Whether you have a long commute on the open highway or frequent stop-and-go traffic, your vehicle should provide both fuel efficiency and comfort. These cars are all about that.
These vehicles prioritize safety features and user-friendly infotainment systems, so you can focus on getting to work on time. Plus, their spacious cabins can accommodate a family while still offering impressive fuel economy.
1. Toyota Camry
The Camry may not ooze luxury or excitement, but it has all the qualities commuters need from a midsize sedan. Toyota’s best-selling model offers an efficient powertrain, competitive interior space, and industry-leading safety features.
Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0 suite of driver-assistance technology comes standard on every Camry, including automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. A Bird’s Eye View Camera with Perimeter Scan helps you maneuver in tight spaces, while a ten-airbag suite protects all occupants.
Upgrade to an SE or XSE model for more responsive handling and nifty convenience features. The wild child of the lineup is the Camry TRD, with a performance-oriented chassis and boy racer exterior add-ons like a unique deck wing.
2. Honda Accord Sedan
Accords have long been affordable performance sedan icons that deliver a healthy dusting of speed and backroad corner carving ability. The latest Accord also delivers impressive fuel efficiency and a well-appointed cabin.
The 2024 Accord offers a choice of four-cylinder or V-6 engines along with Honda Sensing, a suite of safety and driver assist features. A spacious two-row layout provides ample passenger and cargo room.
A back-to-basics interior features a simple center stack with large physical buttons and knobs. It’s a welcome departure from the touchscreen mania that’s found in many new cars.
3. Mazda 3
With its 185-horsepower, 2.0-liter SKYACTIV four and available hatchback, the 2023 Mazda 3 is one of the more agile small cars. It also offers strong whiffs of luxury and premium interior materials.
Although it lacks the athleticism of some rivals, a manual-shift Mazda 3 is a pleasure to drive. Its nimble chassis can carve corners with relative ease, and its sharp steering inspires confidence on the open road.
This sleek sedan earns great fuel ratings, too — 37 mpg on the highway and 28 in town. It also comes standard with a suite of crash avoidance features.
4. Volkswagen Jetta
The Jetta offers plenty of room in the backseat and trunk for up to five people, and it also has one of the best fuel economy ratings of any non-hybrid sedan. It’s even competitive with the likes of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Kia Forte when it comes to highway cruising.
Its conventional automatic transmission helps make it a more pleasant highway companion than many of its budget-price rivals, which use CVTs. Its cabin feels premium for a compact sedan, and although the infotainment system isn’t the easiest to use on the market, it has enough features to make up for it.
5. Hyundai Tuscon
From a utility perspective, the Hyundai Tucson is one of the top SUVs in its class. It totes a large amount of gear and handles driving in inclement weather with confidence. It also has one of the best warranties in its segment.
The hybrid version of the Tucson is an excellent commuter car, delivering impressive EPA highway estimates. It also has a plethora of standard driver assistance features and is well-appointed inside. The Tucson rides softly at low speeds, but it can be jarring over sharper bumps and ridges.
6. Honda CR-V
While it’s not one of the sportiest SUVs in this class, the CR-V offers a lot of value for the money. It’s moderately priced compared to the Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, and Jeep Cherokee and has excellent rear legroom and cargo space.
It’s also got a smooth ride that can handle your commute in and around Cerritos, Buena Park, and Long Beach. Despite its soft suspension, the CR-V feels stable over most surfaces and takes speed bumps in stride.
In terms of technology, the CR-V is equipped with Honda Sensing, which offers driver assistance features like autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assist.
7. Toyota Prius
Since its debut more than two decades ago, the Prius has delivered on two main promises-practical transportation and impressive fuel efficiency. It’s still one of the most environmentally responsible cars on the road and continues to sell in record numbers.
It’s quiet on smooth pavement and relatively unobtrusive when cruising on the highway. It’s also capable of accelerating quickly when needed and uses its regenerative brakes to recharge the battery.
The new 2022 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid adds a larger battery pack and more power to its hybrid drive system, giving it up to 19 miles of all-electric range. It stops quicker from 70 mph, too, thanks to larger front and rear brakes.