Hi guys.

I've been doing a much longer commute for the past 6 months and continuing to put 1000 km per week on the X5 and 750 simply needs to stop....lol.

We've decided to pick up a third vehicle that can take on the commuting mileage (90% highway miles, fwiw). Right now I'm torn between something that is fun/reliable/reasonable priced vs. purely practical/reliable. I have read many of the threads that I could find over the past year but would appreciate some more feedback. I will test drive most if not all of them this weekend.

The first set of cars that I'm leaning towards include the Lexus CT, FR-S/BRZ, STi and A3.

Obviously, the CT would have the best mileage and most luxury. Our experience, overall, with our RX and IS F definitely draws us back towards Lexus. I am concerned about the lack of power but the excellent gas mileage may be enough to offset this.

The FR-S/BRZ sounds like it's a ton of fun to drive, while still getting reasonable gas mileage and (hopefully?) typically Toyota reliable. Rear wheel drive wouldn't be as optimal in heavy snowfall I imagine, but I could always take the X5 when it gets especially bad (like todays foot...lol).

The STi would likely be the most fun to drive. The 6-speed appeals greatly to me but the wife is unable to drive one and apparently isn't interested in learning. It would also have the most interior room, especially if we went with the sedan.

The A3 seems like it would be the obvious choice for what we are used to driving....BUT....Audi's reliability concerns me (yes...a BMW guy scared of reliability....lol ). We'd likely opt for the diesel as we have been very happy with the driving characteristics of our ML and X5 diesels. Only downside would be I'm guessing the Audi clean diesel is no better equipped than the MB or BMW versions that have issues when we get to -30 C.

The practical side of me (ie. the wife) also thinks that something cheaper and known to be reliable would be a "smarter" choice. This would bring the Civic Hybrid, Camry Hybrid and Prius into the discussion.

The Civic is by far the cheapest option of all the cars being discussed here but I'm not sure I can bring myself to drive the car I swear at the most on the roads.

Both the Camry and Prius would be solid alternatives but, fully loaded, they're not really any cheaper than the more entertaining cars that I'm leaning towards.

Anyways, those are my initial thoughts without having been in any of these cars yet. I'm sure I'll have a much better impression after the weekend, but I would greatly appreciate the feedback from anyone who has personal experience with these vehicles or anyone who knows of any outstanding/consistent issues with them as well. If there's anything else out there that I haven't discussed please feel free to throw out other options as I'm really not set on anything at this point.

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

Go save yourself a ton of $$$$ and buy something USED, but not USED UP. You're going to drive yourself nuts driving a sports car 600 miles a week on straight interstate, so I'd immediately rule out something that rides rough like the Subie/Scion twins, WRX Sti, etc.

Go find some granny, or her heirs(RIP) selling her old Avalon. I'm fond of the 2nd gen models, 2000-04. That is a car with a nice seat, smooth ride, dead quiet, and gets 30mpg highway with a limo like back seat and enough trunk space to stuff 3 bodies. A NICE, low mile example should set you back $6-8k. Our family has a 2000 model with 225k miles on it, runs like a champ, drives like a champ without a single suspension part replaced, cosmetically its cleaner than most people's 3-4 year old car. I'd say its like a Lexus ES300 with more room and fake wood trim instead of real wood trim.

 

If the AWD Mitsubishi Evo is still available in Canada, check out the MR version.....it competes very closely with the STi in a number of ways. But, unlike the STi and WRX, MR-spec Evos offer a 6-speed automatic twin-clutch transmission that your wife could probably handle. She might not like the ride, though.....Evos, even more so than the STi, have a reputation for being quite harsh over bumps. Also, for Canada, you may have to invest in a set of more winter-suitable tires.....though AWD, standard STi/WRX and Evo rubber is not particularly well-suited to bad-weather driving conditions.

 

FR-S / BR-Z are having some issues in their first model year (hard cold start).

Audi reliability is hit or miss at best.

As for CT vs. STi, there is no comparison. STi all day.

 

The CT definitely will yield a better MPG during your interstate travel. If you prefer something that you and your wife are going to utilize, as well as gets good gas mileage and has ample space, I would also consider a Hyundai Sonata or the Toyota Camry or Avalon. I have an '11 Avalon myself, and it is such a smooth buttery ride- perfect for long road travel whether work or leisure. And having driven the Sonata SE, it's a smooth ride as well and has plenty of space. The redesign of the Avalon looks tremendous both inside and out, I might add.

Best of luck!

 

I think the newest gen Camry Hybrids have a surprising amount of pep/power and improved dynamics (still not a RWD BMW though). Would also be more comfortable than the CT would be. And you could realistically have people sit in the back seats if that need ever came up. This would be tough in the CT.

VW Passat Diesels are also getting some amazing MPG's, and would have slightly better driving dynamics, and way more torque. VW's diesels have been pretty solid in terms of reliability.

 

Thanks everyone for contributing, keep it coming.


I'm not opposed to slightly used, but frankly have no interest in something more than a couple years old. I've been spoiled over the past couple of years with our current cars and previous IS F and ML320 that we just got rid of last summer. I'm not willing to give up some of the new tech and comfort that is in the more recent models.

Point taken about the ride. Thanks for the input.

Thanks Mike, I also read your review of the BR-Z which was comprehensive and helpful as always.

The EVO is still available and I immediately looked it up after reading your post as I thought it was a great idea....until I saw that they are $56K up here. The STi is only $43K and if I'm spending over $50K there's a long list of cars that come into the picture. Great idea though.

On the winter tire subject, all of our vehicles always get a dedicated set of winter rubber as we buy are cars to drive and not sit in the garage. Days like yesterday when we got a foot of fresh powder is always a good reminder of why.

Thank you, especially for the insight into the Toybaru issues. One thing I'm unclear of after reading Hoovey's post today in the other thread, was this car released as a '12 or '13? (ie. is there only the one version out there and how long before the next model year appears...especially the turbo?).

Thanks for the suggestion. The CT mileage is definitely appealing, but I can get similar numbers out of the Camry hybrid for much cheaper.....minus the luxury appointments. The Avalon looks nice and gets surprising mileage for a bigger car after looking it up. I already have one ultra-comfortable highway cruiser so probably want something that is polar opposite to our existing vehicles.

Thanks for the feedback. Fwiw, I'm not looking for something to drive like a BMW. Both of ours are Xdrives and while we are happy and enjoy them, there are always other cars to look at and appreciate.

I had a Camry rental (not the hybrid) and didn't think it was nearly as bad most enthusiasts make it out to be. For the purpose I'm using it for I may have to listen to the practicality (ie. the wife). We'll see how excited I get driving some of the more fun cars first.

We love diesels and think that another one would be good, hence the A3 option. It has only been over the past couple of months that diesel prices finally became more expensive up here than premium gas. Currently it is 24 cents per gallon more, but since early '09 when we got the Bluetec, premium diesel has been anywhere from 20 cents to 80 cents less expensive per gallon. Diesel engines thrive on the highway and climbing the hills around our mountain home.

 

I have a 3rd generation Prius for the purpose detailed above. It's not the greatest in snow, but a thrifty and practical commuter car. Plus, women love it.

 

i wouldnt want something too sporty for commute, or too small.... Avalon Hybrid or Camry Hybrid maybe? You will get 40+ mpg easily and it will be powerful enough, and it will be fun too, trying to beat the mpg's.

 

Thanks again for the input everyone.

Prius groupies???

Not sure that would be a selling point for the wife.

No Avalon hybrid up here.

Camry XLW Hybrid advertises:

4.7 (60) / 5.1 (55) / 4.9 (58)

Is this real world mileage?

Back seats aren't really an issue for other people. The fold flat seats in most of these vehicles will be more than enough room for our 100 lb pup to lie down. We have other options if we actually need to transport people.

 

Hey bud! Glad we still chat from time to time and glad to see you here. My thoughts

A3-new one is around the corner so can't recommend it.
CT-really well done, much better quality than you expect. Nice features, great MPG, it scoots in Sport. Not very fast and ride is somewhat harsh over bad pavement. Has a useful hatch.
FRS-I had an absolute blast driving this car. It seems overbuilt and the materials are very good. Tons of room up front but not in the rear (like the CT). Trunk is small. Drives AMAZINGLY like its reading your mind. Looks superb. Drives amazing. Drives amazing. Drives amazing (can you tell I like it)
STi-could be a very fun darkhorse and with the hatch has utility. AWD is great for you.

 

Thanks Mike.

Disappointed that things didn't work out in Vegas. Hope you had a blast...I know I did.




Another car that I've just looked up is the new Veloster Turbo? Seems like a pretty good bang for the buck?

 

Yeah mahn had a blast, it was an amazing week. I haven't driven the Veloster, I love that you can get matte paint but reviews have basically said it looks and is marketed as sporty but isn't very sporty and the turbo doesn't exactly add much more speed.

I've been car shopping tons myself (wife picked up a GS F-sport) and been going in bloody circles for months now.

 

How about a new 328i ....they have pretty good mileage now.

 

Mileage is ok, but the 328 is roughly $50K up here fully loaded. (I guess I should have mentioned that because of being spoiled with our other vehicles, we're only really considering fully loaded versions of all the cars being discussed....yes, we're a bit high maintenance...lol. )

The 320i is cheaper...but we've always found the entry level Bimmers that they sometimes provide as loaners to be just that...cheap. Overpriced, underpowered, pseudo-luxury. (Should have seen the look on my wife's face when she got in the X1...complete garbage imo..after dropping off the 750 for service...lol.)