Forbes List of 'The Best Cars for Commuters, 2011': Toyota Prius Wins Top Spot

You don't have to be a commuter to want to make a good choice when purchasing a new vehicle. Everyone wants reliability, fuel efficiency and adequate space. Forbes has a list of the 11 cars they consider as being best cars for commuters for 2011 - the $23,050 Toyota Prius wins top honors.

And why is the Toyota Prius considered a top commuter car? Among other reasons cited in the article, Consumer Reports rates it at 55 highway miles per gallon and praises it for its firm, steady ride and roomy rear seat.

The 11 autos on 'The Best Cars For Commuters, 2011' list:

Toyota Prius
Volkswagon Golf
Volkswagon Jetta Wagon
Honda Civic Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
MINI Cooper
Mazda3
Honda Accord
Honda Fit
Hyundai Sonata GLS
Toyota Corolla

How Forbes picked the 11 autos on 'The Best Cars For Commuters, 2011' list:

1) Forbes started with new vehicles listed as Consumer Reports "Recommended Picks" for this year.

2) Forbes then combined the highway miles per gallon (the CR -rated numbers) for each vehicle with their front legroom and front headroom measurements, assigning one point for each mile per gallon and one point for each inch of space, for a grand total score. Of those finalists, the 11 vehicles with the best combination of highway fuel efficiency, legroom and headroom made the list.

3) Forbes did not put a price limit on the automotive contenders, since in their estimation there are cars at any price point that can be great on a morning commute.

The article itself about the best commuter cars for commuters in 2011 provides the reader with some information about the pros and cons of the various vehicles, and also explains somewhat why the crossovers, SUVs and minivans many families use to haul kids, gear and groceries are missing from the list.

The slide show doesn't offer too much detail in the description of each of the 11 cars, but the photos do help differentiate styling with the exception of two of the photos that are only front-end views of those vehicles.

The article: The Best Cars For Commuters, 2011
In Pictures: The Best Cars For Commuters, 2011

If you are in the market for a new car, the Forbes list of the best cars for commuters for 2011 provides some good basic information on 11 autos to place on your consideration list.

Other useful tools when purchasing a new car, all from Consumer Reports:

Most reliable new cars (GM improves considerably, but Honda and Toyota still dominate).
Best new car values
Best new cars under $25,000
Top cars in our tests
Best new car deals

See also by R.C. Johnson:
Twin Cities (MN) Auto Show: 7th Largest Auto Show in the Nation (March 12-20, 2011)
Forbes List of 'America's 20 Most Miserable Cities': a Sad Commentary on the Times
Forbes Ranks the Most Powerful People on Earth: Do You Agree?

Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/08/best-cars-for-commuters-business-autos.html
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm