I Just Moved To LA From NYC, I Need A Car And I'm Overwhelmed With Options! What Car Should I Buy?

Allison has moved back to California after living in NYC for a long time. She doesn't want to borrow her mom's car forever and is looking for something easy to live with with good fuel economy. With a budget of around $30,000 what car should she buy?

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Here is the scenario.

I just moved back to my native California after a decade living in NYC, both to be closer to family) and to pursue a career change into baking and pastry/food in general. Currently I'm living with my mother deep in the greater LA suburbs (near Thousand Oaks), but ideally I'll move to a more densely populated area in the near future.

For now, I have access to her car–a Lexus sedan, I can't even tell you what model, but, and I cannot stress this enough, I really need my own car. I've been looking around at what's out there, but honestly I don't know enough to be able to discern what I need or want or should even be thinking about. My previous cars were hand-me-downs, so I really have no idea what I'm doing here, other than I don't want something that leaks coolant, idles so low it shakes, or costs $2K to fix regardless of the problem.

Paying California gas prices and having environmental leanings, I'm interested in a hybrid situation, if possible. I'll be using it for a lot of local driving but hope to regularly make 100-mile trips to visit friends and family, and eventually longer road trips. Once I figure out my career situation, I imagine I'll need to haul a fair amount of supplies–nothing that I'd need a pickup or SUV for, but more than will fit in a standard sedan trunk.

Pricing-wise, I'm somewhat flexible, but I'm not a millionaire. I was planning to buy used, but I'm open to something new if it's right. I'm targeting something around $30,000. Since I do have some money saved up for this, I'm willing to put down a little more upfront if it means a lower monthly payment.

Quick Facts:

Budget: around $30,000

Location: LA metro

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Good MPG, decent storage space, easy to live with

Doesn't want: Too big or too thirsty

Allison, you need a California commuter car that won't totally drain your wallet on fuel costs while also providing some extra space for your stuff. While I haven't recommended this car in a while, I'm once again going to suggest a Kia Niro. This is a funky combination of crossover, hatchback, and wagon. Small enough so that it's easy to park but incredibly space efficient where transporting a big wedding cake would be no problem.

The Niro's standard configuration is a hybrid that can achieve up to 54 miles per gallon, though plug-in and full electric is also available. With a sticker price of just under $30,000 for a an LX trim you can score one with a full warranty within your budget. And even the "base model" is going to come standard witha full suite of safety tech, modern infotainment, and enough features to keep you comfortable on your ride.

You're in luck, Allison, because the kind folks at Toyota looked at your situation exactly and built you the perfect vehicle. You need cargo space and fuel efficiency in a package reasonably sized enough to not be a total pain in Los Angeles traffic? Well, my friend, you need a Prius.

Is this the most interesting answer? No. Is it the most Jalop, enthusiast choice? No. But your needs here are clear and common, and Toyota is a master of meeting common needs. The Prius will be efficient, it'll be comfortable, and it'll have all the reliability you could possibly want. C'mon, it's a Toyota.

This one is a lightly used top-trim model available near you within your budget, but there are a ton of these. Find one in a spec you like, because you can trip over these things for under $30,000 all day. You can even get a lower trim brand new! Find the features and colors you like, and get yourself a Prius. It's the simple, correct choice.

First of all, welcome back to California! My recommendation is pretty straightforward: Like so many others around me in Los Angeles, you should just get a Honda Civic Hybrid Hatchback. The current-gen Civic looks fantastic inside and out, is excellent to drive, is available with all sorts of nice convenience and tech features, and will almost certainly be as reliable as you're hoping for. 

While the hatchback is more of a liftback than a squared-off hatch, it still offers more cargo space than the sedan, and it looks better, too. They even come in some real colors! And EPA ratings of 50 mpg city and 45 mpg highway should make your time spent in LA traffic much more palatable.The base Sport Hybrid hatchback starts at $31,790 while the fancier Sport Touring is $34,790. I know that's a bit over the budget you've presented to us, but there are delivery mile examples out there for less than MSRP, and Honda's certified program is pretty good as well. Since you're open to leasing, though, I say just go for a brand new one. I don't think you'll regret it.