The requirements weren’t easy to meet:
- Fuel efficient
- Fun to drive
- Easy to zip through traffic
- Not a 2-door, but not a lot of extra room for too many passengers
- Not a sports car
- Not a Honda, Toyota, Hyundai or Kia
- Must be new and available for lease
- Relatively inexpensive
- Not an electric car
- Reliable
A dear friend is moving from Washington to Los Angeles and needs a car better suited for SoCal than her current Hyundai Santa Fe. Things can get pretty snowy and cold up here in Washington, so all-wheel drive was a requirement, but front-wheel or rear-wheel drive will be preferred down south.
I set my mind loose to think up suggestions, but had a tougher time than I expected.
There aren’t a lot of cars that meet all these criteria. Some will be too big, some too expensive, some too small, some too sporty and some not sporty enough.
After a lot of thought I came up with these suggestions for her:
Granted, the BMW and Audi will cost quite a bit more, but would fit the bill perfectly. Either would be a natural way to fit in with the LA culture and provide a safe, comfortable, stylish, somewhat economical form of transportation.
The diesel Volkswagens would probably be among the best choices for fuel economy and longevity on the brutal LA highways.
The least expensive choices would be the Ford or the Mazda, and they would meet all the criteria, but lack some of the style on the road offered by the other options.
If I were making the big move, I’d happily get rid of my big gas-thirsty SUV for any of these choices, but the BMW would be at the top of my list.
What cars would you recommend to meet all of the listed criteria?
-tgriffith
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