Best Sub $25K long distance commuter

As title states, I'm currently contemplating a replacement DD. I've done the super efficient small hatchback thing for a lot of years, and I'm looking for something more grown up and plush, without giving up much on fuel usage. My current DD is a '99.5 Golf TDI and my lifetime average consumption is ~46MPG. The replacement would be left stock for a plush ride, with the exception of a 2nd set of wheels/tires for winter.

Current usage: 40K per year (~150 miles/day)

Priorities: 1) Comfort 2) Efficiency 3) 4 seats 4) Presentable (occasional client visits)

Budget: $25K tops

Considering: 1) '12+ Passat TDI manual ...knock down honest 40+ highway mpg, manual trans, room to stretch out., good reviews for seat comfort and ride quality

2) Jetta SportWagon TDI ...seems the Passat would be nicer to drive in a straight line, and I'm not a huge fan of the Jetta styling.

3) Audi A3 TDI ...great mileage, no manual trans option. Always considered these kind of an overpriced Golf.

4) BMW 335D ...worse mileage than any of the VW/Audi offerings... but mmmm torque. downside, only automatic trans, and likely low 30's mpg on pricey diesel fuel.

5) Keep driving my Golf TDI and wait for the new GTD, supposedly being released as a '15 model. 4 doors, stick shift, some fun factor stock.

6) Do any mid size gassers actually get high 30's mpg's at 80mph? I wouldn't mind something that eats 87 octane if it didn't feel like a penalty box, and boasted comparable fuel consumption costs to a 40mpg diesel. I occasionally drive my wife's Volvo V50 T5, and can get like 28mpg if I keep it below 70mph... but if I drive it like "normal" at 80-85, it only gets 22-23 mpg. My driving is almost all wide open interstate, so something that can knock down quality mpg's with the cruise set at 80mph is ideal.

When I read the thread title I immediately thought late-model Passat TDI... but since you already have a Golf TDI, my vote is to keep it until it falls apart.

Fiat 500?

xflowgolf wrote: 6) Do any mid size gassers actually get high 30's mpg's at 80mph? I wouldn't mind something that eats 87 octane if it didn't feel like a penalty box, and boasted comparable fuel consumption costs to a 40mpg diesel. I occasionally drive my wife's Volvo V50 T5, and can get like 28mpg if I keep it below 70mph... but if I drive it like "normal" at 80-85, it only gets 22-23 mpg. My driving is almost all wide open interstate, so something that can knock down quality mpg's with the cruise set at 80mph is ideal.

What kind of mileage to Camry's get? Fusion Hybrid is probably up there, don't know where the prices are.

2200 mile round trip, about 98% highway time, I pulled 36.6 mpg in a rented Focus sedan. Sat in a rental Focus hatch with leather seats and the fancier stereo etc stuff the week before and preferred it for the better adjustments for the seats and I think nicer steering wheel. Would not call it a penalty box at all, pretty quiet on the highway, decently quick on the street, not a big fan of the controls like the intermittent wiper control wheel, you'd have to use it to see what I mean.

I was going to suggest a Mazda3 5 door with a MT and Skyactive-G. Fun to drive and 39 mpg highway eats regular as far as I know. I'm sort of biased in the Mazda direction and it doesn't hurt they're offering 0% financing new right now...

Second the Mazda3... I got 39mpg in mine at 80mph on a road trip last year, although it went down again when I hit the Colorado front range. However, the back seat is not very big at all.

Nowhere near the others in terms of FE, but I lerved the heated leather in the TL.

I'd say berkeley the mileage and get a solid 27mpg from an E46 M3. Because practicality is mindnumbing. It is for the sort of people who use the radio to tune out the wail from the exhaust. The kind of people who never take an onramp at 100. They are the enemy of fun. Hell, if it wasn't for the four passenger requirement I would have said Elise.

• I would avoid any late model VAG products because I once owned a late model VAG product. It was only stimulating if you count towing as a stimulus.

Lease? Another TDI. Purchase? Hyundai Elantra.

The second awnser, an E30. Specifically, a 325e. If you're looking for something newer, a Ford Focus or Mazda 3 would fit the bill. Recently, I had a 2013 Chevy Malibu (4 cylinder) rental and at 70-75mph it only got 29mpg even though I locked the transmission in sixth gear, inflated the tires 2psi over the recommended pressure, turned the AC compressor off and didn't touch the brakes once (this was on a rural highway). Needless to say, I was very disappointed.

nderwater wrote: When I read the thread title I immediately thought late-model Passat TDI... but since you already have a Golf TDI, my vote is to keep it until it falls apart.

Well that was my general game plan. At 240K it just blew out the differential in the trans. I found another trans and am bolting it in this week, but it's not exactly a spring chicken. Last week the alternator went out as well leaving me stranded at work.

The other downsides is that the clear coat has failed on every horizontal surface, headliner is falling in, and it has bumps/dings/scratches on virtually every panel.

At this point in time, with the timing belt done, fresh trans/clutch, it's ready to soldier on for lots of miles, but it's not really looking the part for my suit/tie job with it's crap paint, splintered bumpers, etc.

I'm thinking now may be a good time to pedal it, as it's a great commuting tool for someone that doesn't care what it looks like, and it still has a good bit of life left. TDI's still have kind of silly resale values, and 2-door Golfs are hard to find, so I can likely get solid money out of it given all the work it's done for me.

pres589 wrote: 2200 mile round trip, about 98% highway time, I pulled 36.6 mpg in a rented Focus sedan. Sat in a rental Focus hatch with leather seats and the fancier stereo etc stuff the week before and preferred it for the better adjustments for the seats and I think nicer steering wheel.

New Focus is nice, but I think I'd rather have the size/posture of the Passat, given there's no efficiency penalty for it's size. I'm 6'2" 220lbs, and have 2 kids to cart around from time to time.

The0retical wrote: I was going to suggest a Mazda3 5 door with a MT and Skyactive-G. Fun to drive and 39 mpg highway eats regular as far as I know. I'm sort of biased in the Mazda direction and it doesn't hurt they're offering 0% financing new right now...

Interesting. I didn't know those did so well on the highway. I could give that a shot as well.

I should probably add that this car will be strictly a mileage collector. i.e. no intentions of autocrossing/trackdays/etc. That will be done with the Rabbit.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'd say berkeley the mileage and get a solid 27mpg from an E46 M3. Because practicality is mindnumbing. It is for the sort of people who use the radio to tune out the wail from the exhaust. The kind of people who never take an onramp at 100. They are the enemy of fun. Hell, if it wasn't for the four passenger requirement I would have said Elise. * I would avoid any late model VAG products because I once owned a late model VAG product. It was only stimulating if you count towing as a stimulus.

While I generally used to think that way, after spending 6+ years on the road at 2+ hours per day, I've come to appreciate the value of something that gives a bit of luxury on the road. 150+ miles/day is a lot of TIME spent on the road. 99% of which is spent with the cruise on driving fairly mindlessly in a straight line. Plus, Michigan roads aren't the smoothest, so stiff suspension is just spine jouncing pointlessness, which I'm currently growing tired of in my Koni coilover equipped Golf.

Secondly, the price penalty is substantial for that 2% opportunity to open it up on an on ramp. A 27mpg car sucking down 93 octane at $4/gallon vs. a 40mpg car sucking down $4/gallon diesel is a difference of almost $2,000 every year when you're clocking close to 40K miles annually. At this point in my life, that's real money. $2K buys a lot of track time, tires, and gas for the real track car, while giving me a quiet, comfy, 2+ hours per day in a generally comfortable place.

Fusion hybrid? New, they start at $27k, but perhaps you could find one lightly used for a few $k less.

In reply to xflowgolf:

I'm 6'4" and comfort isn't an issue as long as you can control the tilt on the seat bottom. The better seats have it, I believe.

I drove a 2.5 Passat last week...I am 6'6" and 235. It was very comfortable and the dynamics were good. I am thinking about one...would like to drive the TDI, but they have 0.0 APR on the gas cars, not to mention the $ premium of the TDI.

xflowgolf wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'd say berkeley the mileage and get a solid 27mpg from an E46 M3. Because practicality is mindnumbing. It is for the sort of people who use the radio to tune out the wail from the exhaust. The kind of people who never take an onramp at 100. They are the enemy of fun. Hell, if it wasn't for the four passenger requirement I would have said Elise. * I would avoid any late model VAG products because I once owned a late model VAG product. It was only stimulating if you count towing as a stimulus.

While I generally used to think that way, after spending 6+ years on the road at 2+ hours per day, I've come to appreciate the value of something that gives a bit of luxury on the road. 150+ miles/day is a lot of TIME spent on the road. 99% of which is spent with the cruise on driving fairly mindlessly in a straight line. Plus, Michigan roads aren't the smoothest, so stiff suspension is just spine jouncing pointlessness, which I'm currently growing tired of in my Koni coilover equipped Golf. Secondly, the price penalty is substantial for that 2% opportunity to open it up on an on ramp. A 27mpg car sucking down 93 octane at $4/gallon vs. a 40mpg car sucking down $4/gallon diesel is a difference of almost $2,000 every year when you're clocking close to 40K miles annually. At this point in my life, that's real money. $2K buys a lot of track time, tires, and gas for the real track car, while giving me a quiet, comfy, 2+ hours per day in a generally comfortable place.

I tend to think the same way as GPS, but that's probably because I drive 5 miles going to out of town autocrosses for every mile I drive getting to work. The Volvo S60R/V70R offers a pretty compelling combo of supremely comfortable highway road-devouring, along with the ability to have a little fun when the road demands it. I get 29-30 MPG on extended highway runs (and 16 MPG driving it a couple miles at a time in a congested area like I do all week, LOL).

A friend of mine has a 65 mile (each way!) commute, and drives a 2010 Jetta TDI Cup Edition. He might just be doing it right. He says he gets right around 50MPG on his commute, and he dominates H-Stock with it in the local autocross club on the weekends. Plus it has one of those cool plaid interiors!

I wouldn't do the Fusion unless they revised the new ones suspension. We have a full load awd model (not a sport though), and while the suspension is good and "mostly" supple, it still doesn't not ride like a european car.

Really, IMO, there is still to this day a difference between the way American, European, and Asian cars handle/ride. I find European cars to have a feeling I like (firm but supple), and when American manufacturers try to mimic it, they get 95% of the way there, but the slight extra "harshness" that is always built into the American cars ruins it for me.

Asian cars are by far the most comfy (sans expensive luxury european brands), but sometimes their seats are hell. This is my two cents. Considering you said it was mostly highway mileage, that means not much rowing of gears, and to make your commute easier on you, hard to go wrong with an automatic tied to a diesel. A3 tdi seems to win this in my mind.

My Grand Marquis got 26mpg all day long, YMMV.

I'm in the same situation, 140 miles a day on mind numbing lay flat boring roads.

I keep coming back to the Mazda 3 skyactive as the answer to the next car question

Don't overlook the Hyundai Elantra.

Honest 40 mpg, with the largest interior space of any car in it's class.

I rode in (and drove) one recently for a 5 hour trip (manual trans). Very impressive.

Comfortable cabin, plenty of leg and head room in the back, nimble handling. Drive by wire throttle AND steering- extremely responsive. The only thing it didn't have was passing power. I could learn to live without that for 150 mile per day commute.

You can buy a brand new one for $18K.

I hate to be the first to say it, but that requirements list almost screams Prius.

xflowgolf wrote: Well that was my general game plan. At 240K it just blew out the differential in the trans. I found another trans and am bolting it in this week, but it's not exactly a spring chicken. Last week the alternator went out as well leaving me stranded at work. The other downsides is that the clear coat has failed on every horizontal surface, headliner is falling in, and it has bumps/dings/scratches on virtually every panel. .

Yup, sounds like you're well into the 'until it falls apart' zone. Have fun shopping!

eastsidemav wrote: I hate to be the first to say it, but that requirements list almost screams Prius.

I have to agree, but I still would prefer to drive a Passat.

Optima/Sonata. mid 30's at speed, large, comfy, quiet and both have good looks.