Which cars are your among favorites for long commutes?
 

Hi guys,
which car do you guys recomend for long commutes, 250 miles per day? My WRX wagon's mileage isn't cutting it anymore.

I would need it to be very comfortable. Can I find something other than VW tdi's that give me 45 mpgs driving at 65-70 mph? I am just tired of my expensive commutes.
The VW reliability has be a bit cautious.
Thanks

I do have an 89 Integra, but its too tiresome for me. Noisy with the revs, back also takes a beating with those seats.

Buy Dan's VX, ultimate highway beast.

Is he selling it?

I see it, but too far for me.

You can always buy the same model near to yourself, even Darin claims it as the highway beast. I'd suggest that or a crx hf/civic cx.

How far is too far?

A Prius will deliver 50-55 MPG at 65-70 MPH.

How frequently do you wish to fill-up? A 500 mile range means at least every other day. A 96-97 Passat TDI would go all week.
Hybrids shine on shorter, more stop and go, commutes. Near constant highway use is not where they are at their best for fuel economy. A Yaris will also return nearly the same FE on steady state highway use as the Prius but at a far lower purchase price.
And the annual distance at 250 per day is 50,000 just in commuting. How frequently do you wish to replace the car? And the commute hours are close to 5 per day. I had 1/2 that as a daily commute for 6 years. The car was comfortable, I had car pool companionship (his Ram 1500 got 10 mpg so we almost always took mine), I filled up every other week, but the loss of time, three hours a day, was finally too much for me.
Now I'm 15 miles and 20 minutes from my new job, instead of 62 miles and 90 minutes.
Were I in the same situation as you with 125 miles one way I'd be looking at (used) Mercedes diesels. Expensive once, but durable, comfortable and relatively fuel efficient.

Sorry, I will have to heartily disagree with that statement. A Prius will return 65 MPG at 55 MPH, 60 MPG at 60 MPH and 55 MPG at 65 MPG and 50+ MPG at 70 MPH. Please provide information where a Yaris will come within 10 MPG of a Prius at any speed.

If I wanted to buy a new car for an obscenely long highway commute, I would look hard at a Civic Hybrid. The drivetrain is set up a little better than the Prius for those conditions due to its band-style CVT which transmits power directly. The Prius uses an eCVT, which requires that some engine power be converted to electrical in order to control the gear ratio. Of course, HSD is tailor made for the stop&go cycle which would be harder on the Civic.

5-speed Insight would absolutely dominate, but I don't know how you would feel about the comfort level. That and the fact that it would be kind of hard to get. But you could be looking at 70mpg+ with a little effort.

Yes, the Insight will return higher numbers than the Prius, but the Prius is much more comfortable. I agree that the HCH I has more highway FE potential than the Prius due to the Honda Lean Burn technology. But if you prefer higher speeds, the Prius atkinson cycle and lower Cd will overtake the HCHI, which loses leanburn at 55-60 MPH. Perhaps an HCHI owner can confirm?

I had a '03 HCHI and it was VERY picky about lean burn. You're right about 55-60 mph, actually my "sweet spot" was 53 mph on a flat road. 70mph it would do around 39-43mpg depending on traffic. I'm doing a steady 36 mpg in my replacement car - Toyota Matrix (just did a 42mpg nonposted tank, lost receipt). The Matrix is roomier and IMO more comfortable than the HCHI. A very nice ride, roomy, & cheap.

**For the record and not to steer OT: the Matrix only got 42mpg because a friend was driving it behind a motorhome I bought and had to drive 300 miles to get home, I told him to draft since I was doing a steady 55-65 mph in very light traffic**

Fit or Yaris, but base = no cruise control. Avoid late VWs at all costs, a friend here is the GM of a large shop and says that these and Ford era Volvos are what pay the bills. And their forecourt is always full of the things....with the odd Benz or Peugeot in the mix.

Amen, We had a new 98 beetle, and it must have costed $3000 in maintenence and repairs over 3 years. Electrical problems galore!

Speed
 

At those speeds (65-70 at long distances), you need something light, MT, and aerodynamic (or hybrid).

Most modern, non-Diesel machines won't get you what you're looking for in the speed department, other than those with a low cD and friction (e.g. Hybrid).

Rumor has it that an Orthopedic Surgeon helped design the seats in the Prius-I (I can agree that someone knew what they were doing becuase they're really comfortable and supportive).

The clear winner for highway miles is the Insight, but for long-commutes, you may regret that decision as it beats the crap out of you. After crunching the numbers from the EPA on 2006 and 2007 MY cars vs. my own database of FE and reliability, for 45 MPG it looks like:

1. Prius I and II
2. Civic Hybrid I (manual)
3. Civic Hybrid I Automatic and HCH-II
4. Yaris 3-door Manual
5. Toyota Corolla Manual (almost any year, really)
6. Civic Automatic (06-07)

Honestly, Diesels are the way to go for highway miles -- but it's your call as to their reliability. Remember, there are many cars not on the list above that you can squeeze 45 mpg out of.

BTW, slow down! I know you have a long commute, but you could probably get a bigger, more comfortable car if you stay around 60 and/or drive with load -- meaning:

You're moving along at 60 mph with 20% throttle on level ground. You approach a descent: stay on the throttle at 20%. Now momentum gets you going up to 70, for example, down the hill. On the ascent up the next hill, keep that throttle right where it is and scrub-off some speed. You may go down into the 50's as far as speed goes, but your average speed will still be around 60, and you've saved a LOT of fuel. That technique has yielded me MUCH better highway FE. I've modified my cruise control to do just that, and it takes away the need to focus so much on the pedal pressure.

RH77

We took a road trip last summer with a Prius about 1000 miles round trip. We drove together at the same time. We kept having to stop for the Prius to fill up ;) Just kidding we had to stop anyway to eat, bathroom ect. But seriously we filled up on every third stop compared to the Prius. It was mostly highway / freeway driving and we averaged 56 for the entire trip while the Prius averaged just over 45 for the trip. I never rubbed it in and we didn't talk a lot about it, but the Prius divers wife eventually asked him why they didn't get a TDI ;)

Seriously though I think the Prius is a great car and we came really really close to buying one when we bought the TDI. The extra room in the back of the Wagon and the safety ratings and the ability to burn bio-diesel won us over. For highway driving I would choose the TDI for city commuting or stop and go driving I would choose the Prius.

If I was in that position. i would buy a Accord I4 or Camry and move on. Get the low to mid 30's and stay comphy.

As a owner of a 05 Accord Sedan and a 06 Civic Sedan. They are close in comfort. But a Civic isnt a Accord no matter how you cut it. TDI would be nice! If they didnt cost a arm/leg and left nut. And then either be great cars or shop ****s.

I can keep the Accord at a steady 34 mpg plus on the hwy. The Civic will turn in 42 mpg steady on the hwy. Air the tires up and keep the speed subsonic and I cant think of a Honda or Yota that wont get atleast epa.

Odd, I just got finish traveling for the holidays in a Prius, 450 miles @ 64.4 MPG with 4 people and bags. Speed at 60 MPH. Dan's assesment is right on for the Prius and it's comfortable. It does do much better in the city than highway though.

Ah yes at 60 maybe, we were going right about 71 indicates or 67-68 GPS wise. Oh we had 4 people in the TDI wagon (which starts out heavier), packed to the gills and the Prius had two people and luggage in the boot.

Get a 92 -95 civic VX or CX and give it the aero treatment. I get 66 mpg at 70-75mph. In addition to improving the mileage, the aero mods have made the car a lot quieter and given it more "horsepower" at highway speeds. Use the money you saved in buying an older car to install more comfortable seats, a killer stereo, and other creature comforts.

I say go for the Insight with a 5 speed if you can, remember that it's only 2 seats, but if you are commuting that much, then what more do you need? it's also mostly alluminum, so if you live in the rust belt of the US, it will not rust out! but mostly, it's a car designed for commuting and getting the best mileage out of any car sold in the US, sure other people have gotten good mileage with other cars, but comparing what it is off the shelf, you can't get much better.

Insight Boxing Tournament
 

I agree there, but having driven one recently, there is a huge "comfort factor". The suspension is very rigid and there's a lot of road noise -- something similar to the old Integra Avus mentioned earlier. Otherwise, the car would be perfect (in fact, I kinda want one myself).

RH77

Speculation
 

This is just foggy recollection, but I think they wanted to keep it lowered for under-car airflow drag, and consequently less suspension travel. I'm told you feel like your kidneys have been in a boxing match after a long commute.

Brainstorming, what would be wrong with a heavy-duty truck style seat to absorb the shock? I'm sure most of us have seen bus drivers or other large-vehicle operators bouncing up-and-down in their air-suspension seats. Since my lower-back lacks "shock absorbers" anymore, I need all I can get -- or else the consequences are quite unpleasant (otherwise I'd lower the 'Teg for cD).

But the problem is that the Insight doesn't have a lot of headroom for this kind of application, even if there's something that will fit in there -- unless a custom setup is developed. You could probably take a standard Insight seat and develop a scissor-style vertical movement mechanism with adjustable pneumatic "shocks" mounted horizontally (adjustable to individual weight/preference). Cushy bump-stops would be a "must" on both limits. A big problem: DOT compliance and safety. If it's custom, accident/impact dyanamics would have to be examined and if you could keep it a secret if inpections are required.

RH77

pic below is better . image here deleted.

The basic problem here, in light of fuel cost, environmental concerns, and mental health, is that no one should consider having to drive that far top get to work. I live 2 miles from work, and that was an intentional decision made years ago when we bought the house, when we moved so I take my current job. A 250 mile commute is obscene.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I am putting the integra up for sale.

I looked at the www.fitfreak.net/ forum, and some are getting mileage that didn't do as well as factory numbers.

rh77 -

Wow. I had heard things like this about the Insight. Great for commuting as long as your not the one commuting. Kidneys or MPG? ..... I thought about it for awhile, and ..... kidneys (but just barely, ;) ). The Insight needs smooth roads to be practical. What a mess. Might as well get a Hog.

Sounds like the Honda VX is still the commuter winner.

CarloSW2

Nothing new really, Volvo started this over 40 years ago in the Amazon/122..... I have yet to find a Toyota car that had BAD seats in the last 25 years. My last Camry was miles above my Merc W123 in the seat department.

There are two problems with the Fit.

1) Honda geared it for the kids who like to burn rubber between lights, not for people who want serious FE. That doesn't mean it's impossible to get good FE but it's a lot tougher with the engine turning 3500+RPM at highway cruise.

2) The people at FitFreak are generally the people for whom Honda designed the car. That is to say that they are "just driving it" in the typical fashion which is the same way that 90% of Americans don't get their factory numbers, either. One guy who also owns an Insight posted that he managed a 44mpg tank through careful driving. That number sounds about right for someone who is willing to slow down a bit and take a little more time to get there.

I'm going to test drive a couple of HCH-Is today, myself. I'll let you know what I think of them when I get back.

I fully dissagree with this with 15K of driving on my Fit.

The Fit DOES return good FE at highway speeds. It is geared like many European cars, it is different that the average Japanese car for the US market that 2500 is the norm to float around at 65 mph. 5th in the Fit is fine for higway, but a little "luggy" around 50 MPH or less. 4th is better, keeps the car moving, and you do not need your foot in it like 5th for 40-50 MPH driving to adjust speed/hills. I have got 40-42 MPG on all interstate trips at 65-75 MPH constant driving.

Second, I do not think you could actually burn rubber with the car, I have never tried tho, no need to.