Friend of mine changed jobs and now has an 110 mile/day commute; used to driving "beefy" vehicles (trucks, SUV's, large sedans), is highly leaning towards a hybrid given that he'll be doing this commute for the foreseeable future (i.e. 7-10 years) given the cost of fuel. He drives an Exploder currently that is lucky to hit 22mpg hwy and isn't long for this world...

Priority 1: comfort (quiet cabin, cushy seats, soft-suspension type of ride)
Priority 2: 40mpg, or over on hwy
Priority 3: Reliability...given he would be anticipating putting 150k miles plus on this car

Must be 4 doors (kids, occasional clients), budget ~$30k

My gut feel was to steer him towards:
USED
ES300h (CPO with unlimited miles warranty!)
Avalon Hybrid Limited

NEW
Gen 4 2016+ Prius (which I've never driven but have read it has improved ride-quality significantly)
Camry Hybrid
Accord Hybrid

Most non-hybrids that can hit 40mpg hwy are small Fiesta/Fit/Cruze sized cars thus my reluctance to recommend those. I know the Fusion Hybrid (as well as the GM mid-size variants like Malibu) are also in this price range, not 100% sure of their long-term reliability for eating up highway miles though?

Thoughts? Model 3? =)

 

I have a 2015 Camry Hybrid and very happy with it. Averaged just over 40mpg in the warmer months and 32mpg in the winter months. A new 2017 Camry Hybrid is as low as under $23k on Cars.com. A new ES300H will be $20k more than a Camry Hybrid.

 

If he does not mind waiting a few months, there is a new 2018 Camry coming, presumably with a Hybrid model also. The new Camry will be on the new platform, with better suspension and promised better handling. It will also come with a brand-new 2.5-litre 4-cylinder that is promising better efficiency. This new engine should promise better fuel economy than current both Camry and Camry Hybrid.

 

Check out the new 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid. 48 mpg.

 

Model 3 won't be available for a long time.

110 highway miles?

at highway speeds I believe diesels will do better than a hybrid, especially if he drives really fast....Jetta TDi, LOL!

Cruze diesel gets 52 MPG highway

 

Definitely this. Could get the Cruze Diesel, which is pretty good, rated 52 MPG highway (manual transmission) 47 with the automatic or the upcoming Equinox Diesel, i think estimated at 40 MPG highway.

Kia Niro is a great rig, decent room for adults in the back seat and over 40 MPG. I averaged over 45 MPG in mixed driving with my relatively lead-like foot. Accord Hybrid would definitely be a bit more mature of an option for over 40 MPG goals.

The Prius platform is much improved over any prior generation and rear seat space if plentiful, but I think it still looks pretty fugly.

 

I have the 2017 Accord hybrid for about 6 weeks now.
Pros: roomy , comfortable seats, quiet (most of the time), good driving car (more balanced than the nose heavy V6 model), built in Japan, very very easy to hit advertised 50/48 mpg, very decent amount of power for quick acceleration when needed.
Cons: not very cushy over bumps/pot holes, lacking some of latest toys even in top trim, infotainment a bit slow to react to touch.

 

good info, how much do those go for now???!!

 

Thx for the info guys - he's leaning towards the hybrid because he will be commuting to downtown Dallas; a lot of rush hour traffic with stop'n'go where he thinks the hybrid will perform more economically than a diesel/gasoline engine. But obviously still open to it.

Timeline wise waiting for a 2018 isn't out of the question (since they will be out in a few months anyway).

Accord Hybrid very much in contention; a mature choice certainly. Kia Niro is intriguing but how do you think it would perform 140-150k miles down the road?

 

Niro comes with Kia's 10 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, so that should provide a pretty good chunk of peace of mind. Their engineering has been pretty solid, and they've had multiple generations of hybrid now as well. For California Emissions Vehicles (I'm assuming this doesn't apply to Texas) the coverage on the hybrid system is actually 10 year 150,000 miles.

 

For a cushy ride and seats (which is apparently a major priority with your friend) the ES Hybrid you mentioned would be a good choice. So would the Lincoln MKZ hybrid, which is available for the same base price as the gas versions, making the hybrid quite a bargain...despite the fact that it is rated 38 highway, not 40. You'd pay a little more for gas, but save big up front. The Buick Lacrosse will introduce a new hybrid model for 2018. IMO the Lacrosse, with 18" wheels, is the best-riding and most comfortable of the three...but its E-shifter is clumsy, and the ES is likely to have the best long-term reliability. All three come with the same warranty....6/70 drivetrain and 4/50 Bumper-to-Bumper, though some hybrid components are covered up to 8 or 10 years by Federal law.

http://www.lexus.com/models/ES-hybrid

http://www.lincoln.com/luxury-cars/m.../hybridselect/

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f...-trims-270897/

I agree with pbm317, BTW, that, if your friend doesn't want to (or can't afford to) spend the kind of money that a new ES, MKZ, or Lacrosse Hybrid would cost, the Kia Niro is well-built and worth considering......but smaller Kia products tend to have quite firm seat-padding. Have him check the seats out carefully before buying.

 

I saw lots of Camry Hybrid when I visited NYC. Taxi companies are buying them because "good gas mileage and strong reliability".
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/...ve-them-anyway

 

I'm no fan of hybrid sedans as cargo space is even more pathetic than usual.
My recommendation is a rav4 hybrid. Mileage not as good as a an accord for example, but way more useful.

 

Camry Hybrid = 13.1 ft³
Camry = 15.4 ft³

Accord Hybrid = 13.7 ft³
Accord = 15.8 ft³

not exactly deal-breakers IMO, but worth noting.

 

The OP did not mention cargo space as a high priority, though.

I would agree that if space is a priority, a small hybrid crossover SUV would be a good choice.