Total Car Score, a web portal that compares and ranks automobiles, has released the list of ‘Top 10 Cars for Commuting.’
The listing is based on the vehicles’ high Total Car Score and remarkable fuel-efficiency ratings under city driving conditions. This list is helpful for car-buying customers who understand the typical traffic conditions in urban and suburban regions.
As per the National Traffic Scorecard, carried out by INRIX, a traffic and navigation service provider, motorist in the largest cities in America spent roughly 60 h of their time sitting in heavy traffic during 2011. This is mainly due to work and travelling requirements that prevent them from driving when the roads were traffic-free. Hence, it is important to take into account city mpg as the major fuel economy number while buying a new car.
According to the EPA, it is mandatory to test and publish both highway and city mpg for new cars. However, carmakers often utilize the highway mpg as their primary fuel economy number to promote the fuel efficiency of a model.
Total Car Score’s Editor in Chief, Karl Brauer stated that the mixed mpg rating that accounts for a vehicle’s overall fuel efficiency is nearer to the value of city mpg when compared to the highway mpg. The combination of a high Total Car Score and a high city mpg provides an attractive mix of vehicles that are ideal for city driving conditions. The list comprises pure electric cars, hybrids, as well as gasoline- and diesel-powered cars.
The top 10 models as per the order in the list include Nissan Leaf (electric), Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Lexus RX Hybrid, Volkswagen Passat (diesel), Audi A3 (diesel), Volkswagen Golf (diesel), Chevrolet Sonic, and Ford Fiesta.