Workers across the country deal with a myriad of commutes; ranging from the short yet traffic-congested, to the calm yet lengthy. With people in the U.S. spending an average of just over 52 minutes a day commuting to work, investing in a car that best suits your trip is a wise decision.
CarGurus, a car research and shopping website, recently released its Top Cars for Your Commute map, with location-specific car recommendations based on a metro region's specific commuting conditions; whether that be the hilly roads of the Pacific Northwest or the often snowy streets of the Northeast.
"Factors like commuting efficiency, mileage variation, hilliness and weather are all important," says Matt Smith, senior editor at CarGurus. "In our 'Top Cars For Your Commute' analysis, we took all these factors into account, then looked at vehicle efficiency, horsepower, comfort and even alternative-fuel options to come up with our top car recommendations for specific types of commutes."
CarGurus looked at the commuting distance as the average distance from home to work for commuters who work in 84 of the largest U.S. metro areas. The data used to determine the recommendations for the cars for each commute came from a variety of sources, and the full methodology can be found here. (A few states, for which there was not enough data, were not included.) CarGurus' analysis includes two cars for each commute: One option below $35,000 (first listed car) and one above (second).
Check out the best cars for commutes in almost every state, and for more than 40 other major metro areas, check out CarGurus' interactive map, embedded below the list.
Birmingham, Alabama
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco and 2018 Jaguar XE 2.0 Diesel
Why: Highway fuel economy accommodates this commute's fast-moving freeways.
Tuscon, Arizona
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Chevy Bolt and 2018 BMW i3
Why: High combined fuel economy and an electric drivetrain accommodate this commute's many trafficlights (but lack of traffic jams) conditions.
Little Rock, Arkansas
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco and 2018 Jaguar XE 2.0 Diesel
Why: Highway fuel economy accommodates this commute's fast-moving freeways.
San Francisco, California
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2018 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD
Why: High city fuel economy and a power engine accommodate this commute's hilly conditions.
Denver, Colorado
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Stamford, Connecticut
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Miami, Florida
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota Prius and 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance Sedan RWD
Why: High combined fuel economy to accommodate this commute (no outstanding conditions noted).
Atlanta, Georgia
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Chevrolet Volt and 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Why: High city fuel economy and comfort accommodate this commute's bad traffic but good weather conditions.
Boise, Idaho
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Subaru Impreza and 2018 Tesla Model S 75D
Why: High city fuel economy and all-wheel drive accommodate this commute's easy but snowy conditions.
Chicago, Illinois
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Indianapolis, Indiana
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Subaru Impreza and 2018 Tesla Model S 75D
Why: High city fuel economy and all-wheel drive accommodate this commute's easy but snowy conditions
Wichita, Kansas
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Chevrolet Volt and 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Why: High city fuel economy and comfort accommodate this commute's bad traffic but good weather conditions.
Louisville, Kentucky
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco and 2018 Jaguar XE 2.0 Diesel
Why: Highway fuel economy accommodates this commute's fast-moving freeways.
New Orleans, Louisiana
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and 2018 Lexus ES 300h
Why: High city fuel economy and a quiet, comfortable and calming ride accommodate this commute's not so easy conditions.
Baltimore, Maryland
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Chevrolet Volt and 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Why: High city fuel economy and comfort accommodate this commute's bad traffic but good weather conditions.
Boston, Massachusetts
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Detroit, Michigan
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Jackson, Mississippi
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota Prius and 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance Sedan RWD
Why: High combined fuel economy accommodate this commute (no outstanding conditions noted).
Kansas City, Missouri
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT and 2018 Volvo S90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid
Why: High combined fuel economy and powerful engine accommodate this commute's short but hilly conditions.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Honda CR-V Touring AWD and 2018 Jaguar F-PACE 20d
Why: High combined fuel economy, all-wheel drive and powerful engine accommodate this commute's short but hilly conditions.
New York, New York
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and 2018 MINI Countryman S E ALL4 AWD
Why: High city fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's conditions of traffic with a chance of snow.
Charlotte, North Carolina
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Chevrolet Volt and 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Why: High city fuel economy and comfort accommodate this commute's bad traffic but good weather conditions.
Cleveland, Ohio
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Nissan Rogue Hybrid AWD and 2019 Infiniti QX50 Pure AWD
Why: Highway fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's snowy conditions.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco and 2018 Jaguar XE 2.0 Diesel
Why: Highway fuel economy accommodates this commute's fast-moving freeways.
Portland, Oregon
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT and 2018 Volvo S90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid
Why: High combined fuel economy and powerful engine accommodate this commute's short but hilly conditions.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota Prius and 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance Sedan RWD
Why: High combined fuel economy accommodate this commute (no outstanding conditions noted).
Providence, Rhode Island
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Subaru Impreza and 2018 Tesla Model S 75D
Why: High city fuel economy and all-wheel drive accommodate this commute's easy but snowy conditions.
Columbia, South Carolina
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco and 2018 Jaguar XE 2.0 Diesel
Why: Highway fuel economy accommodates this commute's fast-moving freeways.
Nashville, Tennessee
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Volkswagen Passat GT and 2018 Volvo S90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid
Why: High combined fuel economy and powerful engine accommodate this commute's short but hilly conditions.
Dallas, Texas
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Chevrolet Volt and 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Why: High city fuel economy and comfort accommodate this commute's bad traffic but good weather conditions.
Salt Lake City, Utah
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Nissan Rogue Hybrid AWD and 2019 Infiniti QX50 Pure AWD
Why: Highway fuel economy, all-wheel drive and high ground clearance accommodate this commute's snowy conditions
Richmond, Virginia
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Elantra Eco and 2018 Jaguar XE 2.0 Diesel
Why: Highway fuel economy accommodates this commute's fast-moving freeways.
Seattle, Washington
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2018 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD
Why: High city fuel economy and a powerful engine accommodate this commute's hilly conditions.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Subaru Impreza and 2018 Tesla Model S 75D
Why: High city fuel economy and all-wheel drive accommodate this commute's easy but snowy conditions.
Washington, D.C.
CarGurus recommends: 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Blue FWD or 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
Why: High city fuel economy and comfort accommodate this commute's flat but far conditions.
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