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10 best cars for the suburbs

Which vehicle is best for your commute?

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By Susan Meyer Info icon
Updated September 12, 2024
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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Ross Martin

Insurance Writer

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  • 4+ years in the Insurance Industry

Ross joined The Zebra as a writer and researcher in 2019. He specializes in writing insurance content to help shoppers make informed decisions.

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  1. Methodology
  2. Cars 1 - 3
  3. Cars 4 - 6
  4. Cars 7 - 10

When you live in the suburbs, it can be the best of both worlds: proximity to the jobs and entertainment of the city, but with more space and cheaper housing and parking opportunities. However, there are some drawbacks as well. 

Typically, you’ll be facing a longer commute and more traffic. So you’ll want a car that offers: 

  • Good gas mileage and a comfortable ride for your commute.
  • Dealing with traffic, you’ll likely also want a car with a host of driver assistance features.
  • And finally, you’ll likely want a car with safety, reliability and affordable maintenance costs because reliability, safety and affordability are the hallmarks of suburban living. 

 

Methodology

We considered a number of criteria in choosing these vehicles.

  • Fuel economy numbers are important in terms of paying less in gas prices for your commute. The numbers were pulled from the U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Economy measures.[1]
  • Five year cost of ownerhip. This factors in not just the purchase price, but all the costs related to owning the car in the first five years including fuel, maintenance, insurance, repairs and depreciation.[2]
  • The safety of a vehicle is also an important measure. We used the Internet Hghway Safety's crash test ratings. They rate each vehicle on different aspects of crashworthiness as Good, Acceptable, Marginal or Poor. They also offer awards for exceptionally safe vehicles as Top Safety Picks or the even higher award: Top Safety Pick+.[3]

With all of that in mind, here are our picks for the best cars for your suburban lifestyle. These are organized by cost of ownership from lowest to highest. 

Nissan Leaf Plus

The Nissan Leaf is one of the most affordable electric vehicles on the market, but the small range might make it less than ideal for the average commuter. The Nissan Leaf Plus, however, offers a decent mile range per charge. It is not a Top Safety Pick but does have “good” crash test ratings. The cabin isn’t luxurious, but is surprisingly comfortable. The Leaf Plus does have standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. 

Nissan Leaf Plus by the numbers

Five year cost to own: $31,723

Fuel economy: 212 mile range

IIHS rating: Good ratings for crashworthiness

Kia Soul

The Kia Soul is not glamorous, but this crossover SUV is affordable and with decent fuel economy, making it a good budget choice for your suburban commuter vehicle. The Soul has a surprisingly spacious interior and well-cushioned seats in both rows. It comes standard with several standard driver-assistance features, including forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, cyclist detection and a rear-seat alert.

Kia Soul by the numbers

Five year cost to own: $37,174

Fuel economy: 31 mpg

IIHS rating: Good ratings for crashworthiness

Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is the perfect midsize sedan for your suburban commute. The cost-to-own is relatively low and the fuel economy is decent (with obviously a higher price and better fuel economy for. the hybrid options). All Accords come standard with a suite of driver-assistance features called Honda Sensing. This includes standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist and standard adaptive cruise control.

Honda Accord by the numbers

MSRP: $37,722

Fuel economy: 32 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius has excellent fuel economy, making it a good pick for those with a long commute. The hybrid design is good for stop and go traffic. It’s enjoyable and comfortable to drive and has decent acceleration for those highway merges. The vehicle had a number of driver assistance features including pedestrian detection, road sign assist and lane departure alert.

Toyota Prius by the numbers

Five year cost to own:$38,807

Fuel economy: 56 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+

Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 is a crossover SUV with surprisingly good fuel economy and a comfortable, flexible cabin. If your journey from the suburbs takes you through uneven terrain, you have the option to add the available all-wheel-drive system. The RAV4 comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite of driver-assist technologies which includes pre-collision and pedestrian detection, lane-tracing assist system, automatic high beams, parking assists and the blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.

Toyota RAV4 by the numbers

Five year cost to own: $39,766

Fuel economy: 30 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick

Mazda CX5

The Mazda CX-5 is a compact crossover that has a surprisingly roomy and comfortable cabin and sporty driving dynamics. If you have a family or a carpool, you’ve got the space. It also has a number of helpful driver aid features that will come in handy battling fellow commuters such as forward collision warning automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.

Mazda CX-5 by the numbers

Five-year cost of ownership: $39,836

Fuel economy: 28 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick

Subaru Outback

If you need a bit more roominess, turn to the Subaru Outback. It combines a station wagon's practicality and easy-driving with ground clearance and visibility of an SUV. Additionally, the base Subaru Outback provides all-wheel drive as standard and a number of safety driver assist features including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-centering, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.

Subaru Outback by the numbers

Five year cost to own:: $43,860

Fuel economy: 29 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is a fuel-efficient compact SUV that’s ready to tackle your next commute. The interior is comfortable for up to four adults, if you’re running the local carpool. Standard safety features include automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control is an available add-on.

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid by the numbers

Five year cost to own: $51,351

Fuel economy: 38 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

What is it about the suburbs that just screams for a minivan? If you find the call is too great, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is a great choice for still getting excellent gas mileage and plenty of room for the whole family. The stow and go seating offers plenty of flexibility and the available all-wheel-drive offers options for all terrains. Driver assistance features include automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning.

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid by the numbers

Five year cost to own: $72,337

Fuel economy: 38 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick

Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury crossover that impresses with its comfortable interior and high safety ratings. While the Volvo XC90 definitely doesn’t have the fuel economy of some of the smaller vehicles on this list, it is a handy vehicle to have if you’re sharing your suburban home with some kids or big dogs. It comes standard with a slew of driver assistance features including adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, lane-departure warnings and automated emergency braking.

Volvo XC90 by the numbers

Five year cost to own: $87,293

Fuel economy: 24 mpg

IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+

Wrapping up

Living in the suburbs can mean longer commutes, but also more peace and quiet. It can also mean lower insurance prices, especially if you're going from parking a vehicle on a city street to keeping it in your garage at your new suburban pad. 

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Economy. [FuelEconomy.gov]

  2. 5-year-cost-to-own. [Kelly Blue Book]

  3. Vehicle ratings. [IIHS]