Boston named worst U.S. city for drivers
A recent study from NerdWallet lists the worst cities in the nation for drivers, and Boston is at the top of the list.
According to NerdWallet’s analysis, Boston drivers spend far more time stuck in traffic than other motorists across the nation. They also face greater safety risks, longer delays because of inclement weather, and a terrible struggle to find parking spaces.
But don’t despair. We dug into our archives and found the cars that will help you battle each of the factors that make driving in Boston so terrible.
Here’s a breakdown of NerdWallet’s score.
Accident Likelihood: Citing Allstate’s America’s Best Drivers report, NerdWallet found Boston drivers are almost 130 percent more likely to get into an accident than the national average.
If these odds have you concerned about your car’s ability to handle a crash, the following cars, trucks, and SUVs were named the safest vehicles on the road by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Safest Cars of 2015
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Traffic delays and congestion: According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the average U.S. driver can spend about 33 hours stuck in traffic each year. It’s much worse for Boston drivers who spend an average of 53 hours muddling through congestion annually.
Stop-and-go traffic can really wear on a car, so you’ll need something sturdy to make it through all that traffic. Something on this list of the 20 longest-lasting vehicles should do the trick.
A GMC Sierra 1500 is one of the longest-lasting vehicles according to iSeeCars.com
Gas prices: NerdWallet’s report looked at 2014 data from the Council for Community and Economic research. Boston drivers paid an average price of $3.60 per gallon for gas.
If the thought of losing gas while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic has you considering the efficiency of your car’s gas mileage, here are some fuel-friendly vehicle recommendations.
The Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback gets 27 mpg city/34 highway for combined fuel economy of 30 mpg.
Parking: As if getting stuck in Boston’s traffic wasn’t bad enough, finding a parking spot can be just as painful. NerdWallet found Boston has 1.36 parking garages and lots for every 1,000 cars.
In case you have trouble fitting your car into a tight parking spot, here are some cars to make parking in Boston a little easier.
Smaller cars like the MINI Cooper are easier to park in tight Boston parking spots.
Weather: Bad weather can make driving even more difficult. NerdWallet found Boston drivers experience 10 extra days of snow and rain compared to the national average.
If we ever have another winter like 2015, nothing will make that a pleasant time to drive. But the vehicles on this list of the 10 best cars to tackle winter might soothe the pain.
The Jeep Wrangler can tackle just about any terrain and can handle brutal New England winters.
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