Commute to Carlsbad from Mira Mesa, Central San Diego? (houses, landlord)

[MaChao]

The landlord says it's time to move, and I had some questions about the commute from a few places we're are looking into.

We are currently living in La Jolla, near UCSD, and a few of my roommates are commuting to Carlsbad (off of Palomar Airport Road) in the mornings (around 9am) and coming back between 5 and 6pm. We're looking at houses in nearby Mira Mesa, mostly in the "middle of the maze" near Camino Ruiz and Calle Cristobal. I've been there during the evening commute and mira mesa blvd is usually locked down hard, but it looks like there are a number of alternative routes to the I5. Anyone know what a reasonable expectation is for this commute? How long does it take to get on the freeway from this area?

We're also looking at places a little further south, in the Mission Valley and Kearny Mesa areas, and possibly over near Serra Mesa and SDSU (that whole center san diego strip really). These places are further away, but have much better access to the freeways. Will my commuting roommates be much better or worse off in these areas vs. fighting their way out of Mira Mesa?

Thanks a ton!