Recommendations for Long Commutes
I've been researching ideal cars for my commute and it's tough because there's so many competing tradeoffs (e.g., small car w/ good gas mileage vs. larger car that's more comfortable). Another big tradeoff is since I spend so much time in the car, I'd like to buy something nicer, but putting 40k miles a year, I don't want something "too expensive" that I'd be depreciating rather quickly. I was hoping the Edmunds community might have some suggestions.
My commute is about 75 miles each way. I rarely have to touch the breaks the whole trip (most of the trip is 75 mph). Due to the amount of miles I'm putting on, reliability is another key factor.
Right now I have a 2010 Jetta TDI with 140k miles. I have no major complaints, but at high speeds there's a reasonable about of road/wind noise and it's hard to use the Bluetooth. Also while it's reasonable comfortable, I could use some more room/comfort in the driver seat.
Although mpgs are important, I'm willing to sacrifice a few for comfort (although I can't go back to my 23mpg F150!).
The A6 TDI would be awesome if it wasn't so expensive. I'm looking for something probably south of 40k. Ideally it'd drive me to work while I nap, but I know we're not quite there!
Any suggestions?
Comments
If you've been happy otherwise with your Jetta, maybe try a Passat on for size?
I like the Passat TDI suggestion. If you want to try something a little bit different, maybe check out the 2014 Mazda6. It gets pretty great mileage for a gasoline engine (rated 29/38), and the reviews are quite strong. Also, the 2014 Accord Hybrid could be a good choice.
Thanks for the suggestions. Hadn't looked at the 6, but that deserves a test drive. Others in that could have promise would be the Altima and the Focus. I really like the Passat..the diesels seem to get better real world MPGs at highway speeds than the stickers suggest over gas numbers. I wish the Passat had some of the features of it's competitors (esp. adaptive cruise control).