I maintain that one car is all anyone really needs, but I also maintain that everyone should have as many cars as they want, so don’t @ me. I can also assure you that I do not walk my talk, as I absolutely want at least two cars, need be damned. But what two cars? There are endless dream-garage permutations (which usually involve more than two cars), but when you’re talking sensible, real-worldable choices where you haven’t won Powerball, it gets a lot tougher to nail down just two choices.
When I announced the AA topic in Slack, Thomas piped up to say, “If we’re talking really sensible new car money, Mazda MX-5 Club plus Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid AWD with the 4K tow package,” to which Mark chimed in with “MX-5, yes, but make my second car a Chevy Express cargo van.”
I was thinking along the same “something + Maverick” lines myself, but as the vehicle I would drive most often would be the not-Maverick, I think I’d tire of always folding myself into a Miata for anything I didn’t need a truck for. And so, I’m going Volkswagen GTI and Ford Maverick – hybrid, but base or a click above is fine.
Now, I know there are hotter hatches than a GTI, but just under 300 horsepower is plenty for me, and the GTI keeps things sensible with its $35,000ish pricing. Plus it’s the quintessential “hot hatch” and I’ve always wanted one. And more importantly, it’s still a super-practical hatchback that my wife won’t mind driving, except she can’t drive stick, so she’ll be driving the Maverick.
Your turn:
What New Cars Would You Choose For A Sensible Two-Car Solution?
Top graphic images: Volkswagen; Ford
Two cars for one person? A Couple? A Polycule?
I’ll go with a couple solution.
Car 1 : GR86 / BRZ
Great year-round car as long as you put some snow tires on it. Trunk is big enough for a grocery run and if you don’t have a passenger or dogs with you there’s enough room for a Costco run.
Car 2 : 2004-2006 Scion xB
I don’t believe there is a modern equivalent in the US, but since this is hypothetical I will just pretend I could buy a new one today. It’s not going to tow anything, but that interior can hold a lot of stuff and even large items. I had an 05 and brought home a large steel lateral file cabinet (42w x 52h x 18d) in that thing with a passenger. Great for dogs and so obviously simple and cheap that you don’t worry about small damage gathered along the way.
I traded my xB in on an FR-S when they first came out. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am in a very small club of people who bought two new Scions. I also convinced my brother to get an xB and my mom got an xD (the car with the WORST new product launch ever).
“I maintain that one car is all anyone really needs“
Can we just agree this is crazy? Even years ago as a single guy, one vehicle would have been tough. Now it’s impossible.
2st’d. Preach.
It is entirely dependent on how likely your vehicle of choice is to stop you from getting to work.
It’s more than that though.
Even leaving aside different vehicular purposes: (space for things, people hauling, towing, fun to drive), it’s logistically impossible for my wife and I to get everywhere we need with a single vehicle.
I was being a little glib but for married couples it’s possible but the kind of thing where you have to make a conscious effort to become a one car family. If there had actually been major investment in other transit modes at any point in the last 80 years maybe it wouldn’t be so hard. In my case if the stars aligned vis a vis mine and my wife’s work locations and our home I would consider it.
The question of what I’d buy if I was literally forced at gunpoint into a single vehicle is interesting though, because I have to carry 5 people and their things, tow and haul a decent amount, handle the activities that come with rural living, and preferably maintain some semblance of fun to drive.
I guess it’s probably a Raptor R, all things considered, but I’m glad not to have to decide.
Fast wagon would be my answer, but RS6 is gone, M5 Touring is a 7000 pound beast and the AMG E53 apparently not well done. Regular E450 Wagon and a 911 GT3 S/C for the fun side.
Does “sensible” mean affordable? I don’t think it’s necessary the same thing.
The RS6 is gone? That’s a shame. There are a couple I see in traffic locally. That car gives me urges.
Some still for sale, but I the RS5 will probably replace it next year. Nice that we still get a fast wagon from Audi, but we lose a non-hybrid twin-turbo V8 and get a hybrid all the weight that apparently goes with that.
Affordable is relative. What was affordable to me as a kid out of college is wildly different than what is affordable to me today. But back then there were a HUGE range of cars I would have sold a kidney to own new (and even some cheap cars that I would have happily driven), today there are none at any price. Thinking back to what was still available new in 1993 makes me a very sad boy. There were even leftover brand-new Alfas and Peugeots on the lots in 1993.
There are even leftover brand new 2024 and 2025 Alfas on the lots in 2026.
But not any that I want.
Affordable means different things to different people. For me it might be a Nissan Versa, but for you it could be a Porsche 911, so maybe focus on the priorities of the household, rather than price?
Fair enough. I know that I spend far too much money on cars vs. other people, but it’s a trade off I enjoy making to my financial detriment. I would rather drive something more interesting than have a bigger house, fancy vacations, etc.
Again, a terrible decision in many ways, but makes for great experiences behind the wheel.
The financial part is only one part of any decision. Some trade-offs are worth it. I wasn’t commenting on you specifically, just illustrating the relativity of “affordable”. I have no problem with differing priorities, either. Life is about the pursuit of happiness, or at least contentment, and that means different things to different people.
Totally agree and no insult taken at all. I once tried to add up all that I spent on cars and had to stop as the number was a bit disconcerting when I thought about it. As individual purchases, they all made “perfect sense”.
The “sensible” part is a bit vague, but I’m thinking a Miata for the daily driver (Assuming I want my daily to be a manual and as efficient as possible, this might actually be a fairly reasonable choice), and then maybe a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 6-speed? The second vehicle might as well be something large, since I don’t expect to drive it often, it should give confidence in the snow for Canadian winters, it should be manual, and it should be something I think is cool, and I think the Tacoma fits that pretty well
Mark has the right attitude.
Chevy Equinox EV AWD
Ford Maverick Hybrid AWD 4K Tow Package
I’m not sure what constitutes sensible, two cars is not sensible by definition. If we’re looking at average-ish priced cars, I’d do a Mustang GT and a Bronco
I’d probably go with a Miata and a Toyota hybrid. I’ll get a little weird with it and say Crown Signia.
I like the Crown Signia. The problem is that I notice them when the driver does something stupid and then I realize what car they’re driving and guess their age and give them a pass. These are sold exclusively to the people who used to buy Avalons.
I’d probably just go with the current garage:
GRCorolla – does daily driver, RallyCross and track, plus turbo noises. Can also deal with bad weather.
CrossTrek – spouse’s daily driver plus mild offroad (forest road to the trailhead) and bad weather capability. If we could get by with an EV, maybe a Solterra which pretty much duplicates the CrossTrek capabilities. And I’m in Santa Fe and legally obligated to own at least one Subaru.
Clio Hybrid + MX-5 1.5 Soft Top.
Actually quite a lot closer to reality than I am ready to admit.
An Aptera and a Cami TerraWind.
That’s really the only combination that covers every use case.
“Sensible” is a point of view, so a Corvette ZR1 and an Escalade V should cover me.
I think you could get by with two from your current stable. The Viper and a nice pickup probably fill the same slots.
Yeah, if I could choose it I would have, but sadly no new Vipers.
1: Maverick Tremor in Eruption Green or Orange Fury
2: Mazda CX-5 in Navy Blue, or Mazda CX-50 Hybrid in Cypress Green, or a Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch in whichever color the Maverick isn’t of the same two choices above.
I’m a single guy whose garage is pretty much perfect as far as I’m concerned with a ’24 Integra and a ’95 Miata. So sticking with the Integra and an MX-5. If I need a truck I’ll rent one. Make my Teggy Apex Blue Pearl and the Miata Soul Red.
That makes quite a lot of sense and one of the few replies that didn’t make lose my will to live…
When did ‘Teggy’ become a thing?
Is this an instasnap thing? F Instasnap!
When I typed it out, the bill on my ball cap went completely flat. I’m going to give myself an internet time out now.
Did you get this from a recent article on the old german lighting site (where the author was called out on ‘teggy’ immediately in the comments)?
No, actually (cringes) Reddit. I think it’s been around for a while though. Just checked and the Urban Dictionary entry is from 2003!
Someone posting on UD in 2003 is not a trend setter, and not a person we should follow.
Probably something similar to what I have now:
GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 with the 3.0 Duramax for doing household projects, hauling the pups around, towing our camper to the middle of nowhere, bringing my MTB out to the trailhead, and road trips generally (the fuel economy is shockingly good at reasonable speeds on the highway). I would probably go with the short bed if it was going to be a daily; the medium bed adds just enough length to make parking a genuine frustration.
Mercedes GLC 350e (PHEV) for my wife’s daily commute, shopping that doesn’t include lumber, trips to the city, and hauling the inlaws around when they’re in town. The battery range is good enough that we’ve only had to fill it up 5 times in the 8 months we’ve owned it.
Being a retired couple, I think the new Kia Seltos and a Blank Slate would serve our needs. Not exciting choices, but rooted in reality.
We’re not retired (but getting closer) and I’m realizing that AWD isn’t something we desperately need. Wife insists on AWD but works from home or takes the day off whenever there is snow. I still need to get to work, especially in the snow but my route is well-plowed and I could probably make that 15 mile journey in almost anything.
Of course, I say this as we have three AWD vehicles in the garage.
If I lived in snow I’m sure I would reconsider. Being in the South I’m mainly wanting a good air conditioner with a car built around it. We could live with one car but my wife feels uneasy when she’s alone without a car. I get it.
Tougher than I thought it would be. I’d like an enjoyable smaller commuter and the bigger family road trip and dog hauler.
The Mostest Sensiblest answer:
Prius Prime and Sienna Hybrid.
But I’m not willing to give up on small stickshift cars yet, and I want the ability to tow a small travel trailer and get down rougher dirt roads. So we’re going whole hog and saying:
GR Corolla and Expedition 4×4 with a 2-inch aftermarket lift and the aero valence ripped off.
Not so sensible now, are we!
Expedition. How big are your dogs?
+ 4 people, + their ski or camping gear, + 400lb-ft of turbo torque is dee-lightful!
I did claim I was no longer being sensible 🙂
An Outback and a Tacoma.
I am not qualified to address any aspect of this question.
Right now maybe hybrid maverick and one of the Toyota/ Subaru Bev like the bz. Would fit most of my needs most of the time sans pulling a trailer or hauling heavy equipment. I could probably swap the maverick for an r1t and do a little more.
But I could see slate truck and maybe Kia telluride or ev9 or perhaps something being a good mix.
We currently have 6 vehicles in our fleet. We’re a 2-person family. If we were forced to cut our fleet down to 2 new vehicles, we’d probably order a new Slate truck to replace my rusty regular-cab, 5-speed, RWD pickup and keep our 2024 Trax since it looks the same as a 2026 model and only has 7000-ish miles on it.
But we’d still have to keep the El Camino and the MGB in storage somewhere.
Given we have a camper and a 20 foot flatbed trailer, at least a half ton pickup is pretty much a minimum requirement. Beyond that, a hybrid SUV of some sort.
So for new, an F-250 or F-350, and I’d have to research the SUV. We have a RAV4, but I really don’t like the looks of the new one, so probably a Pilot.
Ok that graphic is way too accurate. Right now I have a 2024 ID4 and a 2026 Silverado. It’s a great combination. I can do truck stuff like haul dirtbikes and pull camping trailers while also having an electric option for the day to day stuff like grabbing groceries and taking the kids to school (They prefer me dropping them off in the truck).
Chrysler Pacifica (with stow-and-go seating and an extended warranty) and a Miata. I’m not commuting, any more, so MPGs are less important. One for hauling, extended family or stuff, and one for fun.
None. No new cars are sensible anymore.
Yeah, this is hard, it seems like there’s less and less out there that interests me as time goes on, and even ones I sort of like still have crap like screens instead of gauges
Oh, come on – we’re using play Internet money here. Dream big!
It’s not about the money. At all. It’s about the stupidity of ALL of them at this point. Screens, screens, screens screens. Excessive complication. BMW station wagons that with my fat ass in the drivers seat exceed *3 tons*. Greenhouses you can’t see out of. And so on.
You have a point there.
Yeah, my brain keeps short-circuiting without some sort of financial parameter to work around. Because, to me, there’s nothing ‘Sensible’ about $30k and $45k Honda Civics.
I don’t even care about the price particularly, I could justify a $100K car if anyone made one I had the *slightest* desire to own.
Sentra + MX-5?
I love Miatas but don’t fit in them (I had to get rid of my ’18 Fiata due to that). Sentra – oh dear God no.