Car advice? Want combo of good mileage/price/maintenance

[ohyouknow]

We are moving back to the US after 3 years of military overseas. We are bringing back with us our 2 identical 2006 Honda Odysseys. My husband is a YouTube hobby mechanic and keeps them in good running condition. Once we get to NoVA, we plan on buying a commuter car. We will leave one van with our au pair/kids during the day, I’ll drive one van, and my husband will need a vehicle to get to his work place 45 minutes away (not far via mileage, but downtown DC.)
Based on googling, I was considering a 2018-ish Honda Fit. It wouldn’t fit our entire family (4 kids) but our current Euro-spec Kia Cerrato doesn’t either and it works for us. Any feedback on the Fit? Any other options I should consider? Should I look for a few years older? I don’t have a problem (at all!) buying used but it didn’t seem to depreciate enough to be worth it. I’ll take any advice!

 

[brett]

IF I were looking and if I tended to keep my car for a long time I would look at Honda Fit, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla. New or used. Civic and Corolla will give you more options in terms of size. Civic, and I think Corolla, just went through a body change in the past year or so. That that may positively impact the price of pre owned units for buyer.

If I were buying a car simply for commuting, Honda Fit would be at the very top of my list.

It often pays to spend a little more upfront to get something that will provide more value over time. Our last Camry lasted 20 years with no major issues. Currently running a 2006 Accord and a 2007 Solara. No plans to replace either.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

*IF* I needed something for commuting (thank GOD I am not!) I would be looking at something 3-4 years old with less than 50K miles and it would be either a Corolla or a Civic. That type of commute will be brutal on ANY car (and brakes) so I would want something that is cheap to acquire and maintain.

No way I would buy a BRAND NEW anything for a commuter car. No way. No how.

 

[Texas Proud]

Heck, let him live a bit and buy a Corvette...



You can all ride in one of the vans if you need to go...








j/k

 

[Brat]

In my area Subarus are very popular. Find a used one.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

In my area Subarus are very popular. Find a used one.

Subarus seem to be gaining A LOT of popularity recently. I live in an affluent area in the NW 'burbs of ATL (not what I would consider the Subaru demographic) and have noticed that they are multiplying!

 

[Hermit]

We bought a new 2005 Prius. The best mileage it ever got (~60 mpg) was in stop-and-go traffic in rush hour going around the D.C. beltway. My daughter is still driving it and loves it. I think it has something like 180k miles on it.

 

[gerntz]

With raising two kids, I'd put safety first in consideration. With spending a lot of time in it, comfortable seat & ride would be next.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

A Prius will be at its best crawling through downtown traffic.

 

[ohyouknow]

Heck, let him live a bit and buy a Corvette...



You can all ride in one of the vans if you need to go...








j/k

Problem solved! I don’t know why I didn’t think of a Corvette!! :-D

Seriously though, it looks like I’ll be checking out Corollas and Civics in addition to the Fit.

 

[calmloki]

Bunches of Subies here in Oregon. Sister & BIL have been through 3 Foresters and nephew has an Outback. The Foresters regularly trounce my Mazda CX5 on fuel economy & have more storage room. I like to think the CX5 is a bit more lux and perkier to drive.

 

[ivinsfan]

I'd go for a Nissan Altima..we have one, terrific mileage, quit possibly the most comfortable seating car we have ever owned. It also has an extremely roomy back seat. We'd done day trips with four adults and never had a problem.

 

[Winemaker]

Pretty much all the car manufacturers make a decent product, pick a model you like and go with it. I prefer to buy used, and some certified domestic used cars still have many miles on the 100,000 mile warranty.

 

[travelover]

I'd also look at a used Prius. Owners love them and they seem to last forever. Not to mention the fuel economy and roominess for a small car.

 

[Bamaman]

I too suggest the Prius. If they hold up in Manhattan taxi service, they would make a great commuter car. Now, they are larger, more comfortable and less weird in styling.

We have a new generation Hybrid 2018 Camry. It is downright quick and so quiet. We get 52 mpg in town and 48.5 mpg on interstates. And no one would know it is a hybrid if wasn't so silent and smooth. At $26k, it also wasn't a bad priced car.

 

[kitesurfer2]

Heck, let him live a bit and buy a Corvette...



You can all ride in one of the vans if you need to go...








j/k

I bought a honda fit with 100k miles on it and drove it 2 years, 90 miles a day with great mpg and oil changes only. But...I drove my vette to
DC last month and had a great time

 

[DrRoy]

After decades of preferring GM, last year we bought our first Honda, a CRV, and love it. Pretty good US content too. I would say go with Civic or Accord.

 

[easysurfer]

I have a 2012 Honda Fit and overall really like the car. But if you are considering getting one, my suggestion is to get a newer model with built-in back up and lane change camera. Also, the newer model has better acceleration as the one I have (despite being a sport model) is pretty slow. Also, hopefully, the A/C is stronger in the newer models as Fits are known for the greenhouse effect large glass windshield.

I do love the cargo area and the way the backs seats configure for hauling different sized things around, but MPG is very good. Not hybrid-like, but good.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I too suggest the Prius. If they hold up in Manhattan taxi service, they would make a great commuter car. Now, they are larger, more comfortable and less weird in styling.

Yeah, I am going to have to disagree with the underlined portion. The newer ones look like they...um, well, I can't say it on the forum. They are still UGLY, UGLY cars.

 

[hopefullyoneday]

I'd go for a Nissan Altima..we have one, terrific mileage, quit possibly the most comfortable seating car we have ever owned. It also has an extremely roomy back seat. We'd done day trips with four adults and never had a problem.

I also have a nissan but a versa. Very roomy as i am 6'3 275 lb and plenty of room. 38mpg bought ours new in 2012 OTD price of just under 13k with a lifetime engine warranty. Only thing i have had to replace was 1 battery 1 belt and 1 plug change. Still running on the original brake pads at 160k miles

 

[ncbill]

After decades of preferring GM, last year we bought our first Honda, a CRV, and love it. Pretty good US content too. I would say go with Civic or Accord.

Might want to read this post (or whole thread) before buying a new Honda:

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4009546#p4009546

 

[Hermit]

All this talk about going with the latest electronics...

I bought my 2013 Jeep Wrangler new. Last week the fancy main computer died. - $1500 to repair. It has to be done at a dealer. $180 to have it towed in because it was absolutely dead.

 

[Lukeee]

Might want to read this post (or whole thread) before buying a new Honda:

https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4009546#p4009546

I think that this might boil down to individual height and build too.

That said, Prior to 20 years ago, I was a huge Honda fan, I was a big road trip nut too.. but all I could ever do was 8-9 hours a day in the Hondas because my back would hurt and the day’s drive would leave me exhausted. After I changed brands, I found myself easily doing 12+ hour legs (with appropriate short rest stops) and have maxed out at 16 hours without issues.

I am a firm believer that if you are into epic road trips, a comfortable seat, a low NHV vehicle is worth paying a bit more for. Not sure how you can test long term comfort short of getting a rental car for a road trip or sitting in the car at the dealership for 8 hours straight

 

[Breedlove]

We looked at the Honda Fit , it is a noisy little car and they seem to ding you for any type of upgrade . If I were looking for a commuter car here in Houston the Kia dealership has Kia's pretty cheap . Wife bought a mid grade Kia Soul , much larger sits higher and actually rides OK for 16500. OTD . They were blowing out the Kia Rio's for 14,335 . Kia ranks very high . At the spring car show they were ranked #1 . By the way she is getting 29 / 30 MPG with her car.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

We have a Prius that we bought new and currently have 160k on it. It runs great.

Lst year we bought a second Prius, this one is their plug-in model. I love it.

Our farm is on solar-power, we are able to plug it in and charge it up from our solar panels. Then we get 30 miles entirely on electric before the gas engine kicks in.

They both have lots of pep. On the interstate here we set cruise control at 82 and either of them hug the road great.

They do really well in snow and on the ice when the rivers freeze over.