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
Based on the example cars I’m guessing the “sensible budget” for this is around $75k. In that case, I’d have a Miata club and a GR Corolla. If we’re generous and we stretch that to $100k I’d take a mustang GT and the same yota or a manual taco.
New? Slate + Honda Prelude.
(My two car garage is going to end up Slate + Stinger)
Today I need three to scratch all my itches…
Ioniq 6 AWD limited 2 motor EV sedan … that’s my around town car for trips under 300 miles. GT style.
Maverick lariat hybrid AWD with 4 k towing. Our road tripper, hauler, tow vehicle.
Miata with manual. Sports car twisty smile maker. Topless fun!
In a year or so I’d gladly go down to just the ford ev trucklet IF it matches the 4k tow/ AWD of the maverick and gets within 50 miles the EV range and good charging speed of the Ioniq. So if you can wait a year, maybe the new ford EV trucklet and a Miata would be my twofer.
The Miata stays no matter what. Just make the hole big enough…
When I die, don’t want no coffin…
thought about it all too often.
Just strap me in behind the wheel
and bury me with my automobile. (JT).
Does the slate count?
In that case a Slate and a Toyota Sienna.
Provided someone else is paying of course, I can’t afford either.
I’m sure this has been covered already via the commentariat, but considering the average new car price is around $40K, any “sensible” two-car solution shouldn’t cost EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
So, the answer is no. There is no solution.
We can get you into a Blank Slate and the “Fiat golf cart” thing for under $40K.
Great, a crank window EV and a non-highway legal LSV EV for a mere $40K.
Where do I sign up for the privilege of such limited functionality…
Average transaction price of full size truck is $65k and over 2 million are sold every year. $80k doesn’t seem like a stretch for two vehicles.
Mmm. My current sensible 2-car garage is a Kia EV6 GT commuter and a Jeep TJ weekend toy, so I guess my new car 2-car garage would probably be an Ioniq 5 N and a JL Rubicon.
To me, the ultimate two-car solution has some kind of utility and some kind of sporting potential, with one or the other being comfortable for long distances and the ability to handle unpaved roads and inclement weather.
In that case, I say a Ram 1500 with as many interior comforts as you can afford and a Toyota GR Corolla.
As a former owner, my heart says Miata, but the Corolla has back seats and AWD. Plus, the novelty of a convertible does diminish with time.
Chrysler Pacifica – with the full stow-n-go seats, and a Corvette C8 convertible
Was this question written for me? Obviously, the answer is a hybrid Maverick and an ND2 Miata. Not that I’m biased or anything.
2st’d. Preach.
Blackwing and a Bolt?
Def a Blackwing. #2 could be any number of cars. Bolt, Miata, Slate, etc ..
A 2023 M550 (the ’24+ are too darn ugly) and a GLE450 would work just fine if sensible is the name of the game.
CT5 Blackwing and a Colorado ZR2, wait is that sensible? Probably not to people that aren’t me. Let’s go with GR Corolla and Colorado LT
His and His Bentley Continentals.
He gets a Verdant Green GT Speed Coupe – I get a Dragon Red GTC Speed Convertible.
Because things can be delivered.
(Was there a budget?)
For my needs, the two-car garage would be family hauler/road tripper and an efficient commuter. Now, if I had *three* cars, the third car would be the fun car, but in this scenario the commuter is going to have to do double duty as the fun car. So I will say a Chrysler Pacifica and a Mini Cooper convertible.
Bolt and Miata.
This was my very first choice too before I remembered the Blackwing.
The most sensible I can get is a Mustang (not GT). And then for the F of it, a Raptor R.
Ok, if it’s new cars, either a Mazda MX-5 in blue or a BMW Z4 in purple for fun and a Toyota Sienna hybrid for practical purposes. Too bad Honda hasn’t made Del Sols for a long while, those are good bang for the buck..
Back in the day, I covered the bases with a 1969 VW Bus and a 1990 Yamaha Radian. Then I added a ratty 1972 BMW 2002 to cover the middle. Kinda sorta practical. And usually at least 2 of 3 were working!
What color Sienna? And you have to say green because they discontinued the brown.
We currently have a red one [MY2011] and their red is fine, though not as nice as the Mazda Soul Red. Green and blue both look decent. Alas no more the sienna brown.
I really dislike the “gray that looks like primer with a clearcoat” trend. Not sure why that has caught on.
New in 2026 only? An Audi RS6 Avant + a Ford Transit cargo would pretty much cover it for me.
I’m not buying two sensible vehicles for myself.
One sensible vehicle, sure.
The second one has to be something special.
Since we’re specifying new:
Sensible: Toyota Prius Prime. It would be the thankless commuter through salt, snow, and traffic.
Special: Toyota 86. Because driving should be fun and still maybe a bit analog. Without going to jail or dying when my talent ran out.
I never thought my sensible/un-sensible list would be two Toyotas.
Shared mine a while back, and it was indeed a Maverick + “X.”
X for my wife means a Bolt.
X for me means a Crosley.
A year on, it’s still a great pairing. For us, the Mav is the do-it-all car, and “X” can be the specialist that meets a specific need.
https://www.theautopian.com/a-bolt-a-maverick-and-a-crosley-hotshot-dressed-as-bearcat-members-rides/
My Mav hit 30,000 miles just before its 1th birthday, averaging 39mpg combined. I celebrated by towing a Model A to the Speedster Rally in Illinois in June which knocked the average fuel economy down quite a bit. Then we took it on a family camping trip to Mackinac end of the month.
Psst… BRZ has rear seats perfectly fine for a dog (as long as they don’t sit upright and demand legroom).
Good for you with the skiing. We have trails behind that have been great for walking but I wasn’t going to shovel them after the first 2′ storm this year. I should probably get cc skis or snow shoes for next year (and then leave them hanging, unused, until the next big winter).
My house backs up to some significant woods for the area, and In have put a lot of effort into establishing / maintaining a lot of the trails (NE MA). We usually get through the whole winter just from walking the trails, but the first storm put the snow over one dog’s snout and up to the other very short-haired dog’s junk.
We got a few muddy hikes in before before the may flies / mosquitoes / greenheads, but I’m going to need a better solution for next year if we’re going to get this much snow again.
I’m guessing you’re in VT if you’re on the east coast. That’s where I first met snowshoes and saw people genuinely shocked that I didn’t own CC skis.
One car really is all I need, but 3 works better. If I had to pare it back to 2, it would be my Maverick and the family sedan. Right now the sedan is a 2019 MB C-300, but I could realistically just go with any car that can fit the family plus luggage.
Are you calling my 6 car solution unsensible?
Of course not– it’s three times as sensible!
Hold my beer! – Dave Tracy.
Currently own a ‘23 Chevy Bolt EUV and while nothing distinctly special it’s a great little commuter car that GM tried to market as a crossover but was more accurately a compact hatch that was a bit taller in roof height. Think Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix if that was still made today but an EV. Good, solid car all around and I think it’s great. As a second vehicle I could be very tempted by the PHEV version of the Ford F’n Ranger not sold in the U.S. market just to throw something “with more real capability” in there