What Car Fits Your Lifestyle: Part II

In Part I we looked at vehicles for the Beach Bum & those on Dawn Patrol, using our search functionality, we narrowed down the choices to take into account utility, gas mileage, ruggedness, or open air cruising. Parameters included 100,000 miles or under, $25,000 or less and 1990 to present to come up with averages for pricing.

Canyon Carver

BMW 3 Series - Deciding on whether to go luxury or sporty isn’t a concern when going with the 3 Series. Rightly luxurious with plenty of leather, technology, and ergonomic features, the six generations of the 3 Series have kept the driver on the leading edge of safety and performance options. With a variety of engine options, you have the choice between fuel friendly sippers or athletic variants to appease the inner racer, which is the real beauty of this BMW model.

    Utility- 9- 48.9 cubic feet (depending on model)
    Fuel Economy- 26-45 mpg
    Price Range- $8,000-$25,000

Ford Mustang - The original “Pony Car” is ripe with potential, style, lineage and ready for all walks of life. Most famously equipped with big, powerful V8 engines, the more modern versions even come equipped with more technically advanced V6s that still offer enough grunt to get you to the next corner. This all-American machine offers a true seat-of-the-pants driving experience with loud engine sounds, a rugged manual transmission option and a convertible that you can open up too.

    Utility- 7.7- 13.4 cubic feet (depending on model)
    Fuel Economy- 20-31 mpg
    Price Range- $4,995-$25,000

Hypermiling Hobbyist -

Toyota Prius - Setting the standard of hybrid cars since 2000 (wow, it’s been that long?), the Prius is not only the car of choice for discerning, environmentalist cab drivers, it’s also just a great little car. Amazing fuel economy at an average of 45.8 mpg over the vehicle’s generations and a surprisingly capable chassis when you need to really use those volts, the Prius is the benchmark in affordable Clean Air Vehicle motoring. And since they’ve made over three million of them so far, there’s plenty to choose from.

    Utility- 11.8- 21.6 cubic feet
    Fuel Economy- 48-51 mpg
    Price Range- $8,995-$24,000

Chevy Volt - While the Volt is considered a compact, it’s offers big incentives if you drive less than 35 miles to work each day (and can realistically charge while at work) relying on battery power alone. With a 35-mile range in battery only mode, the chances are that you can get to and from work without ever needing to get gas again. And with current trends making it easier to find EV ports, you will have a better chance of not getting stranded at work when it’s time to leave.

    Utility- 10.6 cubic feet
    Fuel Economy- 37-45 mpg (gas); 94 mpg (electric mode)
    Price Range- $15,250-$23,900"""