Nostromo

My next car needs to be a purchase because of my longer commute. While my current plan is to get into a 2014 A4 P+, I'm considering something cheaper just to be more responsible with my loot.

Any thoughts? I'm looking at the Ford Fusion hybrid. Maybe the VW CC or Passat-TDI? Not really interested in the Japanese or Korean brands.

Of course I can always get into a used Audi.

Only caveat: needs to be a good car to cart the baby around in.

Macallan21

Depends what you want of course.

For cheap cars, that aren't total garbage .. Corolla and Civic (maybe Sentra). Tiny engines, and very good gas mileage, and there's no ridiculous battery to deal with (or extra cost of hybrid)

Their safety just isn't on par with the German cars though.. so if you are concerned about that, perhaps a Passat?

How long is your commute? What kind of roads?

Cyncris

Audi A3 TDI for better resale value and great gas mileage
If I weren't a badge ***** I might try a BRZ or a Hyundai Genesis coupe
I you really are doing this for gas mileage and saving money....get a Nissan versa. It is 40mpg and costs $13,000 with a new warranty.

Barrels41

Agreed, if I gave up Quattro. Mazda is worth a test spin. Or a Subaru. Isn't Alfa Romeo coming back to the USA?

Macallan21

Barrels41, Subaru is a really good middle price car with AWD.

Nostromo

Subaru has been on my radar. I wonder how they ride on the freeway? One of the things that makes my 33 mile commute (in heavy LA traffic) bearable is the comfort level of the A4. Not only having the nice interior, but the way the car handles the road.

A6S4

GTI / GLI / CC -- not necessarily in that order.

Moviela

A variant is already here. It is called a Dodge Dart.

gunsmoker

I had an Alfa Romeo Giulietta rental in Holland last year and other than being a good looking small car on the outside, it was a joke. The sticker price that was mentioned in the paperwork was 37000 Euro.
I had to keep the armrest flipped up all the time, because it was getting in the way of the shift stick. I was lost as to what the images on the DIS meant - a house and a car nearby, some complex drawing that looked more like modern art than anything. Weird dashboard switches. 170hp, drank more gas than the A4 and was slower in sport mode. What I liked was that the console display showed turbo boost and peak power.

psychodo

One of the TDI VWs would be worth looking at for sure. Or a used A 3 TDI as someone mentioned, though the back seat is pretty tight on the 3. Drove my wife's corolla before buying Audi(test drove a3,4,6). I think you will be disappointed going to a corolla from the 4.