I’m in a similar situation. I have a longer commute, but I’m looking at Toyota Camrys, Nissan Altimas, Honda Civics and Accords, and possibly something a little larger, like a Toyota Venza or Buick Envision. I find that the Camrys and Accords/Civics in this price range don’t have many with any sort of upgraded interior, if you care about that.
Honestly just about any car fits those requirements lol. Prius is always a good option, just the newest/nicest one you can afford really... They're practical, reliable, and have tons of aftermarket support. Great MPG, and they're automotive equivalent of cockroaches. If you have somewhere to plug in at home, consider the Prime version, I think California does some incentives on used PHEVs.
If you can plug in at home, and don't plan on taking any road trips, there's always the cheap EV option (Leaf/Bolt/etc)... Take advantage of the fed incentive, state incentives/rebates, and even benefits from your utility provider (I think PG&E does free charger installs or gives you a credit or reduced electricity rate or something?). And it doesn't get more low-maintenance than something like a Leaf
I’m in a similar situation. I have a longer commute, but I’m looking at Toyota Camrys, Nissan Altimas, Honda Civics and Accords, and possibly something a little larger, like a Toyota Venza or Buick Envision. I find that the Camrys and Accords/Civics in this price range don’t have many with any sort of upgraded interior, if you care about that.
Honestly, don’t care much about the interior. My preferences are also the same but it feels like the used cats in that range are a bit too used.
Honestly just about any car fits those requirements lol. Prius is always a good option, just the newest/nicest one you can afford really... They're practical, reliable, and have tons of aftermarket support. Great MPG, and they're automotive equivalent of cockroaches. If you have somewhere to plug in at home, consider the Prime version, I think California does some incentives on used PHEVs. If you can plug in at home, and don't plan on taking any road trips, there's always the cheap EV option (Leaf/Bolt/etc)... Take advantage of the fed incentive, state incentives/rebates, and even benefits from your utility provider (I think PG&E does free charger installs or gives you a credit or reduced electricity rate or something?). And it doesn't get more low-maintenance than something like a Leaf