got the bugs worked out.
 
Have a hyundai ioniq. Its been great. All kinds of options and added luxuries for 30k OTD. Have had 37,000 trouble free miles so far, getting 50-55 mpg.
 
For city driving, stick with a hatchback, crossover, wagon, or small SUV. Sedans lack a rear wiper which makes it nearly impossible to see out your back window when it is raining or snowing. Sedans clear their back windows easily at highway speeds but when you are stuck in stop and go traffic, a wiper is a very nice feature to have.

Can't go wrong with a Forester or Outback. Get a newer one with Eyesight, the system handles city traffic nicely.
 
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