Need Recomendation for Vehicle for long commutes

tbuonger

Would love everyone's advice:

Looking for a new vehicle. Just got a new job. New commute is 140-miles round trip (crazy right?), but money is good. Currently driving a 06 Honda Accord with 106K miles. Was looking to drive the accord into the ground, but with the threat of tariffs and the attractive financing out there, I was considering buying a car now.

I'm looking for a recommendation for a coupe or small SUV that is fun to drive (spending a lot of time in the car), but that is economical.

Should I buy a new car or a used car, considering the commutes is going to greatly accelerate the depreciation? I'm open to all insight!

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

kyfdx

First.. I wouldn't buy a new car because of tariffs.
Second.. I like your plan to drive the Accord into the ground. 106K miles on an '06? Just getting it broke in.

At 700 miles a week, nothing will remain "new" for long..

Mr_Shiftright

Well you did say "fun" so I'd suggest the Mazda CX-3 if it's big enough, or if not, the CX-5. If you're going to get rid of a perfectly good '06 Accord, then one of the few justifications for that would be getting a more modern car with niceties like Car Play, backup camera, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and probably better MPG. But I wouldn't trade the '06 unless you really got many of these new features in your new car. To buy a new "stripped down" model of anything seems more like a sideways move than a step up.

As for tariffs on imported cars, this isn't a reality, this is a twitter comment. I wouldn't base any significant financial decisions like this on rumors.

texases

You won't get great mpgs with a compact SUV, so if mpgs are a high priority how about a Civic? Must be all highway miles, so a hybrid wouldn't be worth it.
But the smart $$ move is to drive the Accord. Maybe get a new set of shocks/struts and tires to improve the ride.

Michaell

texases said:

You won't get great mpgs with a compact SUV, so if mpgs are a high priority how about a Civic? Must be all highway miles, so a hybrid wouldn't be worth it.
But the smart $$ move is to drive the Accord. Maybe get a new set of shocks/struts and tires to improve the ride.

I endorse that plan, and perhaps an upgrade to the stereo equipment to get the latest features.

Figure maybe $2000 or so in upgrades, and you've got a car that will last you another 2 or 3 years, at 35,000 miles per year.

Then, when the time is right, find another 2-3 year old Accord for 50% off MSRP and repeat the process. Buying a new car that will depreciate that rapidly due to the miles just doesn't make sense.