We need to purchase a new vehicle ASAP! We are looking for something fuel efficient, relatively affordable that can accommodate 2 rear facing car seats. It will primarily be my commuter car, but lo rides with me most of the way and so would lo#2 someday. We have a Forrester that we could use for family travel.
Any suggestions?
cherry / 148 posts
@emilye519: it sounds like a sedan would fit your criteria for a fuel efficient, affordable commuter car, esp since you already have a larger car for travel, is that right? if so, I'd highly recommend a Hyundai Sonata! I rented 5-6 cars in the past few months and it was by far my favorite. Very roomy in the back, sleek, handles well and affordable. My husband and I both loved it and were commenting how Hyundai has come such a long way. He has a Subaru Outback and I have a 3 series. If I had to replace my old bimmer tomorrow, the Sonata would be my top choice in the affordable category. We liked the Corolla too but it is definitely smaller and slightly less nice. A good friend loves his Hyunda Tucson if you were looking for something a little bigger. He got the Limited with the ultimate package (whatever that means but basically loaded with bells and whistles) for about $30k which was a few grand under he MSRP. He doesn't have kids but he's a big guy and he loves it.
clementine / 995 posts
We have a 2013 Hyundai Elantra and we really like it. It is surprisingly roomy in the backseat and the trunk is large for a smallish car. The EPA mpg rating is 28 city/38 highway. We regularly get 40+ mpg on road trips with only highway driving.
The new 2016 Elantras are pretty snazzy looking on the outside, but I haven't seen the inside of one.
clementine / 769 posts
I drive a 2014 Avalon. It is fuel efficient (with the low gas prices I filled up for $15), it can pick up speed well, great turn radius, spacious, low road noise, and more affordable than a Lexus. We are all pretty tall and we can fit 4 adults and my son in our car comfortably. It also has great trunk space.
apricot / 457 posts
We have the Sonata also and love it! We actually got the Sonata Eco and it gets even better mileage and the eco comes with a lot of great features for the price - nav, oncoming car warning when backing up, side car warnings, seat warmers. They are discontinuing this model for next year so you might be able to get the 2016 model at a great price!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
We have similar situation! We have a Honda CRV, and I'm looking into getting the Honda HRV, Mazda CX (whichever is the smallest) and then the Subaru Crosstrek. My only requirement is that it has to be AWD.
nectarine / 2243 posts
VW golf. We have the GTI (sporty version), my parents have a GTI, my sister in law has a golf. We all LOVE them
Fantastic gas mileage, large trunk for a hatchback (but actually a large trunk in general), big back seat. zippy ride thats actually fun to drive
and given VWs current diesel sitch, you could probably get a good deal. We got our CPO with warranty and we have been 100% satisfied.
eta: this is our only car.. we've added a roof rack and cargo box for family vacations.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
Love my Mazda3. It's great on mileage and fits us comfortably. It's a big step up from the tin-can that is the Toyota Corolla. I have the hatchback which makes me feel like I have more room. It's a 2008 and all I have done is put new tires on and get oil changes. 
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I would get a Prius! I drove mine for 5 years and it was great!
pomegranate / 3355 posts
I currently have a sonata and I would recommend it. It gets good mileage and is so spacious!
grapefruit / 4278 posts
I have a Mazda 6 and LOVE it. We upgraded from a mazda 3 last year so we would be able to fit two carseats, and there is a lot more backseat room. The 6 is comparable to a ford fusion, or hyundai sonata, but has better fuel economy at a lower price too! We had our 3 for 6 years and never needed to do anything to it but basic maintenance. I'm totally a huge mazda fan now.
nectarine / 2951 posts
My SO's commuting car is the 2015 Subaru Impreza. The seats are super comfy and it's surprisingly spacious for a smaller car.. It drives really well and hugs the road nicely. And it's AWD. I think it drives better than my '08 CRV.
persimmon / 1431 posts
I had a Hyundai Elantra, then traded it in for the Sonata. I loved both cars. The Sonata has a considerable amount of room, and the trunk is huge. It also comes with a lot of great safety/luxury features for the price. I actually don't know why more people don't buy this car.
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
Our commuter is the Toyota Plug-In Prius. Don't have to get the plug in version but we love that we are tall and our son's rear facing convertible leaves plenty of leg room up front (although the infant bucket took more room). Decent trunk space, outstanding mileage, and the keyless entry is so convenient with the kid.
grapefruit / 4355 posts
Love our VW Passat! Pretty large back seat for a car, good trunk space, fuel efficient. And we've had no maintenance issues with it either!
pomegranate / 3658 posts
We love our Corolla. Such a great, dependable car. We plan on driving ours forever and will probably replace it with another Corolla if it ever dies.
coconut / 8279 posts
I'm on my third Prius! I love them
(first was a Prius-C, then upgraded to newer Prius C and now DH drives the C and I have a full-size Prius - love!)
nectarine / 2148 posts
Do you live where it snows?? I love all things Subaru. But if snow isn't really a factor Toyotas and Hondas are great.
persimmon / 1461 posts
@Mrs.KMM: I have a Passat wagon, which came out just at the end of last year (I think they are a little bit different to the US model). LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Lots of room in the back, fits 2 seats nicely without squishing up the front seats, and drives so smoothly.
pear / 1930 posts
What year Forester do you have? Now that they have the CVT they are more fuel efficient. So maybe get another Forester? I have an Outback and I love it. I also test drove a Legacy but it just wasn't for me, but I know plenty of people that love them. Seriously- just get another Subaru!
pear / 1852 posts
Not sure how fuel efficien it is, but we love our Hyandai Santa Fe. I couldn't imagine getting kids into and out of a car seat in a smaller vehicle. I love the head room. It's a 2007, and while it's had a bit of work done, it's still good to go for quite some time,
pomegranate / 3127 posts
A Prius is great! Ours fits two car seats (without bases) and a ton of stuff. One of the car seats is front facing, but I think two rear facing would fit fine too.
cherry / 129 posts
Thanks for the replies everyone! We aren't sure what sort of car we're looking for and are overwhelmed by all the options! We really like the sonata, but my husband wasn't happy with some of the older models' crash test ratings and the newer models price us out.
We are looking into a Honda Accord hybrid, but I don't have any experience with a hybrid and am a little concerned about extra maintenance costs with the battery or other hybrid-specific parts.
Anyone have any experience with a hybrid?
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