Daily commuter needed

Scrfn73

Scrfn73

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Norfolk, VA
First Name
Jeremy
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Bailey
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What is your daily driver / commuter? Anything that gets better gas mileage than my 2005 V8 4Runner.

My son is getting ready to get his permit, and I could also use a daily commuter.

Requirements:
Better mpg, 30+ hwy would be nice
Less than 50k miles
Newer than 2017

Have recently test driven these:
2019 Mini Countryman
2021 Subaru Outback
2018 Mazda 3

What else should I consider?
 

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I'm a Mazda Stan...

Loved my 2015 CX-5 I bought new when we only had one kid, but traded it in when the used car market was high on a new Explorer. That AWD 2.5 CX-5 crossover would get 31 on the highway if I babied it, the 3 and 6 can definitely do better.

I ended up buying a 2010 Mazda 6 for my newest daily. You can also get a manual transmission in the 3 and 6 if you're into that.
 
Honda fit, Toyota corolla of ANY year, the outback will be better than low 20s if it's a newer one. The brand new model gets 37 on highway 31-32 in town. My son has a 2007 Toyota corolla and it goes forever on a tank of gas.
 
My best MPG commuter is a 2014 Mustang V6 with the 6-speed. It gets 20-22 around town and 29-30 on the highway. I don't think I would put a new driver behind the wheel though.

My normal commuter is my H3T. Worse fuel economy but easier to live with in traffic.

Of the cars you posted, I would lean toward the Mazda 3. Good fuel economy, reliable, and is easily repaired when problems do happen. You can also pick them up pretty cheap on the used market.
 
I was eying a newer cr-v that fit basically the same criteria, just with an awd option. 31-32 on the highway supposedly. might be worth looking at. hertz sells rental cars for a reasonable price and i've seen some cr-v's on there that are awd.
 
Is there a specific reason for 2017 or newer? I just sold a 2013 Hyundai Veloster and it was flawless the whole time I had it. I remember the gas milage being good but you'll have to check. Are you passing the 4Runner down? That's good, I remember my 1st car in high school took premium at over $4 a gallon in 2006-2008. That inflates to over $6 in today's money. Good lesson to learn as a kid.

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Thank you for all the feedback. I ended up getting this Mini Countryman. My son can learn to drive on this and the T4R, and his mom has a Rav 4 he’ll end up with once he gets his license.
 

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JersT4R said:
What is your daily driver / commuter? Anything that gets better gas mileage than my 2005 V8 4Runner.

My son is getting ready to get his permit, and I could also use a daily commuter.

Requirements:
Better mpg, 30+ hwy would be nice
Less than 50k miles
Newer than 2017

Have recently test driven these:
2019 Mini Countryman
2021 Subaru Outback
2018 Mazda 3

What else should I consider?
Click to expand...

Minis routinely rank as the absolute least reliable vehicles made. An outback will NEVER see 30mpg. So of that list, the Mazda 3 is the only real option for your criteria. What is your budget? What is your commute like? I had a trio of 2020 Honda Civic hatchbacks (2 were EXs, one was a Sport) and they were great cars. They can legit knock down upper 30s MPG freeway and if driven like an adult they'd do 30 mixed use. All Hondas for a few years at that point had "Honda Sense" which includes lane-keep and adaptive cruise, really nice if you have a longer highway commute. The hatch actually had a ton of space too. I used one for a long freeway commute in Bay Area, CA traffic (well, between Lincoln CA, above Sacramento to Palo Alto in the Bay). My ex used hers around-town for a home cleaning business (hatch space was great for all the equipment/products) and the 3rd was for a 16 year old new driver (ex's younger brother we took care of). The vehicles excelled at all 3 tasks. Really, they did everything well besides being interesting or visually appealing.

-TJ
 
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