They also charge more for them than my wife's brand new Honda Civic, which gets better milage and has more than 3 times the space.
I got a new Civic LX (automatic transmission) as a commuter car a few months ago and am regularly hitting 35+ mpg (got 40 on a longer trip with part of it having lower posted speed limits along the 2-lane local highways). My commute is about 30 miles each way mostly on the freeway, but I frequently get stuck in at least some rush-hour traffic. I also looked at some of the subcompacts but the mileage was typically similar and the anticipated safety and durability of the Civic was a tipping point with me. Like bats said, also decent room compared to those. Nissan has a couple vehicles that might be somewhat similar in mileage and power - Corolla and Versa - that have a little more headroom, IIRC from some test drives. I think they also can come with a CVT which is kinda nifty to drive, but I wasn't sure about the potential for additional repairs, etc., over time with those. My wife liked the Honda better as well, But the Corolla was probably my #2 choice at the time.
Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS
Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley