I Have $25,000 And I'm Looking For An All-Wheel-Drive Commuter Car! What Should I Buy

Paul lives in Pennsylvania and his work grants him a vehicle allowances. He is looking to spend about $25,000 for a reasonably fun, all-wheel-drive commuter car. He already has a BMW M roadster for the weekends so this doesn't need to be too wild. What car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario.

Hi, I have $25,000 to spend. I've had a company truck for ages but now get a vehicle allowance.

I've personally owned Wranglers and Miatas and currently have 2000 M Roadster for the weekends.

I want a fun vehicle that can also handle some Pennsylvania weather for a 40 mile round trip commute and occasional business trip to adjacent states.

Think AWD Grand Tourer.

Quick Facts:

Budget: up to $25,000

Location: Pennsylvania

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: all-wheel drive, four doors, good for commuting

Doesn't want: Something too thirsty

A $25,000 budget doesn't buy what it used to, but that doesn't mean there aren't some quality offerings at that price point. You've had a good experience with Mazda and that brand provides the answer once again. The compact, but spacious, Mazda3 sedan is available with all-wheel-drive, though front-wheel-drive models are far easier to come by. Then the question becomes: do you want the adequately powered 2.5 liter naturally aspirated engine that gets up to 35 mpg on the highway? Or do you want to opt for the 2.5-liter turbo motor that really boosts the power, but doesn't require a huge sacrifice in fuel economy, with an estimated 32 mpg on the highway?

The turbo cars are rare and often means something with higher mileage, but these are well built machines and a well-cared for example should hold up just fine. Here is a local car with only 41,00 miles for just a shade under your max budget. I'm always a little suspect of some of these independent used car lots, so you wull want to do som diligence regarding the pricing and history on this one.

Well, Paul, I'm not entirely sure which side of the state you live on, so it's possible you may be in for more of a hike than anticipated, but the answer is pretty simple. You already have an M Roadster that you seem to enjoy, so why not stick with BMW? You probably already have a relationship with your mechanic, and you clearly appreciate the brand. Plus, it doesn't hurt that they now offer several hybrid options that should make your commute less expensive, while not being a complete snooze to drive.

For example, here's a 2022 BMW 330e xDrive with just under 38,000 miles on it that's listed for $26,836. That's a little more than you were hoping to spend, but I bet it's close enough. And you can always try negotiating the price a little lower. That said, the EPA says the all-wheel-drive 330e gets 67 MPGe and includes 23 miles of electric-only range. As long as you can charge at home, half of your daily commute should be doable in EV mode, and if you can charge at work, that's even better. Play your cards right, and your commute could end up basically being free.

You can't expect a sedan with a plug-in hybrid powertrain to drive like your M Roadster, but the 330e is still a BMW 3 Series. That means it should still be pretty fun in the twisties, and with some all-weather or winter tires, I can't imagine you'll have any trouble with Pennsylvania winters. It might be a bit of an obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is the correct one. Especially when it's painted Melbourne Red Metallic and a Cognac interior.

When I read the words "AWD Grand Tourer" I immediately thought of the still-gorgeous Kia Stinger. I spent a lot of time in Car and Driver's long-term Stinger GT when it was new, and it was identical in spec to the one I've found for you here — it's got AWD, it's the top-level GT2 trim, and it's blue, which is the best color for these. This is a lot of car for the money, especially given how the one I've found you has relatively low miles. It's got a twin-turbo V6 with 365 horsepower and a good-sounding exhaust, enjoyable enough dynamics, lots of space, and features like heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, Apple CarPlay and lots of active-safety systems.

Did I mention the Stinger looks incredible? It's hard to believe this car is nearly a decade old, and there's still basically nothing else on the roads like it. Kia only sold about 70,000 of these in the U.S., and they're a pretty rare sight even where I am in Los Angeles, where cars like this thrive. You might even see upwards of 30 mpg on the freeway, which will help offset all the times you floor it to make the most of that V6.