Commuter recommendations (compromise between safety and efficiency?)

[Daox]

Pretty much any vehicle with a 2.0L engine or smaller would be a huge step in the right direction for you.

[Frank Lee]

And STILL nobody told me what shirt to put on or what to have for breakfast.

[MetroMPG]

Tomorrow: Red one. Bran flakes.

[Frank Lee]

THANK YOU! It's about time! I've been wearing this stinky plaid shirt and having pizza for breakfast for a week!

Now I'm wondering if I should ask this cute girl out or not...

[TheEnemy]

I'm going to side on what the OP might be happy with because if he/she isn't happy with it they aren't going to keep it, and some improvement beats no improvement.

I think you will be happy with just about any mid-full size sedans v6 or smaller. They should get you into the range of mid 20's to low 30's.

If your wanting more of a truck most of the midsized ones (Frontier, Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado...etc) should get you into the mid 20's as long as you don't go crazy with the optons.

Some of the midsized crossovers can even get you into the high 20's.

Just take a look and see whay the EPA ratings are to give you at least an Idea what you could start with.

Fuel Economy

[COcyclist]

Originally Posted by sirhc

As much as I'd love a metro that gets 60mpg, I really want something that offers a significant level of crash protection. I don't want to turn this into a big vs. small car argument, but you can't get around physics. So, where do I find the perfect balance between efficiency (that 60mpg metro) and safety (my wife’s huge land cruiser)?

Not really American (unless you count South America, many VWs are built in Brasil) but I feel safe in my TDI Golf (or Jetta). Is is bigger, heavier, more comfortable and more solidly built than a Metro. Lotsa airbags all around. Your commute sounds ideal for a diesel. With some hypermiling and a coolant heater you should be able to come close to 60 mpg at those speeds. TDI drivers are often big fans of these cars because they are powerful and fun to drive and very efficient at the same time. In your price range you will want an older one. But the TDI diesel often runs to 300 thousand miles with proper maintenance. The newest ones have more pollution control equipment equipment and drink more fuel and may have more costly upkeep anyway.

[sirhc]

What a diverse bunch you are! Half of you seem to be onboard with the “wrench smart, drive smart, save fuel” mantra, and the other half are, well, not.

Metrompg, thanks for the input. You’re right on my commute being ideal for fuel saving driving techniques, the improvement I’ve seen with my diesel truck have been impressive. It does have a manual transmission, as you said I think that accounts for the ability to see those mileage improvements.

Old Mech - Maximas are nice, but I’d want something with side airbags, and it doesn’t look like those were offered back when you could get a manual transmission.

Isaac, thanks for the 3800 input. I’d like to stay with a small four banger like Daox recommended, but the mileage those 3800s seem to be capable of are impressive… especially with some of the larger cars that were equipped with them.

John unit – I’m scheduling a test drive in an SL2 this weekend, the numbers on that car seem to work out well.

I would love a TDI, a friend has one and it seems to be a great commuter. They sure seem to hold thier value... they're often twice as expensive as thier gasoline counterparts.

My intent is not to “kill the other guy.” My commute is littered with inattentive elk and huge diesel trucks and SUVs. If I ended up with a full size Buick, I’d say I’d be in the 40 percentile of vehicle size up here in the mountains of Idaho. I don’t pretend to have an in depth understanding of physics, but I guarantee that I’d fare better hitting either of those hazards in a 3,300 lb car than an 1,800 pound car. If you don’t agree, please offer something constructive or refrain from replying.

Thanks again guys.

[PaleMelanesian]

Some of the modern midsize SUV's are not bad for gas - CRV, Equinox, Hyundai Tucson, and especially the (coming soon) Mazda CX-5. That last one raises the bar above all the others at 35 mpg highway.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by sirhc

If I ended up with a full size Buick, I’d say I’d be in the 40 percentile of vehicle size up here in the mountains of Idaho. I don’t pretend to have an in depth understanding of physics, but I guarantee that I’d fare better hitting either of those hazards in a 3,300 lb car than an 1,800 pound car. If you don’t agree, please offer something constructive or refrain from replying.

Search here (or on the web) for a study done by Wenzel & Ross, of Lawrence Berkeley Labs, on actual risks of various types of cars. Turns out that your intuition about physics doesn't hold up in the real world.

[drmiller100]

sounds like you live up in Wilderness Ranch......

FWIW, if you want 20 percent better mileage with your Ford Diesel, consider a Jody Tipton 40 horse decaff chip. they work VERY well in that truck.

I've bought several crashed Honda Accords and Civics. VERY impressed. I think I'd rather be in a crashed Honda then an Explorer or similar rig.