Five best Commuter Cars under 25000
If you assume that a person works on average 45 years out of their life and multiply that by the 9 days the same average person spends in their car commuting each year that equals out to 405 days spent sitting in your car over the course of a lifetime. That is well over a year. Think about the car you are driving now and consider spending over a year sitting in it. Does the thought make you ill?
Well, it doesn’t have to. Commuting is just a fact of life in this day and age and just because you have to do it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. There are plenty of inexpensive, fun to drive yet highly spacious and comfortable automobiles on the market today that cost under $25,000. So why torture yourself? Get out there, commute and have fun!
VW Golf GTI: (21 city/31 highway)
With an all new interior for 2010 that redefines quality in a sub-$25,000 automobile, the VW Golf GTI is also easily the most fun to drive commuter car on the market today. The exterior styling has been given a working over, as well, and the result is simply gorgeous. Why all hatchbacks don’t look this good is truly a question for the ages. Or at least for uppity auto designers.
The Golf GTI rides very smoothly but can handle a curving back road like a thoroughbred sports car. It has a huge cargo area, roomy backseat and plenty of clever cubbies to store all of your junk. To cut it short, the VW GTI is easily the most well rounded automobile under $25,000 on the road today.
Nissan Altima 3.5 SR: (20 city/27 highway)
Nissan recently cut the price on its 3.5 liter 6 cylinder Altima models and while it doesn’t come with leather or navigation as standard neither of those things matter when you hear the engine in this puppy sing. With 270 horsepower the Altima SR outpowers anything on this list by a fair amount so if you like your commuter cars fast this is by far the best choice. The Altima also has a very spacious and well built interior with clear gauges and plenty of storage space for cell phones, Garmin portable navigators and the like.
For your sub $25,000 entry price you do get power everything, air conditioning, the best CVT auto on the market, sports suspension, push button start, smartly upholstered cloth sports seats, heated side mirrors, automatic headlamps and a rear spoiler. Not a bad time to buy a 2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR then, eh?
Honda Civic Si 4 Door: (21 city/29 highway
Beware commuters; the Honda Civic Si likes to be engaged fully at all times much like a manic hamster. The 197 horsepower 2.0 liter 4 cylinder thrives on revs and the short throw shifter has a mechanical action that is so smooth it should be studied by sports car manufacturers. This is one fun, fast car to drive but it isn’t the type that you just leave in fourth and go so be sure you are ready for its slight neediness. If you are you are in for one heck of a ride.
Toyota Prius: (51 city/48 highway)
Scream all you want auto enthusiasts but there is fun to be had behind the wheel of the Prius and it has nothing to do with saving the Planet. First off, when this puppy is in electric mode the acceleration is positively addicting. Only when it is running in all gas engine mode does it just feel like another economy car.
Also, there is a portion of the Prius population that gets enthused by seeing how much gas they can save by altering their driving style to suit the hybrid powertrain. Just coast up to cars ahead of you in traffic, feel the engine turn off and the batteries charge. Then you can start counting the money you save and plan that weekend shopping trip to the mall to buy that new outfit. Don’t say you’ve never done that Prius owners!
VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI: (30 city/42 highway)
While you can buy a Jetta TDI in 4 door sedan form for less that model still has the old style interior and dashboard whereas the interior of the Sportwagen has the same updates the Mark 6 Golf and GTI received. The result is a positively luxuriant interior that you will forever be grateful you invested the extra money in. Another bonus is the fact that the Sportwagen has a positively huge cargo area. It’s perfect for those non-commuter trips to Home Depot.
On the road the TDI motor can barely be heard and has plenty of power thanks to the GTI beating 236 pound feet of torque. This model is about a second quicker 0-60 with the manual transmission so if you are thinking of buying a TDI that is probably the smartest way to go.
VW GTI: (Prices Starting at $23,465)
Nissan Altima 3.5 SR: (Prices Starting at $24,520)
Honda Civic Si Sedan: (Prices Starting at $22,215)
Toyota Prius: (Starting at $22,400)
VW Jetta TDI: (Prices Starting at $24,615)
