Unless you live on the doorstep of your workplace, commuting is a burden that most people must bear, and some cars aren’t quite cut out for the job.
There are a few that excel in this area, with people needing cars that suit urban and long-distance commutes, and here we list five for each category.
Urban commuting
Smart Fortwo
Daimler-owned manufacturer Smart is known for building urban-orientated models, and the Fortwo is the most compact of its range. Coming with a 70bhp or 89bhp petrol engine, as well as an all-electric option, the two-seat model can zip in and out of traffic with ease. Measuring just 2.7m long, the Fortwo can fit in to small spaces comfortably and is arguably the best city car available. Prices start from £10,040.
Ford Fiesta
It’s no wonder this car is so popular with British drivers, as it’s perfectly comfortable in the confines of the city, but can also stretch its legs on the open road if needed. As the best supermini available, the Fiesta continues to offer lots of practicality, despite its compact dimensions, and is easy to drive in tight city streets or on the open road. On offer with a range of efficient petrol and diesel engines and offering excellent comfort, this car is perfect for most commutes. The Fiesta starts from £13,715.
Nissan Leaf
Congestion charges and emission restrictions are starting to become more common in British cities, so an electric model could be the way to go. Even if the original price of £25,190 is a bit steep for a hatchback, the all-electric Nissan Leaf releases no emissions, is comfortable and is suited to shorter commutes due to its limited range of 168 miles. If you live within close proximity to your office, this car is almost perfect though, thanks to the zero-emission setup and reduced running costs.
Skoda Citigo
Out of the VW Group city car triumvirate, the Citigo is arguably the best, as it starts at a lower price than the Seat Mii and Volkswagen Up!, and comes with the same excellent chassis setup. Starting from £8,860, the Citigo has space for four people to travel in comfort, enough storage space for shopping and good quality equipment in higher trim levels. Although the open road may push the Citigo a bit more, it’s perfect for the urban commute.
Range Rover PHEV
If none of the models so far are premium enough, then it’s difficult to look past this electrified five-seat SUV. If you frequently commute into London, for example, and want a flashier car than most, then the Range Rover PHEV is a great option. Capable of a quoted 91mpg, the PHEV has a 31-mile all-electric range – which can be perfect for showing off in the city with no emissions – and is great pretty much everywhere. It’s also incredibly luxurious, with high-end comfort a central feature of the Range Rover. It is pricey though, starting from £87,600.
Long-distance commuting
Vauxhall Astra
Especially with a diesel unit under the bonnet, the Astra is a cheap, comfortable and amazingly efficient cruiser to get you from one end of the country to the other. With the 109bhp 1.6-litre CDTi turbo diesel, you can return over 67mpg, which is really quite handy when covering longer distances, and the spacious Astra is well-equipped for most situations. Space is also excellent and can make this model really useful lugging around big loads from time to time. The Astra range starts from £18,350.
Mercedes C-Class
Executive saloons are where German manufacturers shine, and for Mercedes, the C-Class has been incredibly popular with British drivers, as it usually ranks within the top 10 for sales every year. The current model is comfortable, superbly well-equipped and, depending on which engine you choose, can return more than 60mpg. It even comes with many features you would find on the luxurious S-Class, so for £32,120, you can get a superb executive cruiser.
Skoda Superb Estate
If you’re after a mile-muncher with a particularly capacious interior, then the Skoda Superb Estate might be the car for you. With over 1,900 litres of storage space with the rear seats down, stowing things won’t be an issue here, and with the comfortable Skoda setup of the Superb, covering long distances won’t be a hardship. All of the diesel engines can also return well over 50mpg, so that makes it an even better option. Prices start at a very reasonable £22,015.
BMW 5 Series
As the best mid-sized executive saloon on offer and one that also looks excellent, the BMW 5 Series is perfect for long-distance driving. Comfortable, spacious and efficient, there are also semi-autonomous driving features that can take the strain out of driving on motorways for long periods of time. With the sporty setup and excellent power units, the 5 Series cruises brilliantly, but can be great fun when you need it to be. Pricing for the saloon starts from £36,275.
Tesla Model S
The all-electric saloon is a futuristic cruiser that can go more than 300 miles on a single charge in its base spec, is brimmed to the gills with cool tech and looks excellent. With the impressive 391-mile range of the 100D version, the Model S could be the car that helps you make the switch to electric power and, when the technology is refined, it will be able to drive itself on long journeys, so you can relax. Yes, £63,700 for the base model is a lot, but it can offer lower running costs than everything on this list, so could be worth a look at.