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> if you have a 90-minute megacommute a nice car is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. I used to commute 90 minutes on the bus and rail on a daily basis. I

> if you have a 90-minute megacommute a nice car is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. I used to commute 90 minutes on the bus and rail on a daily basis. I assure you, even at 90 minutes, a nice car is _still_ absolutely just a luxury. A dependable car may be required, but not a fancy one.

PaulHoule 7y ago
If you have a long commute you probably want a fuel-efficient car, which is usually going to be a small (and inexpensive) car. My impression also is that many of the most dependable cars are inexpensive. I've been so amazed at the reliability of the Honda Fit (it required no major repairs until it got totaled around 120k; my main beefs were with the hatchback which needed to be oiled quite often, and the tire pressure sensors that seemed to fail around once a year or so) I was amazed enough that I bought another one (with a three year payment)
- HarryHirsch 7y ago
  When you are driving 90 minutes in the early morning on busy roads, when everyone around you is just as sleep-deprived as you, you'd like to minimize distractions, so you can pay attention to the road. You really want a good suspension and a silent engine. (I agree about the fuel efficiency, but that's not the whole story.)
  - PaulHoule 7y ago
    Small cars vary just as large cars vary. I like Hondas, I like the Chevy Sonic, I like the Nissan Altima. I think the Nissan Sentra has dangerously little purchase on the road, and can't stand the drivability of either the Toyota Corolla (almost crazy optimization of gas car for high m.p.g.) or the Camry. I think the roar of the engine and the sounds outside are an important sensory channel in driving, so "super quiet" doesn't matter for me.
- vonmoltke 7y ago
  I haven't encountered anything in the last 20 years by Honda or Toyota that wasn't dependable, regardless of price point. Specifically on tire pressure sensors, I never had an issue with my 02 Acura CL (owned 2006-2016), and have not yet had issues with my 09 Pilot (owned 2016-present).
zeveb 7y ago
In fairness, a 90-minute public-transit commute would likely be an hour by car. I'd still rather take the bus and train than drive.
- vonmoltke 7y ago
  After two mornings of standing in near-freezing drizzle waiting for a bus that I hope I can get a seat on, I don't agree. The reasons I take the bus are that my commute is actually faster (yay Exclusive Bus Lane!) and a lot cheaper ($13.60/day, which wouldn't even cover the toll for me to drive).
mumblemumble 7y ago
It's only a small fraction of the USA where a 90-minute commute by bus and rail is even possible. Even when I lived in a smaller city where the route would have allowed for such a thing, it isn't necessarily an option, because bus service often starts too late in the morning. Or there's my parents' house - they live in a moderate-size American city of about 250,000 inhabitants, but the nearest bus stop is half a mile away, along a road that lacks sidewalks. That walk would have barely been possible, let alone reasonable, many days of the year. And yeah, all of that does imply that modern urban planning may be something of an own goal in the proverbial class war, but, nonetheless, that's the situation.
bdcravens 7y ago
I’m currently commuting by bus. My 45 minute drive is now a 2 hour commute across 2 buses and a rail.

PaulHoule 7y ago

If you have a long commute you probably want a fuel-efficient car, which is usually going to be a small (and inexpensive) car. My impression also is that many of the most dependable cars are inexpensive. I've been so amazed at the reliability of the Honda Fit (it required no major repairs until it got totaled around 120k; my main beefs were with the hatchback which needed to be oiled quite often, and the tire pressure sensors that seemed to fail around once a year or so) I was amazed enough that I bought another one (with a three year payment)

HarryHirsch 7y ago
When you are driving 90 minutes in the early morning on busy roads, when everyone around you is just as sleep-deprived as you, you'd like to minimize distractions, so you can pay attention to the road. You really want a good suspension and a silent engine. (I agree about the fuel efficiency, but that's not the whole story.)
- PaulHoule 7y ago
  Small cars vary just as large cars vary. I like Hondas, I like the Chevy Sonic, I like the Nissan Altima. I think the Nissan Sentra has dangerously little purchase on the road, and can't stand the drivability of either the Toyota Corolla (almost crazy optimization of gas car for high m.p.g.) or the Camry. I think the roar of the engine and the sounds outside are an important sensory channel in driving, so "super quiet" doesn't matter for me.
vonmoltke 7y ago
I haven't encountered anything in the last 20 years by Honda or Toyota that wasn't dependable, regardless of price point. Specifically on tire pressure sensors, I never had an issue with my 02 Acura CL (owned 2006-2016), and have not yet had issues with my 09 Pilot (owned 2016-present).

zeveb 7y ago

In fairness, a 90-minute public-transit commute would likely be an hour by car. I'd still rather take the bus and train than drive.

vonmoltke 7y ago
After two mornings of standing in near-freezing drizzle waiting for a bus that I hope I can get a seat on, I don't agree. The reasons I take the bus are that my commute is actually faster (yay Exclusive Bus Lane!) and a lot cheaper ($13.60/day, which wouldn't even cover the toll for me to drive).

mumblemumble 7y ago

It's only a small fraction of the USA where a 90-minute commute by bus and rail is even possible. Even when I lived in a smaller city where the route would have allowed for such a thing, it isn't necessarily an option, because bus service often starts too late in the morning. Or there's my parents' house - they live in a moderate-size American city of about 250,000 inhabitants, but the nearest bus stop is half a mile away, along a road that lacks sidewalks. That walk would have barely been possible, let alone reasonable, many days of the year. And yeah, all of that does imply that modern urban planning may be something of an own goal in the proverbial class war, but, nonetheless, that's the situation.

bdcravens 7y ago

I’m currently commuting by bus. My 45 minute drive is now a 2 hour commute across 2 buses and a rail.