Xenonista

Why not commute in the SQ5? Get a cheapo ride for running short errands. I'd sure much rather spend an hour a day or more in my Q5 than a Toyota.

JBDinTX

I would look into a TDI VW passat. Larger than the jetta and gets great MPG. I would not spend a bunch on a commuter car (you will put to many miles and being on the road that much really takes a beating on a car.)

dnt12q5

Sorry meant to say 3-person seating in the back seats. Normally, the A7 is configured to sit 4 people, but there is an option for 2013+ models for a bench-seat so that 3 people can sit in the back.

alatsacto

Hahah, you have a point there, but as of right now I don't need the extra space and utility for daily work driving. But it would definitely make my commutes more enjoyable. I guess that's why I want something that I will enjoy driving every day.

alatsacto

That's an interesting question. Now if my commute was longer, I guess there's two ways of thinking on this one. If my commute was longer, then I would definitely understand not wanting to beat up a nice car with too many miles and probably want something more fuel efficient. But looking from the other perspective, if I'm spending so much time in the car every day, wouldn't I want something really comfortable and something I really enjoyed driving? Hahah LOL.

Okay I'll check out the Passat TDI. My commute isn't too bad, around 30-40 miles roundtrip (less than an hour each day). So in that case, I don't put too many miles on my commuter car. Using that math, I would be under 10k miles per year, which is really good. Based on my commute, no matter which car I pick, I wouldn't be devaluing it any more than any normal car due to excessive mileage.

BlackSVT

This may not be a popular opinion, and not to be encouraging such "bad" behavior, but if looking at it from a money perspective, assuming 10k miles/yr, 18mpg for the SQ5, and 30mpg for yet-to-be-determined CarX, I don't see how it even makes financial sense to buy something new to "save money". At $4/gallon est, the SQ5 would cost~$2200/yr and CarX ~$1330/yr in fuel.

In my book, driving a car you enjoy daily vs. a compromise heavily weighted to be more efficient is certainly worth the 900 bucks.

FWIW, I speak from experience having made that mistake: preserved the car I really wanted to drive in favor of the more efficient, commuter car...only to sell a low mileage, well-preserved car for someone else's benefit. I have no idea what I was thinking, and will never do <I> that </I> again.

Transfer

^^ very good point. I'd also like to point out that if that commute is mostly highway, the SQ5 will get about 24mpg.

If another commuter car is important, I'd be looking at a Mk7 GTI.

lgball

How about the Infiniti Q50 Hybrid for the commuter? Or a Fusion Hybrid?

alatsacto

Those are some great points and I think that's sort of the logic I'm leaning towards. So whether it's going to be my SQ5 or CarX, it's going to be something I enjoy driving. Now I would like it to be more fuel efficient, but I'm not going to sacrifice to the point where I get some car I won't want to drive. That's why when I get this next car, I can't see myself getting something like a Prius or Leaf. That's also why I was hoping to find something like that 335d, where it gives me a little bit of both areas (fuel efficiency and fun to drive). While not cheap, it wouldn't break my bank to get it and enjoy driving it on a daily basis.

idale

My commute's somewhere around the same distance as yours. Were it me, I'd just take the SQ5 and enjoy it all the time instead of keeping it cooped up in the garage while I use a second vehicle for getting to work and back. At least it's a completely useful vehicle unlike if you say had a small sports car more suited to carving through the hills on weekends than sitting in traffic and basic transportation. And you're not commuting hours each way and putting a ton of miles on the car, so it's not something to where you'd likely have "too many" miles on the SQ5 if you used it for commuting as well.

Fuel costs could be less with a diesel (or other efficient engine), but at the same time you'd be paying for a second car, as BlackSVT points out. Maybe it still makes sense for you guys, though. Only you can say for sure.

Were it me and I for whatever reason was looking for a commuter-centric car (I've only ever had one car at a time and have it do whatever I need), just for going to work and back, I'd probably have something like a Golf TDI at the top of my list to look into, as it's a spacious smaller car that gets great mileage and should have reasonable amenities for commuting without getting too fancy and expensive (though they're not as cheap as they used to be). But my hypothetical needs might be different from your actual needs/desires.