Dear John: What’s the best new commuter car I can buy?

Story by John LeBlanc For the majority of new car buyers, the idea of owning a sports car or luxury sedan is a far-off dream. The reality is, most of us need a car to simply get us from point A to B, usually so we can make a living. Such is the case for this month’s Dear John letter. Bob McIndoe is a married father of two and lives in Barrie, Ont. Public transportation is not a convenient option to get to and from his job as a regional sales manager in Markham, Ont. — a more than 100 kilometre daily road trip that can take two hours on a “good day,” and twice that on a “bad day.” Right now, Bob is commuting in an eight-year-old Dodge Caravan, but the plan is to give the van to his oldest son, who just got his driver’s license and needs a vehicle to get to his part-time job. So Bob needs a new set of wheels. Something that’s stable and comfortable on the highway (no “bottom-feeding” subcompacts, he says), gets descent fuel-economy (“but no hybrids!”), occasionally transport his family of four, and all for no more than $25,000. Thankfully, Bob, you’ve hit a sweet spot in the Canadian new car market. Almost every automaker makes a fuel efficient, five-passenger, four-door compact sedan. But some are better than others. So right away, we’re going to avoid the long-in-the-tooth Toyota Corolla, new-for-2013 but too-soft Nissan Sentra, fun-to-drive but too-thirsty Mazda3 and super-efficient but too-pricey Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel. (I haven’t yet driven Honda’s “emergency refreshed” 2013 Civic, so I can’t legitimately recommend that one yet, either.) That leaves us with three of the more popular new cars sold in Canada: the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, 2013 Ford Focus and 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Needless to say, all compete in a very narrow bandwidth, with very competitive pricing, features and performance. A big step up from its Cobalt and Cavalier predecessors in regards to refinement and performance, 2013 Chevrolet Cruze starts at $16,545 (all prices include transportation and pre-delivery inspection fees). While fuel economy and highway comfort is at the top of your list, Bob, you also wrote that because you spend a big chunk of your day behind the wheel, you’d like a few luxuries, like an automatic transmission and hands-free phone capability so you can keep in touch with work and home while on the road. As such, the $21,335 mid-level Cruze LT Turbo (it includes an optional six-speed autobox and hands-free Bluetooth capability) is my first recommendation. The front-wheel-drive Chevy compact is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder. It makes 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, and is rated at 7.8 L/100 km in the city and 5.2 on the highway. The compact Chevy behaves like a mid-sized sedan on the highway. It has a stiff structure and a comfortable suspension setup. Road and engine noise is well muted, too. My next candidate, Bob, is the 2013 Ford Focus. Four-door sedan versions start at $17,549. But to match the Chevrolet and Hyundai, I’m picking the mid-level $20,749 Focus SE. With an optional dual-clutch autobox, it’s the least expensive of my picks. The Ford’s 160 hp and 146 lb-ft 2.0L four-cylinder offers competitive fuel economy estimates: 7.5 L/100 km city; 5.1 highway. But with a European-designed suspension and steering, the Focus is the most driver-oriented car here. Finally, we have the 2013 Hyundai Elantra sedan. Base models begin at $17,444. The $21,094 mid-level Elantra GLS lines up well with the Chevy and Ford in regards to specs. Using a 1.8L four-cylinder with 148 hp and 131 lb-ft, mated to a six-speed automatic, the Hyundai also scores well at the pumps with a 7.2 L/100 km estimate in the city and 5.2 on the highway. As usual, Hyundai plays the value card with the Elantra. Included in the price are heated front seats and a better factory warranty (five years/100,00 km, versus three years/80,000 km with the Chevy and Ford). I also like the Hyundai’s upmarket interior trim and roomy rear seat. Enough with the accolades; It’s time to whittle down our contestants. And as much as I like a good deal, Bob, I have to drop the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS first. Simply put, the Hyundai is just too unrefined to spend a great deal of time in. The Elantra is not as sporty to drive as the Ford and is louder and more sensitive to bad pavement compared to the Chevy. This leaves us with the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo. By far, it’s the most refined at highway speeds of this trio. Its interior is well made, roomy and comfortable. And its hands free interface is easy to use. For you, Bob, the Chevy is the fuel-efficient commuter car of your dreams. If you’re in the market for a new car, and would like to be the subject of a Dear John consultation, please contact John LeBlanc at editors@straight-six.com