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What vehicle would you buy to drive 85 miles a day in Atlanta?
- Thread starter Cadcom
- Start date
1978 AMC Gremlin. Exotic beauty, unbridled horsepower and the ability to check your blind spots like no other car ever made. That is a very important thing in Atlanta traffic. LOL
My brother-in-law and sister just bought a Tesla. They got the performance job. It's a good big tax breaks and money back and all kinds of deals when you buy them. And you can buy used Tesla's in the 18 to 22,000 range all day long. That seems to be the going rate for low mile Tesla's.
Theirs has a self-driving mode. Sometimes they can't believe how accurately it can drive itself. They'll just punch in go to church and it takes them right to the church and even Parks them in an empty spot they never have to hit the gas brake or the steering wheel. Fascinating but I'll be darned if I let the car drive for me. Just a question of my luck in that that type of scenario.
My ATL commute is right at 75 miles round, been 34 years and hopefully will end very soon. Suggestions: find the most low traffic routes in both directions, they might be different depending on times of travel. Find all the alternate routes and use GA511 for traffic. Be patient, watch out for School zone cameras, know your auto insurance policy well and keep your deduct in check. If possible and shifts allow, travel at low traffic times.
AI Says:
That's a significant daily commute, especially in Atlanta traffic! For 85 miles a day, the most important factors for a used vehicle will be reliability, fuel efficiency, and comfort.
Based on those criteria and common recommendations for commuters, here are the top used vehicle suggestions, categorized for your preference:
That's a significant daily commute, especially in Atlanta traffic! For 85 miles a day, the most important factors for a used vehicle will be reliability, fuel efficiency, and comfort.
Based on those criteria and common recommendations for commuters, here are the top used vehicle suggestions, categorized for your preference:
Top Recommendations (Best Blend of all Factors)
- Toyota Prius (Hybrid)
- Why it's great: Unbeatable fuel economy (often 50+ MPG combined in real-world driving, and even better in stop-and-go Atlanta traffic), legendary reliability, and a well-proven hybrid system. It will save you the most money on gas.
- Considerations: Not the most engaging to drive, and cargo space varies by year. Look for 2010 models or newer for the 3rd generation, or 2016 and newer for the 4th generation.
- Toyota Camry Hybrid or Honda Accord Hybrid
- Why they're great: Excellent balance of comfort, size, and fuel efficiency. They offer a smoother, quieter ride than a compact car, which is great for long highway stretches, while still getting excellent hybrid gas mileage (often in the 40 MPG range).
- Considerations: Used hybrid midsize sedans may have a slightly higher purchase price than their non-hybrid counterparts.
Excellent Non-Hybrid Sedan Choices (High Reliability & Good MPG)
- Toyota Camry (Gas) or Honda Accord (Gas)
- Why they're great: Known for exceptional reliability, low maintenance costs, and a very comfortable ride—perfect for eating up high highway mileage. Their 4-cylinder models typically get strong highway MPG (high 20s to low 30s).
- Considerations: Gas mileage won't be as good as a hybrid, particularly in heavy traffic.
- Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic
- Why they're great: Extremely reliable, affordable to maintain, and excellent fuel economy (usually mid 30s to low 40s highway MPG). Smaller size can also make maneuvering in city/parking easier.
- Considerations: Can be less comfortable and noisier on long highway stretches compared to a midsize sedan like the Camry or Accord.
SUV/Crossover Options (If you need more space/height)
- Toyota RAV4 Hybrid or Honda CR-V Hybrid
- Why they're great: Offers the higher driving position and cargo space of an SUV while still providing excellent hybrid fuel economy (often 40 MPG or more).
- Considerations: They will generally have a higher purchase price than a comparable sedan.
Key Factors for Your Atlanta Commute:
- Fuel Efficiency (MPG): This is your biggest operating cost. With 85 miles/day, a few MPG difference adds up quickly. Hybrids are highly recommended for cost savings, especially with stop-and-go Atlanta traffic.
- Reliability: You'll be putting on roughly 22,000 miles per year. Sticking to brands like Toyota, Honda, and some Hyundai/Kia models (look up specific model year reliability) will minimize unexpected repair costs and downtime.
- Comfort/Features: Look for models with comfortable seats (many commuters prefer midsize sedans like the Camry or Accord for this reason) and features like Adaptive Cruise Control, which can be a lifesaver in bumper-to-bumper I-285 or I-75/85 traffic.
Ever consider a Toyota Tacoma truck? Ideally one with a manual transmission. They seem to go on forever.
Got a 2015 Prius for kids to drive to high school across town. Gas bill went to $65/week from over $200 in an old Rover of mine. Downside, thing was like riding in a tin can- loud, road noisy, radio was like a 78 econobox AM job. It was the 3, next to top of the line.
I would look into a Hybrid, the Camry, Ford Maverick, or the RAV 4. Go for the better equipped, the entry ones are thin on sound deadening, very tin can like.
The Lexus 350 is a great choice for gas only.
I would look into a Hybrid, the Camry, Ford Maverick, or the RAV 4. Go for the better equipped, the entry ones are thin on sound deadening, very tin can like.
The Lexus 350 is a great choice for gas only.
I bought my wife a Mazda CX-7 for her back and forth to work car. It was one of the touring type cars that had the alloy wheels with the wide tires, a turbocharger, leather interior and a lot of other goodies and it was really nice little car. That turned to be at one of the coolest little cars to buzz around Atlanta I'd ever been in. It had 250 horsepower and for that little car it would move out. So it had plenty of power when you needed it.
Something like that is an excellent choice. It was smaller car so it was very nimble and easier to drive in traffic. It wasn't underpowered which I think is a very, very important feature to have on any kind of vehicle in Atlanta. You need to be able to accelerate rapidly to merge and just keep up with traffic in general. They get great gas mileage and most of them these days have navigation and pretty much any other feature that you want on a vehicle.
Definitely go out and drive a few cars and see which ones you like. When you find one look around and try to find a good used. That'll save a lot of money and you still get factory warranty. What's the point of buying a brand new car if all you're going to do is put a million miles on it in Atlanta. Also you won't get so heartbroken when it gets a ding or a scratch.
I sold just about every car on the market so give me a little idea of what you're looking for and I can recommend a few cars to look at.
Something like that is an excellent choice. It was smaller car so it was very nimble and easier to drive in traffic. It wasn't underpowered which I think is a very, very important feature to have on any kind of vehicle in Atlanta. You need to be able to accelerate rapidly to merge and just keep up with traffic in general. They get great gas mileage and most of them these days have navigation and pretty much any other feature that you want on a vehicle.
Definitely go out and drive a few cars and see which ones you like. When you find one look around and try to find a good used. That'll save a lot of money and you still get factory warranty. What's the point of buying a brand new car if all you're going to do is put a million miles on it in Atlanta. Also you won't get so heartbroken when it gets a ding or a scratch.
I sold just about every car on the market so give me a little idea of what you're looking for and I can recommend a few cars to look at.
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