Best commuter vehicle

[Scarlett]

If you or your spouse commute a long ways to work.....what vehicle do you use? And are you happy with that choice. 

My Dh is 63 with a bad back and a total knee replacement, .....so size and comfort is somewhat important....but man gas prices are killing us.  

Also what is the actual MPG your commuter car gets?

[scholastica]

Well, my chiropractor says she hears great things about the seats in Toyotas and Hondas. They both have several fuel efficient models as well as hybrids. The Camry now comes in hybrid, so that might work. Our Prius gets 45-50, but your dh would not be comfortable in a Prius if I’m reading that as 6’3, not 63 yo.

[Scarlett]

Hopefully the lack of response doesn't mean no one likes their commuter vehicle.  LOL

[Liz CA]

I like my Toyota Corolla - I think of it as the little brother of the Camry. Smaller and more fuel efficient.

I do drive a lot for work appointments and get reimbursed the mileage. So far, I have always come out ahead in the mileage reimbursement because of its fuel efficiency.

I have a special pillow for my back - the seats are not uncomfortable but not as nice as the seats in my friend's Honda CRV - but that SUV is nowhere near my Corolla's fuel consumption.

Definitely do a longer test drive and see how it feels in terms of comfort for a tall man. I am only 5'7" so my height is not a problem.

[iamonlyone]

My Ford Fusion hybrid averages 38-40 mpg (35ish winter; 40+ warm weather). It has power adjustable seats and lots of room. I have a 2010 and have had it about five years. It has been a great car for us.

[Scarlett]

Thanks y’all . Very helpful 

[almondbutterandjelly]

32 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

I like my Toyota Corolla - I think of it as the little brother of the Camry. Smaller and more fuel efficient.

I do drive a lot for work appointments and get reimbursed the mileage. So far, I have always come out ahead in the mileage reimbursement because of its fuel efficiency.

I have a special pillow for my back - the seats are not uncomfortable but not as nice as the seats in my friend's Honda CRV - but that SUV is nowhere near my Corolla's fuel consumption.

Definitely do a longer test drive and see how it feels in terms of comfort for a tall man. I am only 5'7" so my height is not a problem.

Although I love our Corollas (we own 2), my 6 foot husband is ready for something more accommodating to his size,  and also it sits really low, so getting in and out gets harder as we get older.  I love Corollas, but I think they are too small for your needs.

[BlsdMama]

DH has had a Honda Civic for years. It has 240,000+ miles on it.  He does love it - it's remarkably sturdy.  However, now that his back isn't awesome and he's a bigger guy, he'd go with the Accord.  Slightly lower gas mileage but more comfort and bigger size. 

[BarbecueMom]

DH (multiple back surgeries) commutes comfortably in a Civic.  However, he doesn't have knee problems.  My mom is almost 60 and has a little trouble getting in and out of it, and she doesn't have any specific knee issues, just age.

Nearly 5'0 me can't really see over the steering wheel, but other than that it's fine.

[Liz CA]

25 minutes ago, perkybunch said:

Although I love our Corollas (we own 2), my 6 foot husband is ready for something more accommodating to his size,  and also it sits really low, so getting in and out gets harder as we get older.  I love Corollas, but I think they are too small for your needs.

 

Yes, it is low. I came from a Jeep when I switched into the Corolla and that took some adjusting.

[Scarlett]

 I had a Corolla for 11 years that I absolutely loved. But I do think it might be a little too small and low for dh. 

[Pawz4me]

We have two Honda Civics. The newer one (I think it's a 2014, but not sure) gets about 45 mpg on the highway. The older one (2011) gets in the upper 30's. DH is right about six feet tall and he's perfectly comfortable, especially in the 2014. The newer Civics are as big or bigger than Accords used to be. The newer one also isn't good for short drivers. I'm not quite five feet and it's the only vehicle we've ever had that I've had difficulty seeing out of. 

[happypamama]

DH commuted in a Ford Focus for almost a decade, 90 miles a day. He’s 6’2” and broad-shouldered, and the Focus fit him fine. It got 30 mpg. We bought it used, put a used engine in it at about 200k miles and got another 100k miles out of it with very little else needing to be fixed or replaced. For a small car, it still held three car seats across the back and had a roomy trunk. I’d definitely replace it with another one. (It has finally worn out, plus DH needs to drive a truck now.)

[MaeFlowers]

Dh is 6'1 with a very bad back. He works out of his car so he has to be comfortable. 

He tried sitting in every car out there and the Nissan fit him best. American made cars were the worst for him. They just didnt have enough room. (I'm specifically talking about the smaller, fuel efficient cars.) He loved his Sentra and he got great mileage but I don't remember specifics.

[SeaConquest]

I have a Chevy Volt and love it! I get 55 miles of range before switching to gas, so no range anxiety. Use a fast charger at work and you are golden. The tax incentives are fabulous and I adore not having to pay for gas. Best decision ever!

[Mom22ns]

I'm happy with my Honda Civic, but it is small and low and I think it would be a challenge to get in and out after a knee replacement. I don't know if there is a better choice that would be higher with a bit more leg room that would still be good economically (price and fuel economy).

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

Does he want to buy new or used? We just got our son a small Scion Xa. I think they stopped making them 4 or 5 years ago. They were a division of Toyota; I think they were advertised to younger drivers but Dh and I love it, too, and plan to get one for our second car. The front seat is roomy, my son is very tall and it has plenty of leg/head room. Good safety ratings, engine lasts long like other Toyotas.

I think DS is getting at least 36 mpg. The Xb is a bit bigger but still has very good reviews. I think it’s a popular car for Uber drivers.

oh, and even tho it’s a small car, it doesn’t seem to sit too low. My spine is fused, so I usually have a tough time bending down to get in cars, but the Scion was no problem at all.

Dh has a double fusion and a bulging disc above those two. It is tough 

[ThisIsTheDay]

My Prius fits my son, who is over 6 feet, 200 lbs. It's a comfortable driving car. I've had it for 9 years, 180,000+ miles. I average 55 mpg or more usually. The only exception is when I drive long distances over small passes at 70 mph, then the mpg drops to high 40s.

I love that car. It's our family travel vehicle since we got rid of our minivan. We've moved an entire dorm room in it, plus a couple of people, more than once. We've taken it on vacation for four of us, including a week's worth of luggage.

Dd took it for a driving test last week, and the tester commented that it looked brand new. ?

[RootAnn]

5 hours ago, happypamama said:

DH commuted in a Ford Focus for almost a decade, 90 miles a day. He’s 6’2” and broad-shouldered, and the Focus fit him fine. It got 30 mpg. We bought it used, put a used engine in it at about 200k miles and got another 100k miles out of it with very little else needing to be fixed or replaced. For a small car, it still held three car seats across the back and had a roomy trunk. I’d definitely replace it with another one. (It has finally worn out, plus DH needs to drive a truck now.)

DD just bought an older low mileage Focus. We're not a tall family, so I can't speak to that, but MAAAAN, those seats are comfy. We have a 2006ish Toyota Sienna minivan and while I love it, long car rides aren't the most pleasant. If the seats stay that comfy, I'll be super glad we took that vehicle on our super long trip to Texas & back...

[Scarlett]

42 minutes ago, ThisIsTheDay said:

My Prius fits my son, who is over 6 feet, 200 lbs. It's a comfortable driving car. I've had it for 9 years, 180,000+ miles. I average 55 mpg or more usually. The only exception is when I drive long distances over small passes at 70 mph, then the mpg drops to high 40s.

I love that car. It's our family travel vehicle since we got rid of our minivan. We've moved an entire dorm room in it, plus a couple of people, more than once. We've taken it on vacation for four of us, including a week's worth of luggage.

Dd took it for a driving test last week, and the tester commented that it looked brand new. ?

My son has a 2012 Prius and he loves it.  I love it too.  He drives it like a maniac but I think he still gets 45 MPG.  He is also 6'4 and has no issue with fitting in to it. 

Unfortunately Dh is very opposed to having one for himself.  Which is very annoying to me.  :/

[Arctic Bunny]

My mom just changed from her Prius to the hybrid rav 4. She’s not a commuter, though. Her husband, who has bigger movement issues than a knee replacement, is able to get in and out.

[PinkTulip]

We love our Honda Civic for the gas mileage and smooth ride, but it’s quite low to the ground and hard for my DH with chronic health issues to get in and out. 

[Carrie12345]

7 hours ago, Scarlett said:

My son has a 2012 Prius and he loves it.  I love it too.  He drives it like a maniac but I think he still gets 45 MPG.  He is also 6'4 and has no issue with fitting in to it. 

Unfortunately Dh is very opposed to having one for himself.  Which is very annoying to me.  ?

 

That's a bummer. Dh adored his, and got well over 300,000 miles out of it.  He got it the last time gas went nuts, and it really saved a ton.

[Peach]

I just inherited my Mom's 2012 Civic...and drive it 3000 miles across the country this  past week. Me and the care are one..LOL. It was surprisingly comfortable, even spending 8-10 hours a day in it. It is low to the ground though, and the body design would be difficult for a shorter driver. It is sort of wedge shaped and the back end is higher, making it tough to see out of...and i am 5'10. I have enough leg and head room but hubby, who is taller finds it really cramped, especially the head room. It handles great and the gas mileage is mid- to upper-30's. MY only complaint is that the seats seem more bucket-like, which made my lower back achy after a while (but then I was in it for hours on end). It could really use better lumbar support instead of curving me forward. The leg room however, gets high marks. I have really long legs and I had plenty of room. So many small cars make my knees hurt after a while and I had no issues with this in the Civic.