Best cars for long commutes

By Martin Pretorius 

Commuting is a chore faced by most drivers on a daily basis. Thanks to increased traffic volumes, even journeys over relatively short distances can stretch into long hours behind the wheel – just ask anyone who's ever had to drive from Bellville into Cape Town's city centre, or anyone who regularly travels from Centurion to Fourways. Choosing the right car for this job is crucial, because the wrong car will add unnecessary expenses to your budget and elevate your stress levels. So what makes a good commuter car?

It's about getting cost and comfort in balance

First of all, it has to be cheap to run. Let's face it: when you're stuck in a traffic jam, a 1.0-litre Daihatsu is exactly as fast as an AMG Mercedes, but will likely cost you much less per trip. What's the sense in having a huge, powerful car at your disposal when you're only going to be crawling along at walking pace anyway?

But, just as important as the running cost, is the comfort factor. This is where the equation swings back into that AMG's favour, as it is bound to be a lot more comfortable than a tiny city car, when you're going to spend hours staring at the steering wheel. Factored into the comfort requirement is cabin space, visibility and ease of driving. It's always nice to have plenty of space for stretching, it helps if you could sit high enough to see through the sea of SUVs and bakkies, and your clutch leg will thank you for choosing an automatic transmission.

Let's look at some options which tick most of these boxes. We've selected 3 new cars with strong commuting credentials, and highlight 3 used-car alternatives for those on a tighter budget.

NEW CARS

Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GL+ Automatic

Most of the cars on this list are crossovers, simply because they offer car-like driving experiences but still have raised seating positions for better visibility. The Vitara goes even further in this regard, thanks to its large glass area and rather upright dimensions. There's also enough space to carry the kids and their chattel to school, an absorbent ride quality to cope with speed humps and potholes, and sufficient power to not disgrace itself if the road opens up.

But most importantly, the Vitara features an excellent combination of a frugal engine and a slick-shifting 6-speed automatic gearbox to cut down on both fuel consumption and driving effort. Easy to drive, comfortable, fuel-efficient and easy to see out of, the Vitara is a consummate commuter, and a useful family car on weekends – and all this for only R329 900.

Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique Auto

Why is the dumpy-looking and rather crude Duster on this list? Because it checks all the appropriate boxes: There's the raised seating position and large windows you need for a clear view outside, a really absorbent ride quality, plenty of cabin space, all the basic creature comforts (including touch-screen navigation), an automatic transmission, and a fuel-efficient diesel engine.

Sure, it's not the least bit sporty, but that's not necessary for a commuter car. Neither is it particularly attractively styled, but that doesn't matter for this job either. It is however supremely practical, and that 1.5 dCi engine is an economy champ, easily returning sub-6 ℓ/100 km average consumption figures. The clincher is the list price of only R304 900, which makes it quite affordable to a wide swathe of the buying public.

Nissan Qashqai 1.2T Acenta Auto

It's more car-like than most crossovers, there's a nice helping of modern style, and you can have some nice toys to entertain you in traffic. Mating a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine to a CVT (constantly variable transmission), the Qashqai is smooth and easy to drive, and its modern design ensures good safety ratings and an upmarket cabin ambience.

It also has all the other usual crossover traits, such as good outward visibility, ample cabin- and luggage space, and enough ground clearance to handle poor road surfaces. There's a higher-spec “Plus” variant available at a R13 000 price premium, but for most commuting duties, the basic Acenta (listed at R381 000) will do the job quite well enough.

PRE-OWNED ALTERNATIVES

Opel Mokka 1.4 Turbo Auto

The pre-owned market opens up some interesting alternatives, with an often-overlooked contender coming from the Opel brand. The Mokka has been with us for a few years already, and while it never set the sales charts on fire, it actually has a lot to offer as an affordable commuter car. There's only one engine available (a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol), and for this job, it's best mated to the 6-speed automatic gearbox. 

Performance is adequate, with 103 kW and 200 Nm on tap, and the autobox is well-matched to this little mill to provide enough go along with surprisingly parsimonious drinking habits. The Mokka also has most of the features you'd find in the Qashqai above, but with pre-owned ones starting around the R240 000 mark, it offers a lot of car at quite a considerable discount. 

BMW 3-series or X3

If you're not too concerned with an SUV-like seating position, a BMW 320d will shine in commuting duties: there's a spacious cabin to pamper you, the automatic gearbox shuffles smoothly through its ratios, it's super light on fuel, and even the standard audio system is quite satisfactory for traffic updates and music to while away the time. If the extra ground clearance matters to you, its X3 sister has the same attributes with some added ride height.

Pricing varies depending on age and mileage, but a current-generation 320d with reasonable mileage will set you back around R220 000, with its X3 equivalent costing about R50 000 more. That's not a lot of money for German style and luxury, and all with average consumption below 6 ℓ/100 km to boot. Just remember to invest in an extended warranty if the car's maintenance plan has expired, as you definitely don't want any nasty surprises if something does go wrong...

Lexus ES250

If style and driving pleasure are less important to you than comfort and a painless ownership  experience, the Lexus ES250 simply has to be on your short list. It's a large sedan, designed to offer the most space and comfort you could possibly get at that price. Sure, you lose out on a crossover's raised sight lines, but you gain a truly cavernous cabin and the best ride quality this side of a top-spec Mercedes.

It's not particularly powerful or economical (135 kW and 235 Nm, 8 ℓ/100 km official average), but the performance deficit is balanced by refinement, and iron-clad reliability (and thus lower running costs) offsets the slightly higher consumption. Think of it as a luxurious sensory deprivation tank: it's not stimulating in any way, but it's incredibly relaxing in a commuting role. And with used prices starting at a laughably affordable R230 000, it's great value too. This is a modern car for the people who used to buy Camrys – and that tells you all you need to know.