In the struggle against peak traffic and rising fuel prices, selecting your vehicle wisely is essential.
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[ This piece originally ran in the July 2007 edition of MotorTrend under the title "Commuter Combat." ] It feels like 1973 all over again. That large SUV in your driveway now seems as outdated as a Nixon-era Oldsmobile 88. Concerns over climate change and ongoing reliance on oil are dampening the hopes of GM and Ford to follow Chrysler into the rear-drive V-8 sedan market. You could commute in a Toyota Prius or a more subtle hybrid, but at $3 per gallon, the hybrid won't recoup its cost for years. By then, the interest on your adjustable-rate mortgage might be through the roof.
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The upside is that, in terms of finding an affordable, fuel-efficient commuter vehicle, it's no longer 1973. Gone are the days of the Datsun B-210 or the Honda Civic CVCC. Of course, your target price is now "under $20,000," not "under $3,000." The Civic and the Sentra—the latter having been around since roughly the time Datsun rebranded to Nissan—are no longer their manufacturers' base models. The Mitsubishi Lancer, which nearly vanished as a low-down-payment special after evolving from the 1980s Dodge Colt, now shares its platform with the upcoming, more premium Galant. It also shares that platform with the Chrysler Group's front-drive vehicles, ranging from the Jeep Compass to the Dodge Avenger. Hyundai's Elantra is also completely redesigned, though it feels familiar, featuring a carryover engine and transmission.
Like most Hyundais, it gains from enhanced quality, styling, and refinement, but it doesn't show the same level of improvement as larger, pricier models such as the Sonata and Santa Fe. Modern, thriving Seoul isn't as congested as modern, thriving Tokyo, and cars of this size hold less significance in South Korea than in Japan. Unsurprisingly, the Elantra hasn't received the same level of investment as the larger vehicles from its rapidly expanding parent company.
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So, here's what we've assembled to identify the most enjoyable and practical way to navigate your daily commute. The Honda Civic LX—18 months after the Civic was named Car of the Year—serves as our benchmark. The contenders are the mid-level Nissan Sentra 2.0S, the Hyundai Elantra SE, and the Mitsubishi Lancer in GTS trim.
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The Lancer GTS starts at about one to two thousand dollars more than the others, but it's the only trim level we could obtain this early, reflecting Mitsubishi's fresh strategy in the U.S. market. Last year, it sold just 118,558 cars and trucks in the U.S., a figure only 636 higher than Nissan's Sentra sales. Now, it's adopting a Subaru-like approach, "we're not going to try to be Toyota or Honda," focusing on lower volumes of slightly upscale, well-equipped, sportier models. Designed to capitalize on the glow of Mitsubishi's upcoming Evolution X, our Lancer GTS came with 18-inch wheels and tires (versus the others' 16-inchers), a paddle-shift CVT, a boy-racer rear spoiler, and a front strut tower brace. Skipping the $1,500 sun and sound package—it was our only tester with a sunroof—would have brought its price to within $1,100 of the Nissan and Honda.
Choosing the Civic as the benchmark excluded several well-known models from the running. The Chevrolet Cobalt represents a decent effort from a company that has struggled to produce a credible compact sedan, but it falls short next to the Civic. So does the larger Volkswagen Jetta when fitted with the standard 2.5-liter five-cylinder. And the 2008 Ford Focus wasn't available yet. Toyota has delayed the replacement of its aging Corolla, rushing back to the drawing board after seeing the current Civic, a testament to our 2006 Car of the Year.
None of our commuters came with an optional manual transmission, which says something about this mission. These are everyday vehicles for the average person. The Lancer and Sentra feature continuously variable transmissions, the Civic has a five-speed automatic, and the Elantra has a four-speed. Serious enthusiasts who need cars like this and don't mind working their left leg during traffic jams should consider a manual, however, as it would offer more enjoyment and likely better acceleration in any of our contenders.