THE DAILY COMMUTE: USED CARS FOR YOUR DAY-TO-DAY

Used vehicles often have an unfortunate image of being used, abused, and tattered. Sure, cars like that exist, and we’re sure you can find them at a sketchy car company that looks more like a glorified parking lot. But at trustworthy used car dealerships like Richard Lucas Chevrolet, you’ll find many used vehicles that look good as new. You won’t necessarily be getting an inferior product; you’ll just be getting a superior deal. With this in mind, purchasing a used car can be a great way to add a vehicle to your family’s inventory without paying top The Daily Commute: Used Cars for Your Day-to-Dayollar. If there is a commuter in the family who needs the vehicle for work and other family members who need the car at home, purchasing a used commuter vehicle may be an affordable way to alleviate the struggle of car scheduling. But commuter vehicles are not a one-size-fits-all product, and they take on many different forms to suit many different kinds of situations. So let’s take a look at some different kinds of used commuter vehicles.

Single Person Commuters

Some vehicles emphasize compactness, making them great fits for either individuals or families who need a one-person cruiser for commutes. These vehicles are low in price, high in efficiency, and are often quite fun due to their compact builds. So, let’s get to our first vehicle.

Chevy Spark

The Chevy Spark is small but fierce. Its petite build makes it ideal for navigating high-traffic freeways, crowded city streets, and tight urban parking spots around Avenel. It is very affordable and very efficient (the 2021 model offers up to 38 MPG on the highway), meaning it will be a low-cost endeavor all the way around. Though it may look like a two-door model, it has seating for up to four, so should you need to host some passengers, you’ll have the space for it.

The Spark offers vibrant and exciting color schemes, making it pop on the road. Any concerns that may come with such a small vehicle may be alleviated by the knowledge that it hosts some of Chevy’s premium safety technology, which includes highly-effective sensor technology to prevent collisions from occurring. The Spark is a great and fun vehicle for those looking to spice up the commuting experience and keep the price down!

Sedan Commuters

Sedans are classic commuters. They are often luxury vehicles and can have the aesthetic of a sports car without having the price of a sports car (and they usually have more space than a sports car, too!). So, let’s take a look at our sedan commuter.

Honda Accord 

The Accord is one of Honda’s most acclaimed vehicles. You can’t get much higher praise than “America’s Best Sedan.” However, Car and Driver’s accreditation of this title to the 2020 Accord makes sense when you factor in what a sedan should be.

A sedan should provide a comfortable and efficient driving experience for commuters, creating a refined environment without going full-on luxury. This is what the Accord achieves. Finding this balance can be difficult, and it often seems that certain vehicles emphasize performance, others efficiency, some technology, and still others luxury design. But the Accord finds a way of incorporating all of these things into one humble sedan.

The Accord’s exterior is sharp and inviting, and the inside is even better. Well-balanced color schemes (some monocolored and some contrasting) provide a relaxing environment and make it enjoyable for both your daily commute and a romantic night out. You can choose cloth seats if you want something more simple or leather seats if you want something on the luxury side. Premium technology and connectivity features allow you to manage everything for which you’d be tempted to use your mobile device, including messaging, music, podcasts, and apps. The Accord invites you in and makes you want to stay.

Now, one of the biggest sources of excitement regarding the Accord is its hybrid option. We can’t say enough about the value of hybrids. Aside from providing you with a smoother, quieter, and more exciting driving experience, a hybrid powertrain makes the vehicle significantly more fuel-efficient, meaning that you get to save considerable money on gas. With a fuel efficiency of 48 MPG combined, the 2021 Accord Hybrid will have you driving for days without needing to refill. In short, the Accord pays off! It captures everything a sedan should be, and the Accord Hybrid offers a taste of the best fuel-saving technology on the market right now.

Flexible Commuters

Sometimes you want your commuter to serve you and your family for more than just commutes to and from work. This is perfectly possible. There are plenty of vehicles that are compact, efficient, and luxurious, making them great commuters while being ready for whatever adventure may come. There is one specific flexible commuter that we would like to share today.

Subaru Crosstrek

Subarus are known for many things, but three in particular: adventure, efficiency, and durability. That’s the combination you want in a vehicle. Subarus are designed to be outdoorsy, fun, and off-road-ready, and the Crosstrek is a prime example of this. With symmetrical AWD standard, the Crosstrek is able to take on all kinds of terrain, whether it’s I-95 for your daily commute or an off-road trail on your next camping trip.

Like the Accord, the Crosstrek also offers a hybrid model, making it wildly efficient. Seriously, the 2021 model gets up to 90 MPGe; those numbers won’t be found anywhere else. The combination of a high-efficiency hybrid and outdoor adventure makes the Crosstrek a very exciting option.

To tie it back around to our discussion of commuter vehicles, though, the Crosstrek remains very compact. You can have it on the trail over the weekend and still be back in it for work on Monday morning. It is not the kind of off-roader you would want to take on daring, mountainous off-road adventures, but it is great for unconventional driving, which is not true of most commuters. The interior is just as luxurious as you would hope to find in any commuter vehicle; the only difference is that the Crosstrek is able to perform in ways that most other commuter vehicles are not.

Subarus are made to last, and that is no joke. 97% of Crosstreks sold within the last decade are still out there performing on the road and the trail today. So, don’t worry about taking the Crosstrek on too many adventures; it will be good for your road trips, your commutes, and your adventures for years to come.

Making the Trip

There are all kinds of commuters out there, and it can be hard to choose. Everyone’s situation is different, so there is no hard and fast rule as to what makes the perfect commuter for any given person. What is most important, though, is that you find a commuter that has what it takes to make the trip day after day and maybe even take some extra trips on the side. All three of the vehicles we have discussed today have what it takes to deliver this guarantee, and there are plenty of other great single-person cars, sedans, and flexible commuters that can do the same. The Spark, the Accord, and the Crosstrek are great starting points for commuter vehicles because they represent three very different kinds of commuters, but all very effective. So, if you want to try them out and see if they’re a fit, just let us know!