Help me pick the ultimate Highway car.

Dan Wink said:

In reply to Loweguy5 :

Hmmm.  I'll try to get ahold of an impala for my next rental trip over to San Jose! Thanks @Peabody too!

I had 2 Impala's and rented a couple.  I agree they easily eat miles just make sure it's the V6 version.  

I did not realize there was a 2.5L 4cyl Impala. Probably the first time a 4 was offered in the long run of the model/name. 

Somehow I missed his response. Was about to say, judging by the conversation, I get the feeling he's just not an Impala kind of guy.

A lot of value in those later cars.

I will echo the Lexus LS sentiment, but LS430. I'd skip the 460...several Lexus tech buddies tell me there are multiple ECUs that  control various bits and when they go out, it's typically $2500+ each

In reply to pointofdeparture :

I was sitting here thinking that the time I rented a Prius back in 2017, I found it to be a pretty great highway car, but with some odd issues like the seats are kind of crappy and it was a bit bland/boring.  I figured the Lexus version would fix the seats and try to improve on the bland.  Unfortunate to hear that it didn't work.

The Prius was so much quieter on the highway than my SX4 with almost double the mpg's.  I rented a hybrid Fusion once and it wasn't too bad but I think the Prius was nicer in some respects like headroom.

Placemotorsports said:

In reply to Javelin :

car ADHD

What's that?

For a "highway" car where I need to be comfortable for tons and tons of miles, I don't like cars.  I like minivans.  I specifically like the Pentastar Mopars.  I've probably rented 25 of them.  There may be others.  The Hondas look sweet but I haven't driven one.

edit: While I prefer the vans, the 3.6 Impala punches over its weight.

Loweguy5 said:

I have spent my last 8 years working on the road and drive 30k per year just for work.  I've had several travel cars in that span of time and my favorite was a true surprise to me:  Impala.

Mine had the 3.6 which has over 300 hp and delivered far better performance than I expected.  It was comfortable and driven judiciously delivered nearly 30 mpg.

While it might not be the sexy choice you may well find yourself surprised at just how good it is relative to the cost.

Hehe.  That's a well kept secret.  

You want AWD with Donner Pass and winter. When they have chain controls you can cruise through.
 

New Subaru Legacy GT with 2.4 turbo maybe?  

Kia K5 AWD turbo?

Dan Wink said:

Turbine said:

I had a much more strict budget than you (sub 10k) and picked up a '12 Passat TDI for my 100 mile commute. In my eyes, it was the right tool for the job and has been extremely good to me. If I had your budget, I'd most likely be looking at an Audi A6 TDI if I were feeling responsible. The 3.0 v6 TDI is a fantastic engine. If I were feeling less responsible, probably a B8.5 S4. I'm a VW/Audi guy though 

Truly the A8 is where my heart goes and the LS is where my logical mind goes. I hear horror stories about A8 'issues' and the twin turbo V8 is terrifying (although the recall and extended warranty help).  A unicorn A8 TDI (or A6 TDI) is very appealing.  My research does say the TDI drivetrain appears to be pretty bulletproof- sounds like you agree?  BTW- I forgot to mention, I have had 5 GTI's and a Jetta TDI in the past, loved all of them.

Anecdotally, my Passat's been bulletproof. Nothing but routine maintenance (knock on wood). Like with most modern diesels, the emissions equipment seems to be responsible for most of the issues on the newer TDIs. These things love highway driving though, so your commute should keep it all happy.