A car is a tool for a commuter, as much as a saw is a tool for a carpenter. It makes sense to get the best tool for the job. When it comes to a saw, you’d consider sharpness, efficiency, reliability, cost and ergonomics. When it comes to a commuter car, you’d be wise to consider price, comfort, reliability and fuel economy.
At this moment, gas prices are falling. The average price at the pump has dipped below $2.00 per gallon in some parts of the country. The mountain range graph of retail fuel prices in the United States over the last decade featured a steep incline from $1.03 per gallon on December 17, 2001to a peak of $4.10 per gallon on July16, 2008, then fell off a cliff to bottom out at $1.59 per gallon on December 29, 2008, according to data gathered by GasBuddy.com, a provider of retail fuel pricing information and data. Patrick DeHaan, a Senior Petroleum Analyst at GasBuddy.com, noted that “consumers are already buying vehicles with lower fuel economy.” He stated that average fuel efficiency for new cars bought in December 2014 was 25.1 mpg, down from 25.8 mpg in August 2014. A similar phenomenon occurred during the last price decline, though the recession muted car buying in general. The GasBuddy Fuel Price Outlook 2015 predicts that the national average will be $2.642 per gallon over 2015, with a peak average of $3.00 and a low average of $2.36 per gallon during the year. “2015 should present a much more temperate gasoline price background than 2012, 2013 and 2014,” according to the report. Still, consumers should avoid complacency. “Avoid making a long-term commitment to a gas-guzzler,” advises DeHaan. “Consider the long-term volatility of unpredictable gas prices.”
To help you avoid complacency, we have put together a list of The Best Cars For Commuters 2015. Our selection is drawn from the Consumer Reports list of Recommended Cars. To be recommended, cars must deliver high scores in the Consumer Union’s “more than 50 tests, have average or better predicted reliability; and perform adequately if included in a government or insurance industry crash test.” Cars are rated on a scale of 1 – 100, with higher scores being best. Next, we examined gas mileage, as reported on the official source for fuel economy, fueleconomy.gov. Better fuel economy equates to bigger savings for commuters. Then we considered fuel capacity and range. Great efficiency without adequate range means more stops to refuel (or recharge) and lost time. We did not factor in purchase price into our selection. The base price range of vehicles this year was from $21,345 all the way to $89,650, with drivetrains ranging from conventional gasoline to hybrid gasoline/electric to pure electric.
We've selected two vehicles per commute for five different commuting needs: Short Commute; Long Commute; Summer Commute; Winter Commute; and Carpool.
Cold weather has blanketed much of the country right now, bringing focus to cars appropriate for a winter commute. Keith Griffin, Contributing Editor of BoldRide.com, suggests looking not only at the vehicle you’re driving, but also at the tires. “Too many people leave their all-season tires on and they’re just not as effective in winter driving conditions,” Griffin says. “Invest in a good set of winter tires and you can pretty much commute in anything.” Micah Muzio, Managing Editor of Kelley Blue Book’s Video Department, agrees. “Proper snow tires are a wise winter-time investment that greatly improves a car's ability to accelerate, turn and most importantly stop in snowy or icy conditions. Going one step further,” Muzio adds, “While front-wheel drive cars are perfectly capable winter-time performers, the traction enhancing power of all-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive really helps maximize driver control in slippery winter conditions.”
Neither Griffin nor Muzio are big proponents of full-size SUVs for commuting. “Provided your winter driving occurs exclusively on paved roads there really isn't an advantage to driving a big SUV versus an all-wheel drive sedan...unless of course the snow has piled so high that you need an SUVs superior ground clearance,” says Muzio. “There's another reason to favor a sedan or wagon,” says Griffin. “Better stopping distance in foul weather. It's simple physics. Heavier vehicles like SUVs are going to require longer stopping distances, which can be disastrous in icy conditions.”
The Tesla Model S returns to our list from 2014 for a long commute. For the second year in a row, the Model S nailed a score of 99 (out of 100) in Consumer Reports’ testing, making it the highest rated of the Recommended Cars. With an as-tested price of $89,650, the all-electric Model S will take some time to recoup its fuel costs, but commuters will see savings and benefits all along the way.
Subaru’s Impreza Premium came in with an as-tested price of just $21,345, the lowest on our list. With all-wheel drive and a respectable score of 79 from Consumer Reports, the Impreza impresses by traveling 37 miles per gallon on the highway, making it a good choice for winter commuting.
Commuters with short rides would do well to consider the Toyota Prius Four, which is rated to achieve fuel economy ratings of 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway/50 mpg combined, the best of any hybrid vehicle on our list. Only the all-electric Tesla Model S did better, with an equivalent of 88 city/90 highway/89 combined.
“Really scrutinize the details before you buy a car,” advises Kelley Blue Book’s Muzio. “Seat comfort, pressure points, blind spots, audio and climate control usability, etc. With the relentless repetition of commuting little annoyances become big annoyances, transforming that hard, poorly-positioned armrest from minor pain to major league curse.”
