Got a new job! need suggestions on a car for long commutes

[Losiracer2]

Well, its been a long 5 months since I got laid off from my last job. Everyday I strived to apply and find interviews everywhere I could. Went to Honda R&D in Ohio for an interview as well as Honda Manufacturing in Indiana. FF to last Tuesday and I got a call back after an in person interview with the good luck and congratulatory wishes from the HR director of the company. I'll soon be a new Vehicle Test Engineer come Oct. 28th!

Now, the only problem with this job, well it isn't a problem I suppose, just an inconvenience for now, is the location is about 60 miles away from my house each way. I'd be traveling 120 miles a day, with many of those miles on freeways, BUT, during the rush hour commute so lots of traffic. I'm trying to come up with ideas and solutions to what would be a good choice of vehicle that would suit me, my commute and my budget really well.

FYI, when I went for my follow-up 2nd interview at 930ish, I barely got there with time to spare and it took about an hour and a half driving in my sedan on a Wednesday. So I can't imagine how long it'd take if I had an 8am start time, which I'm assuming. 8-5, M-F, 40hr work week, salaried is what I'm thinking.

I was looking heavily into the new 2013+ Accord V6 6spd coupe. It has everything I want. Plenty of power, fun/sporty, good looks, great tech (smart entry is awesome, push button start, great connectivity with smartphones and apps) and just a very competitive car for the price point. I also and very interested in the new 2014 Mazda6. I hope they're coming out with a coupe model? It just looks so damn good! I don't know what powertrain it has though, for now the 4cyl would be disappointing, maybe a V6? If you remember, I made another thread about a Cayman S about a year back....yeah I've come to see that that wont be a good fit for me now esp. with this commute thrown into the mix. But now with my loans paid off from college just about and not really that much debt, I feel I can move forward with a new car purchase.

My 4dr accord which I've used for my last two jobs/internships for DDing is a concern, even though I put some rather new Michelin Defender 90k mile tires and the timing belt/WP have plenty of life left, its still got 275k on it. I'm worried one day the engine will go. So, I think its time for a newer car. Still gets consistent 30 mpg mixed though. Idk, rolling up in a beat up looking 23yr old car in my mid 20s with a degree and now this nice job is also my annoyance. I feel like I should at least have a newer car. I could drive my Coupe which looks a lot nicer, but fuel costs (21mpg avg in city/traffic) and tires and wear and tear on it would break my heart. But that may go as well if I'm getting a new car.

It'll most likely be a couple months, maybe 2 or 3 before I could get into a new one after saving up for a little bit for a down payment, and paying off my current debts so take that into consideration if any newer models you've been thinking about may hit the showrooms.

The pay for this job is rather well, better than my last job, so I assume I would be able to afford something in the 30k range.

The ideas of leasing an electric car have come up, I even asked the engineering manager if there'd be electric vehicle charging stations on site that I'd be able to use and even though there are, he said its not within this years budget for employee use. Also, the thought of using the carpool lane all access would save me about 30 minutes sitting in traffic each way. I don't really know what cars are eligible, but I've seen civic hybrids, Priuses, Leafs and Volts all be able to use the Carpool lane any time of day with 1 person. But living with one everyday is a big lifestyle change, lots of prioritizing.

But basically I'd be driving from Chandler, AZ to Wittmann, AZ (Ford AZ Proving Grounds) every day, 5 days a week, ~600 miles a week just in commuting alone, so I'd want something comfortable and bearable for this long commute. I'd be spending a lot of time in the car everyday.

Fuel economy is of some concern too since I'd be putting a lot of miles on it, so I don't think a big V8 muscle car would work out that well. Just something more on the sporty side with more power than my H22 would be nice. I feel that 200hp nowadays is laughable.

Sorry for the long post, hope I didn't put you guys to sleep.

Oh PS. I'm not sure, but since I'll be working at the Ford Proving grounds, I think I may be eligible for a discount on Ford vehicles

[CB7Nub]

Congrats man! That is so cool you actually get to work for a company (I'm assuming) you love. The 9th gen coupes are very sexy and with the V6 and manual it would be beautiful. Like really beautiful. Personally though for me I don't buy something if I cannot buy it straight out. I don't do loans or any of that. Personally I'd get something cheap, reliable and good on gas (Civic hatch, etc) or keep your current 4 door CB as a daily. That way you can save more and put more into (I'm assuming you still have your coupe) your coupe. But that's just how I would do it. But hey, like I said the 9th gen Accords are probably some of the best looking Accords. The LED DRL lights on them are just so nasty. When I first saw a Accord sedan with the LED lights I honestly thought it was a E-Class Mercedes Benz.

Good luck.

[owequitit]

Well, its been a long 5 months since I got laid off from my last job. Everyday I strived to apply and find interviews everywhere I could. Went to Honda R&D in Ohio for an interview as well as Honda Manufacturing in Indiana. FF to last Tuesday and I got a call back after an in person interview with the good luck and congratulatory wishes from the HR director of the company. I'll soon be a new Vehicle Test Engineer come Oct. 28th!

Now, the only problem with this job, well it isn't a problem I suppose, just an inconvenience for now, is the location is about 60 miles away from my house each way. I'd be traveling 120 miles a day, with many of those miles on freeways, BUT, during the rush hour commute so lots of traffic. I'm trying to come up with ideas and solutions to what would be a good choice of vehicle that would suit me, my commute and my budget really well.

FYI, when I went for my follow-up 2nd interview at 930ish, I barely got there with time to spare and it took about an hour and a half driving in my sedan on a Wednesday. So I can't imagine how long it'd take if I had an 8am start time, which I'm assuming. 8-5, M-F, 40hr work week, salaried is what I'm thinking.

I was looking heavily into the new 2013+ Accord V6 6spd coupe. It has everything I want. Plenty of power, fun/sporty, good looks, great tech (smart entry is awesome, push button start, great connectivity with smartphones and apps) and just a very competitive car for the price point. I also and very interested in the new 2014 Mazda6. I hope they're coming out with a coupe model? It just looks so damn good! I don't know what powertrain it has though, for now the 4cyl would be disappointing, maybe a V6? If you remember, I made another thread about a Cayman S about a year back....yeah I've come to see that that wont be a good fit for me now esp. with this commute thrown into the mix. But now with my loans paid off from college just about and not really that much debt, I feel I can move forward with a new car purchase.

My 4dr accord which I've used for my last two jobs/internships for DDing is a concern, even though I put some rather new Michelin Defender 90k mile tires and the timing belt/WP have plenty of life left, its still got 275k on it. I'm worried one day the engine will go. So, I think its time for a newer car. Still gets consistent 30 mpg mixed though. Idk, rolling up in a beat up looking 23yr old car in my mid 20s with a degree and now this nice job is also my annoyance. I feel like I should at least have a newer car. I could drive my Coupe which looks a lot nicer, but fuel costs (21mpg avg in city/traffic) and tires and wear and tear on it would break my heart. But that may go as well if I'm getting a new car.

It'll most likely be a couple months, maybe 2 or 3 before I could get into a new one after saving up for a little bit for a down payment, and paying off my current debts so take that into consideration if any newer models you've been thinking about may hit the showrooms.

The pay for this job is rather well, better than my last job, so I assume I would be able to afford something in the 30k range.

The ideas of leasing an electric car have come up, I even asked the engineering manager if there'd be electric vehicle charging stations on site that I'd be able to use and even though there are, he said its not within this years budget for employee use. Also, the thought of using the carpool lane all access would save me about 30 minutes sitting in traffic each way. I don't really know what cars are eligible, but I've seen civic hybrids, Priuses, Leafs and Volts all be able to use the Carpool lane any time of day with 1 person. But living with one everyday is a big lifestyle change, lots of prioritizing.

But basically I'd be driving from Chandler, AZ to Wittmann, AZ (Ford AZ Proving Grounds) every day, 5 days a week, ~600 miles a week just in commuting alone, so I'd want something comfortable and bearable for this long commute. I'd be spending a lot of time in the car everyday.

Fuel economy is of some concern too since I'd be putting a lot of miles on it, so I don't think a big V8 muscle car would work out that well. Just something more on the sporty side with more power than my H22 would be nice. I feel that 200hp nowadays is laughable.

Sorry for the long post, hope I didn't put you guys to sleep.

Oh PS. I'm not sure, but since I'll be working at the Ford Proving grounds, I think I may be eligible for a discount on Ford vehicles

Some things to think about.

1) Glad you got your loans nearly paid off. Now would be a more appropriate time to think about a car.

2) My big question is do you really want to put almost 3,000 miles a week on a car you just spent a boatload on? The first problem with that is that your resale value will drop like a piano from a skyscraper due to the mileage. I don't see having a brand new car payment that lasts for a couple of years on a car that is worth considerably less being a good plan. Not saying it is likely, but what if you get laid off again?

Either way, the financial prospects of mortgaging a new car for that kind of mileage are fairly dubious.

3) I definitely understand your concern about a car with 275K on it not being the best choice for such a commute.

Here is what I would personally consider:

1) I think at this point you probably deserve to buy yourself a new car. You were diligent about paying of your loans, and now it is time to reward yourself. You are a car guy, and you want a new car, so there is no problem with that here, but I wouldn't buy it to commute in.

What I WOULD do, is buy a suitable commuter car first, pay what you can in cash, and then pay it off ASAP.

Then go buy the car you really want, be it a Cayman, an Accord or whatever.

For a suitable commuter car, I can think of a solid list of prospects:

Civic CNG (not sure how readily available fuel will be, but it does qualify for HOV).

Civic Hybrid or Prius (these both also qualify for HOV lane, and could be found used in good condition, of reasonable age and mileage, all within a reasonable price range). The type of commute you will likely be doing is where these cars are designed to maximize their MPG, so you are likely to see great results. The Prius is probably a better overall package to be honest.

You could go with a pure electric, but they aren't going to be cheap, which delays your fun car.

Each one of these would be reliable, safe, and you would be able to pay them down quickly to minimize the effect on depreciation (ultimately you should plan to drive the wheels off of them anyway, but you don't want to be upside down any longer than necessary).

You could also consider a 7th gen Accord hybrid. A little hard to find, but they get great MPG (our non-hybrid 2004 V6 and 2006 V6 average around 33MPG highway, and I have heard of the hybrid pulling 40). They are quite fast, and while not available with a manual, they are still really nice cars to drive. These will be more expensive, but might save you from needing a brand new "fun" car.

You could also consider some of the Ford options, like a Fiesta or Focus hybrid, and with your discounts, you might find them to be cheaper than one of the other slightly used options.

Then, once you pay it off, and buy a new fun car, you can plan on buying a new commuter car how ever often you want to plan on it.

[Losiracer2]

Some things to think about.

1) Glad you got your loans nearly paid off. Now would be a more appropriate time to think about a car.

2) My big question is do you really want to put almost 3,000 miles a week on a car you just spent a boatload on? The first problem with that is that your resale value will drop like a piano from a skyscraper due to the mileage. I don't see having a brand new car payment that lasts for a couple of years on a car that is worth considerably less being a good plan. Not saying it is likely, but what if you get laid off again?

Either way, the financial prospects of mortgaging a new car for that kind of mileage are fairly dubious.

3) I definitely understand your concern about a car with 275K on it not being the best choice for such a commute.

Here is what I would personally consider:

1) I think at this point you probably deserve to buy yourself a new car. You were diligent about paying of your loans, and now it is time to reward yourself. You are a car guy, and you want a new car, so there is no problem with that here, but I wouldn't buy it to commute in.

What I WOULD do, is buy a suitable commuter car first, pay what you can in cash, and then pay it off ASAP.

Then go buy the car you really want, be it a Cayman, an Accord or whatever.

For a suitable commuter car, I can think of a solid list of prospects:

Civic CNG (not sure how readily available fuel will be, but it does qualify for HOV).

Civic Hybrid or Prius (these both also qualify for HOV lane, and could be found used in good condition, of reasonable age and mileage, all within a reasonable price range). The type of commute you will likely be doing is where these cars are designed to maximize their MPG, so you are likely to see great results. The Prius is probably a better overall package to be honest.

You could go with a pure electric, but they aren't going to be cheap, which delays your fun car.

Each one of these would be reliable, safe, and you would be able to pay them down quickly to minimize the effect on depreciation (ultimately you should plan to drive the wheels off of them anyway, but you don't want to be upside down any longer than necessary).

You could also consider a 7th gen Accord hybrid. A little hard to find, but they get great MPG (our non-hybrid 2004 V6 and 2006 V6 average around 33MPG highway, and I have heard of the hybrid pulling 40). They are quite fast, and while not available with a manual, they are still really nice cars to drive. These will be more expensive, but might save you from needing a brand new "fun" car.

You could also consider some of the Ford options, like a Fiesta or Focus hybrid, and with your discounts, you might find them to be cheaper than one of the other slightly used options.

Then, once you pay it off, and buy a new fun car, you can plan on buying a new commuter car how ever often you want to plan on it.

yeah i was thinking about buying a slightly used 2013 Accord Coupe that way I wouldn't suffer the depreciation. Or you think an end of year 2013 close out model would be better? Are they discounted heavily at dealers since the 2014s are arriving?

[GeoffM]

From a fellow commuter:
Figure out which lanes slow down and when, and know when to merge out of them.
During rush hour, my 45 minute drive becomes an hour.
If I drive aggressively during normal traffic, I can bring it down to 20 minutes.

Also see if your work has flexible hours. I arrive around 7, which is when rush hour traffic gets heaviest.
At night, I stay till 630 or later. Most of the traffic is gone by then, and the commute is easier.
My job also affords me the opportunity to really flex my hours. So instead of 40 hour 5 day week, I can do a 40 hour 3 day week.

[lucifer1]

Since you are going to work for Ford, the c max is pretty nifty. They are bit spendy though.

[Ralphie]

All good advice in here already!

You have the right ideas with the loans being paid off and NOW going for something.

From someone who has commuted a shit load-

My commute now is 50 mins each way, about 30 miles each way.

Not highway, rural roads, but the speed limit is 50 for most of it and obv I can get away with 60-65 so Im getting highway MPG since it's not too much stopping and hardly any traffic, even though I commute between 630-730 and 4-5pm.

Before that I did two seperate commutes for two different jobs which were about and hour and ten minutes each way.

Almost 200 miles a day at one point.

The only two things that matter are comfort and reliability.

If I had to say 3, then obv MPG, but if you know how to drive you can maximize any car to get good MPG.


Id def follow Scott's route-

Get something not that new but newer for commuting that you can grandma drive or beat on, that is reliable and hella comfortable and that won't be such a waste of money if you can call it-


Then if you want something to be flashy(which it sounds like you do) because honestly I would not care about showing up to work in a beater...

That is a materialistic mentality and yes people do have it and some people at your new job might even mention it, but if your getting better mpg then them and just as comfortable in a car 10 years older then theirs, who really has the last laugh?

But everyone is different, and what doesn't bother me might bother you so its not a fault.

So yea, get something to commute in and then when you are in the green again, then splurge on something that will feed your car desires.

[phatdoughnut]

I ended up with a 2000 VW gold TDI, can't beat the gas mileage. Figured when my wife pays off her car maybe I can get something flashy. But for now that is all I need for my communte, 50mpg w00t! and we car pool so the other guys pay for my gas most of the time.

[reklipz]

If you're okay to drive a "beater" to work (consider it, if you aren't), why not consider just refreshing/rebuilding the engine in the sedan? You could drive your coupe for the short down-time, and you would save quite a bit of money, which you could put toward a new "nice", "not beater" vehicle.

Just my $0.02. Congrats on the job!

[604CB7]

I would honestly say if you are driving 120 miles a day a good beater could do the trick for you. Yes it won't be glorious or be the newest car but if you can save on gas, and yet still have a spirited ride, why not? I got my CB years ago now and never intended to invest as much as I have into it. But after getting it to be reliable and such, I've driven it daily for the last year and a half. When you start any new job it would be great to get a new car and such but often you over stretch yourself too far. You also mentioned that you still have some debt. Why not invest a bit into your CB and make it more of a touring car. Plus it'll give you time to pay off your debts and still not break the bank. I would honestly say pay down what debts you have and then when you are free and clear, then revisit this idea and see where you are. Best of luck either way.

[deevergote]

Old cars have problems, even when all the obvious things have been addressed (suspension, engine, etc...) I agree that a newer car would be wise.

I drive crazy miles for work, as you know, and the Fit was my choice for that purpose. 323,000 miles right now, and just over 5 years in my possession. I've gone through two clutches (I'm fairly certain that they're a faulty design, as neither of them were work out due to my driving... the hub springs let loose), and the HVAC system had its share of issues (AC compressor has been replaced, and the 2nd blower motor is on the way out.) My stock CD player also has begun to act up. Given the mileage and abuse, and I suppose the age at this point, those complaints are pretty minor.
The engine runs like a top, with no leaks, and no oil burned. Idles smooth, like the day I brought it home for the first time. I also drive it pretty spiritedly at times, too. Even with a heavy foot, I can't seem to get less than 36mpg. When my mom drives it (she drove it regularly for a little while), she was averaging over 40mpg.
For $15,200 back in September 2008, I couldn't have picked a better car for the abuse I intended. 5 years later, I'm still 100% certain that I made the right choice. It's reliable, efficient, comfortable for long drives (15 hours a day sometimes!), and it's actually pretty fun to drive!

Based on my own high-mileage, long seat-time experience, I'd highly recommend the Fit.


Other than that, to add to what has already been said... if you have access to deep employee discounts through Ford (check into discounts for purchasing AND repairing...) then I'd take a look at the Fusion Hybrid. I've never driven one myself, but every review I've ever read has praised it highly. Most regular Fusion owners I know are very pleased with their cars as well. The Fusion is the car that made me start to like Ford (after many years of being convinced they made nothing but junk.)

Hybrids are scary, though. The money you save on fuel could very easily be spent in repairing that expensive hybrid system. I don't know if I'd risk buying a used hybrid with the intention of abusing it. Hybrid systems are still fairly pricey to repair, and without actually looking up parts suppliers... I'd be willing to bet that the number of aftermarket suppliers for various parts are going to be limited, or none at all. That means if something complicated breaks, you're at the mercy of the dealership.

Diesels aren't a bad choice either, and they're becoming more popular (I know many gas stations around my area have been adding diesel to their offerings... a decade ago, I only knew of a handful of stations that did.) Almost every modern diesel on the market today is built extremely well from all I've read. However, diesels tend to carry higher pricetags, even when buying a high-mileage used diesel. The only "cheap" diesel cars you're going to find that have been made within the last decade will be VWs. While I generally HATE VW, their diesel engines are pretty solid. Beyond that, you have Audi (VW in formal attire), and Mercedes Benz (have fun fixing that!)

[Losiracer2]

I actually found this car browsing last night. 2005 Prius, 190k miles. The nice thing is he's got a new hybrid system battery in it, new 12v battery and the paint/body still look pretty decent.

I'll call him and find out if he also has that HOV all access plate for the car pool lane, that itself is probably worth 2500, since AZ only issued 12,500 of those to hybrids and now only to electric vehicles.

But for 5,000...I feel I would make up half that money in gas savings alone vs. my CB7 in the first year (28k miles/yr). Then I pretty much have a free car I could flip for easily 3K. At this point all the depreciation is pretty much done, I can't see it getting any cheaper esp. for the condition that the picture shows.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/4083251880.html

[deevergote]

As long as you can be sure that all the expensive stuff has already been replaced... as 190k would be asking for trouble otherwise.
Keep in mind that a 2005 is a pretty old car now. It's nearly as old as my CB7 was when I got it (and my 9 year old CB7 was beater status, even to my 21 year old self!)

The Prius is well-made, and is pretty much the standard by which all hybrids are measured... but even a good car can be problematic after 8-9 years, even with proper maintenance. Especially when they're complicated (and fairly new tech, at the time) hybrid machines.

Also, I'd be afraid your manhood would shrivel and fall off after driving a Prius for so long...

[reklipz]

Old cars have problems, even when all the obvious things have been addressed (suspension, engine, etc...) I agree that a newer car would be wise.

I agree that a newer car is a safer bet than an older car when buying. The only real headache of an issue I can think of with an older car is failed/failing electrical / wiring. If you've owned the car, you know the condition it's in and pretty much get to know everything that is wrong with it. I'd be more comfortable with driving/fixing something I know the issues on versus gambling on purchasing another used vehicle. You're points are valid, just my $0.02.

That Prius could be a good deal. I don't know much about the hybrid system, but I would be sure to have someone who is very familiar with it give it a once-over; perhaps there's a very Prius-knowledgeable shop nearby that can do a pre-purchase inspection for you.

[h22sparkle]

bring food and some tools with you with music CD's and an mp3 player and you should be straight. Maybe a handheld game like a PlayStation portable to keep you occupied.