Dennis RomeroFor true car people, driving is a pleasure. Edging along the narrow lines of a mountain road, downshifting ahead of a smooth curve and punching the accelerator for a clean pass are the stuff of our dreams. As ultimate car guy Jay Leno often notes, you can still experience these sensations in the Angeles National Forest or along your favorite canyon route to Malibu.
Unfortunately, everyday driving in Los Angeles is a nightmare. Our roads are often ranked among the worst in America. And traffic congestion here is a perennial national champ. So when personal finance site WalletHub recently released its 2016’s Best & Worst Cities for Driving, we were surprised L.A. wasn't the biggest loser.
Out of 100 U.S. cities analyzed, L.A. was 11th worst overall. Washington, D.C., took the title. Yay?
We tied for second worst city in the nation when it comes to “highest average annual hours of traffic delays.” Los Angeles shared that honor with our SoCal neighbors — Long Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Irvine. Only overall champ Washington, D.C., was found to have longer delays.
L.A. also was a top city, tied with Long Beach for fifth, for “highest average gas prices.” You know this.
We came in 96th place out of 100 for ownership and maintenance costs. And we were 95th for the likelihood of a collision.
If you want to take a road trip to best city in America for drivers, the site says Scottsdale, Arizona, is your destination. Just be prepared to go slow. It's a retirement mecca.
Credit: WalletHub
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