longer commutes/vehicle purchases - how do you approach it?

[chiver78]

I went test driving yesterday, doing some research on what's out there now. lots of new models since I bought the Rocket 10 years ago. I'm going to have about an hour commute (~70 miles each way) and am trying to figure out which path to take with this purchase.

so yesterday I drove Kia Forte and a VW GTI Golf. I have more I want to test drive, but these two are enough to start this thread anyway.    I didn't love the Forte, but it would do the job. MSRP was about $18k for a stick. gets pretty good gas mileage, has enough trunk space for my hockey bag, and would be a practical purchase. but again, I didn't love it. I loved the GTI Golf in comparison. for such a little car, it has some balls! definitely could see myself driving that as a faily commuter - especially the diesel model that gets almost 45mpg. the MSRP on the GTI is almost $29k - way more than the Forte.

driving back from the dealerships with my friend, I thought aloud - why would I spend almost $30k on a new car that I'll be easily putting over 20k miles on each year. why not go with the Forte (or something else around the same price) and just drive that into the ground? pay it off in a couple years and then get something fun for everything BUT the daily commute? if I'm going with something fun, the Mini is coming back into consideration - also in the $28k range for a convertible (what I would prefer). or - why not keep the Rocket as long as she'll drive, use that for the daily commute and still get something fun. going that route, I could have "fun" be the GTI Golf with the awesome gas mileage that will be practical once the Rocket finally dies.

thoughts? sorry, I know I was kind of rambling there. those of you with longer commutes, how do you approach buying your vehicles?

[yogiii]

Honda Fit

[wvugurl26]

My work commute is 70 miles round trip. When all is said and done I'm just over 30k miles per year. I buy new and drive into the ground. I bought a Mazda 6 in February for $21k. It averages around 32 mpg on my daily commute and driving around for errands.

Those people I've known with VWs find them very high maintenance and the parts are insanely expensive. I had a 2014 Kia Optima as a rental for a week and I hated it. That thing was so uncomfortable. I do have neck/back issues from whiplash but damn it was just not comfy at all.

[The Captain]

You are going to be sitting on your ass in this car for about 2 hours each day.  From my point of view a test drive is not going to be long enough to find out if you are really comfortable in the seat.

I'm a little older than you, but BTDT and know physical comfort (for me at least) is more important in this case than looks.

I've rented cars for a day or two and taken them on long drives to get a real feel for how the car handles, seat feels (get good lumbar support!) etc.

If it were me I'd go for a comfortable used car that gets good mileage and then look for the "fun" car in a few years. 

For as much time as you are going to spend in that car, if you don't love it you will quickly come to hate it.

[chiver78]

I knew the new/used question was going to come up. I prefer a manual transmission, and I'm not buying a used one. that question aside, I'm looking at cars that hold their value well, and keeping it for a long time.

I definitely spent some time in both cars, messing around with the seat settings to see what I could do with them. I don't have back pain issues, but I do need to make sure whatever I buy has cruise control as an option (if not standard) b/c my right knee takes serious issue with long drives w/o cruise. as far as looks vs comfort, when I say "fun car" I mean fun to drive. I enjoy driving, which is why I'd even consider a long commute, but I don't want a boring old sedan. KWIM?    taking a rental car is a really good idea though, I might just do that.

wvu - I've got the Mazda 6 on my list to drive still. what trim did you get for that price, so I know what I'm looking at? I was hoping to keep the total price close to $20k if possible, which is why I probably should have just tested the base Golf instead of the GTI lol... oh well. I'm still a few months away from doing anything anyway, I'm not buying a car until I'm settled into my new place.

[Bonny]

Are you planning on moving closer to work when you sell your condo?

[yogiii]

seriously, look at a Fit.  I bought new for <18k, got the sport model (though now they have 4 diff trim levels I think).  It has almost 100k on it, just oil changes, haven't even changed the brakes yet, won't need a timing belt because it has a timing chain (score!), magic back seats that fold down flat (I've put a wheel barrow in there), currently has two carseats in it, one of them rear-facing(I know that probably doesn't concern you but whatevs).  I could go on and on.  I love my car!  70 mile round trip to work.

[milee]

The Rocket is an Acura, right?  If so, you might want to consider really looking hard at CR and other sources that track repair history for cars. If you're going from an Acura (very, very dependable) to a VW or Kia, I think you're in for a nasty surprise when it comes to repairs. Not as sure on the Mini, they seem to have hugely variable records - you either get a peach or a lemon with little in between. 

Also, what type of drive is that 70 miles? Stop and go traffic? Straight roads and/or slow speeds? Curvy roads and some high speed stretches? All that would play into what I wanted. Everybody's different, but if I have a driver's type fun car, it would be really frustrating to be stuck in stop and go traffic with it for 95% of the time.  At that point, I'd just go for simple and comfy. But if there was a regular chance to open it up and have some fun, might be worth it to get a fun driver.

[Blonde Granny]

WV girl mentioned repair etc. on the VW. We have 2 Mercedes and the oil change day on each one runs about $250. And parts?? don't even get me going on how much something little costs. I don't know if VW is similar, but it's something you need to ask about.

And I'd 2nd a Honda Fit.

[The Captain]

Oct 14, 2014 9:18:56 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I knew the new/used question was going to come up. I prefer a manual transmission, and I'm not buying a used one. that question aside, I'm looking at cars that hold their value well, and keeping it for a long time.

I prefer manual as well.  BUT - driving a stick sucks major time in stop and go traffic (what we have here in Chicago).  As long as your commute doesn't involve a lot of traffic you're good, but even I got tired of driving a stick in rush hour. 

[chiver78]

Oct 14, 2014 9:20:51 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Are you planning on moving closer to work when you sell your condo?

my condo is 6 miles from work, so no.

[Opti]

For a long commute I'd look for reliable and something I will like

in most weather conditions and is fun enough. I'd stay away from

an VW's unless Consumer Reports say they are much better than

average in reliability.

Most VWs are less reliable than BMWs and Audis, and while they do cost

less than the premium brands to repair, I think its only worth it if you

really love the car and/or you have a shorter commute than average.

Mazda 6 has pretty high ratings from the I'll buy it again crowd according

to a January Consumer Reports magazine I checked out recently. The Tesla

and the Porsche Boxster beat it out, but the price of buying those two are

enough ... even used on the Boxster actually.

I'd check out Subarus and similar too. In the winter, that is going to be

much more than an hour commute. You might average 3 to 4 hours driving.

[Ryan]

Oct 14, 2014 9:24:27 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:20:51 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Are you planning on moving closer to work when you sell your condo?

my condo is 6 miles from work, so no.

You're moving 70 miles away from work?  

[wvugurl26]

I got the Sport trim chiver. It's the lowest level but it came with Bluetooth which was one of my few must haves. I looked at several dealers in a couple hundred mile radius to find one that didn't have a bunch of options on it. It does also have cruise control. I wasn't ready to buy a car this year but mine was totaled in February so I had no choice. I wanted something bigger than the Subaru Impreza I had before, good gas mileage, Bluetooth and as close to $20k as possible.

I wouldn't buy the Fit but I'm not a fan of small cars. I test drove a Civic and didn't like it.

[chiver78]

I'm definitely looking at repair costs too. the Rocket is an Acura, which is very reliable. I don't think I've had any repairs that weren't normal wear and tear, other than body work after getting hit. I've said many times that in an ideal world, I'd be buying new Rockets until the end of time.....but they don't make the RSX anymore.

one of my hockey teammates has a Fit - so I know my bag would fit in the trunk. I'm pretty sure it's too small for my skis, though. how is the pickup on it? honestly this thread wasn't so much looking for specific recommendations as more of a "how do you balance what you want vs. what is practical?" sort of question.

if today is any indication of what a normal drive would be (I know I need a larger sample size than just 1 day) then my drive is going to be mostly open highway. I hit a couple pockets of slower traffic, and no stop and go until the last 5 miles once I got off the highway. I can't avoid that last 5 miles, but it's always miserable in the mornings. one of the reasons I'm not buying until I'm settled in is that I want to make sure I know what sort of drive I'll have - what time I'll have to leave to encounter the best traffic for that route, etc.

[Deleted]

Oct 14, 2014 9:22:35 GMT -5 yogiii said:

seriously, look at a Fit.  I bought new for <18k, got the sport model (though now they have 4 diff trim levels I think).  It has almost 100k on it, just oil changes, haven't even changed the brakes yet, won't need a timing belt because it has a timing chain (score!), magic back seats that fold down flat (I've put a wheel barrow in there), currently has two carseats in it, one of them rear-facing(I know that probably doesn't concern you but whatevs).  I could go on and on.  I love my car!  70 mile round trip to work.

I must have the worst luck in the world.  already did the brakes on DS1's 2011 Fit - not even at 50K miles yet. 

don't you have to replace the timing chain?

[chiver78]

Oct 14, 2014 9:27:22 GMT -5 Ryan said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:24:27 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

my condo is 6 miles from work, so no.

You're moving 70 miles away from work?  

yup. the only thing keeping me where I was, was work. I will be working from home one day a week regularly, and more as needed. as long as I have a network connection, I can do my job from anywhere.

[wvugurl26]

Oct 14, 2014 9:31:51 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:22:35 GMT -5 yogiii said:

seriously, look at a Fit.  I bought new for <18k, got the sport model (though now they have 4 diff trim levels I think).  It has almost 100k on it, just oil changes, haven't even changed the brakes yet, won't need a timing belt because it has a timing chain (score!), magic back seats that fold down flat (I've put a wheel barrow in there), currently has two carseats in it, one of them rear-facing(I know that probably doesn't concern you but whatevs).  I could go on and on.  I love my car!  70 mile round trip to work.

I must have the worst luck in the world.  already did the brakes on DS1's 2011 Fit - not even at 50K miles yet. 

don't you have to replace the timing chain?

I'm guessing he drives in more stop and go traffic than the other poster?

[Deleted]

Oct 14, 2014 9:31:00 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I'm definitely looking at repair costs too. the Rocket is an Acura, which is very reliable. I don't think I've had any repairs that weren't normal wear and tear, other than body work after getting hit. I've said many times that in an ideal world, I'd be buying new Rockets until the end of time.....but they don't make the RSX anymore.

one of my hockey teammates has a Fit - so I know my bag would fit in the trunk. I'm pretty sure it's too small for my skis, though. how is the pickup on it? honestly this thread wasn't so much looking for specific recommendations as more of a "how do you balance what you want vs. what is practical?" sort of question.

if today is any indication of what a normal drive would be (I know I need a larger sample size than just 1 day) then my drive is going to be mostly open highway. I hit a couple pockets of slower traffic, and no stop and go until the last 5 miles once I got off the highway. I can't avoid that last 5 miles, but it's always miserable in the mornings. one of the reasons I'm not buying until I'm settled in is that I want to make sure I know what sort of drive I'll have - what time I'll have to leave to encounter the best traffic for that route, etc.

if you're looking for pick-up, you need to go with a 6-cylinder.

[Deleted]

Oct 14, 2014 9:33:38 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:31:51 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

I must have the worst luck in the world.  already did the brakes on DS1's 2011 Fit - not even at 50K miles yet. 

don't you have to replace the timing chain?

I'm guessing he drives in more stop and go traffic than the other poster?

well we bought the car with 33k miles and he's only put about 10k on it in the past year....I still think it's just bad luck LOL  same as when the transmission on my accord blew.

[chiver78]

Oct 14, 2014 9:34:33 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:31:00 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I'm definitely looking at repair costs too. the Rocket is an Acura, which is very reliable. I don't think I've had any repairs that weren't normal wear and tear, other than body work after getting hit. I've said many times that in an ideal world, I'd be buying new Rockets until the end of time.....but they don't make the RSX anymore.

one of my hockey teammates has a Fit - so I know my bag would fit in the trunk. I'm pretty sure it's too small for my skis, though. how is the pickup on it? honestly this thread wasn't so much looking for specific recommendations as more of a "how do you balance what you want vs. what is practical?" sort of question.

if today is any indication of what a normal drive would be (I know I need a larger sample size than just 1 day) then my drive is going to be mostly open highway. I hit a couple pockets of slower traffic, and no stop and go until the last 5 miles once I got off the highway. I can't avoid that last 5 miles, but it's always miserable in the mornings. one of the reasons I'm not buying until I'm settled in is that I want to make sure I know what sort of drive I'll have - what time I'll have to leave to encounter the best traffic for that route, etc.

if you're looking for pick-up, you need to go with a 6-cylinder.

not necessarily. my RSX is a 4, so was the GTI. neither is what I would call a slouch.

[yogiii]

Oct 14, 2014 9:31:00 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I'm definitely looking at repair costs too. the Rocket is an Acura, which is very reliable. I don't think I've had any repairs that weren't normal wear and tear, other than body work after getting hit. I've said many times that in an ideal world, I'd be buying new Rockets until the end of time.....but they don't make the RSX anymore.

one of my hockey teammates has a Fit - so I know my bag would fit in the trunk. I'm pretty sure it's too small for my skis, though. how is the pickup on it? honestly this thread wasn't so much looking for specific recommendations as more of a "how do you balance what you want vs. what is practical?" sort of question.

if today is any indication of what a normal drive would be (I know I need a larger sample size than just 1 day) then my drive is going to be mostly open highway. I hit a couple pockets of slower traffic, and no stop and go until the last 5 miles once I got off the highway. I can't avoid that last 5 miles, but it's always miserable in the mornings. one of the reasons I'm not buying until I'm settled in is that I want to make sure I know what sort of drive I'll have - what time I'll have to leave to encounter the best traffic for that route, etc.

I think the pick up is fine. I'm going on and off 93 all day and don't have any problems. My DH was used to a V6 Jetta, so at first he thought it was a little wimpy but he's used to it now. They used to advertise that you could fit a surfboard in it by folding down the right back seat and the front passenger seat. So you could probably fit skis in that way if you're travelling solo or with a passenger in the back driver side.

[Bonny]

Oct 14, 2014 9:24:27 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:20:51 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Are you planning on moving closer to work when you sell your condo?

my condo is 6 miles from work, so no.

I'm confused (not that it takes much ). How is your commute 35 each way if you live 6 miles from work?

[chiver78]

Oct 14, 2014 9:29:18 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

I got the Sport trim chiver. It's the lowest level but it came with Bluetooth which was one of my few must haves. I looked at several dealers in a couple hundred mile radius to find one that didn't have a bunch of options on it. It does also have cruise control. I wasn't ready to buy a car this year but mine was totaled in February so I had no choice. I wanted something bigger than the Subaru Impreza I had before, good gas mileage, Bluetooth and as close to $20k as possible.

I wouldn't buy the Fit but I'm not a fan of small cars. I test drove a Civic and didn't like it.

I love small cars, but the Fit seems a little too small for my taste. unless it's a little two seater like a Miata (read: fun) I want a little more room than the Fit. my friend opted to stay at the dealership for the GTI test drive, b/c the one we took out was a 2-door. I'd probably go 4-door if I went the GTI route. we'll see.

I also don't need all the bells and whistles. both dealers yesterday were baffled that I said I'd actually prefer a car without a huge GPS display taking up the whole dashboard. I don't need one, it's just a waste of space IMHO.

[Ryan]

Oct 14, 2014 9:32:17 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:27:22 GMT -5 Ryan said:

You're moving 70 miles away from work?  

yup. the only thing keeping me where I was, was work. I will be working from home one day a week regularly, and more as needed. as long as I have a network connection, I can do my job from anywhere.

That is a LONG DRIVE.  I can't imagine going from a short commute to driving 70 miles ONE WAY to work.  Holy smokes.

[justme]

Does the Elantra come in stick? Hyandai owns Kia, but when I was test driving 4 years ago I liked the Hyandais a lot better. Especially when it came to the seat, much more comfortable. The dash/electronics was almost identical between the two. 

[chiver78]

Oct 14, 2014 9:40:15 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:24:27 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

my condo is 6 miles from work, so no.

I'm confused (not that it takes much ). How is your commute 35 each way if you live 6 miles from work?

the condo I'm selling (closing tomorrow) is 6 miles from work. I will be buying a small house about 70 miles from work, in a location where I spend most of my time outside of work.

[Bonny]

Oct 14, 2014 9:42:49 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 14, 2014 9:40:15 GMT -5 Bonny said:

I'm confused (not that it takes much ). How is your commute 35 each way if you live 6 miles from work?

the condo I'm selling (closing tomorrow) is 6 miles from work. I will be buying a small house about 70 miles from work, in a location where I spend most of my time outside of work.

IIRC you're moving to the coast? Is your job in downtown Boston? If so isn't there a ferry or train option?

[chiver78]

not sure if the Elantra comes in a stick. I had an automatic as a rental a few years back and wasn't really a fan. I wouldn't rule out giving it another shot to see if things have improved though. thanks for the suggestion

Bonny - yup, moving to the coast/Cape Cod. my job is inland, about 40 minutes straight west from Boston with no traffic. my commute in would be straight up the outer ring highway for all but the last 5 miles(ish? from the highway)

[Deleted]

as far as how I approach a vehicle purchase, I just buy what I like that fits my needs (kids mainly)