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For most of us, the daily commute is an inescapable fact of modern life. It makes sense, then, to purchase a car that keeps the slog to and from work as pleasant as possible. Sometimes that means foregoing certain features that make a car “fun,” because they’re not practical on a day-by-day basis in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Ultra-Affordable: Honda Fit
In the era of the Pinto and Yugo, it would have been hard to imagine a car like the Fit: It is available with

manual or cruise-able automatic transmission with Flat cabin floor for unpredictable situations. A tiny subcompact on the outside, but one that’s well built, fun to drive, and above all, spacious. Surrounded by six standard airbags: front, front side and side curtain with Standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) .The Fit has 90 cubic feet of interior space inside and 21.3 cubic feet of storage behind its second row–nearly as much as a Honda Element SUV.
Base price: $13,950 for Fit and $15,270 for Fit Sport
Engine: 1.5-liter four-cylinder, 109-horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 27/34 mpg city/highway

Ultra-Affordable: Smart For Two
Base price: $11,590 to $16,590
Engine: 1.0-liter three-cylinder, 71-horsepower
EPA fuel economy (est.): 40 mpg combined
The 2008 Fortwo is larger than its predecessor, but it’s still outrageously small, some 40 inches shorter than a Mini. In real life, the Smart For Two is the tiniest car in the U.S. The Fortwo is also available with targa-style removable roof panels. When it goes on sale in January. Coupe or convertible, this two-seater parks comfortably where others fear to tread; company officials expect it to achieve 40 mpg. And the Mercedes-designed Smart is no glorified golf cart: A stout steel safety cage, electronic stability control and four airbags are big safety features for this Lilliputian car. The new Fortwo is a subtle evolution of the original Smart, of which more than 770,000 have been sold since 1998.

Fun But Frugal: Nissan Altima
Base price: $18,855
Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 175 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 23/31 mpg city/highway
The 2008 Nissan Altima gets standard ABS for all models this year. Nissan’s midsize cars come in sedan and coupe form. The latest generation of the Altima has the eye-catching style and spirited handling that’s missing from many family sedans. 2.5 models have a 175-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. 3.5 models use a 270-hp 3.5-liter V6. Yet it’s every bit as roomy and practical. The engine is rated at 31 highway mpg, but has been known to hit 34 mpg at steady cruising speeds. The first gasoline/electric Altima is promised for early in calendar 2007. It will be sold only in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, all of which have stricter emissions than the other 42 states.

Fun But Frugal: Mini Cooper
Base price: $18,565
Engine: 1.6 liters in-line 4 front engine with 77 mm bore, 85.8 mm stroke, 10.6 compression ratio, overhead cam and four valves per cylinder
EPA fuel economy (est.): 28/36 mpg city/highway
The British-made, BMW-designed Mini is a born commuter with its pint size, affordable price, go-kart handling and spacious (for two) cabin. The Mini can also fly past the pump, with highway economy of 36 mpg. Coming in February, the last generation of the Mini, the John Cooper Works package underwent a slow evolution. It began as a dealer-installed kit that included a revised head, a new supercharger with a smaller drive pulley, and a free-flowing exhaust system with a new, nine-inch-longer Clubman version (pictured) makes room for more than backpacks and briefcases in the rear, adding a modestly useful back seat and extra cargo space.

All-Economy: Toyota Prius
Base price: $20,950
Engine: 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 50 kW electric motor, 186 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 48/45 mpg city/highway
This gas/electric hybrid car is a five-passenger, 4-door hatchback that teams a 4-cylinder engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 100 hp. The car that put hybrids on the map remains the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan on the market, sipping along at 45 mpg during our testing. The Toyota is especially well-packaged, with a rear seat that delivers more legroom than many big SUVs. The 2008 Prius arrives on lots in August. The base price has been reduced to $20,950 for the standard model and $23,220 for the Touring model.

All-Economy: Honda Civic Hybrid
Base price: $22,600 - $24,350
Engine: 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 15 kW electric motor, 110 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 45-51/40-49 mpg city/highway
The 2008 Civic Hybrid is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in two trims, the CVT AT-PZEV and the CVT AT-PZEV w/ Navigation System. Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 1.3-liter, I4, 110-horsepower. A variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The hybrid version of Honda’s popular compact sedan features precise steering, a spacious interior and a raft of safety features, including curtain airbags, active anti-whiplash headrests and a body structure designed to minimize pedestrian injuries. The EPA testifies that the Civic hybrid gets 49 mpg in city driving and 51 on the highway.

Luxury Cruisers: Lexus LS 460
Base price: $61,500 - $74,485
Engine: 4.6-liter V-8, 380 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 16/24 mpg city/highway
The new LS 460, there will be a long-wheelbase version called the LS 460L with a limousine-like rear seat and a hybrid version called the LS 600h, which combines a 5.0-liter version of the V8 engine with a new version of the Lexus hybrid drive system. The LS 460 has a 4.6-liter V8 that is mated to a computer-controlled eight-speed automatic transmission. Safety features include eight standard air bags, ABS, electronic brake assist, ESP, adaptive front lighting that turns corners, and tire pressure monitoring. The Lexus LS 460 is largely a carryover from its 2007 debut, with the addition of a new paint color.

Luxury Cruisers: BMW 335i Convertible
Base price: $49,875
Engine: Twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six, 300 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 17/26 mpg city/highway
Hardtop convertibles offer numerous advantages over their soft-top competitors, including coupe-like quietness and excellent visibility when the top is up. BMW reports that the rear side windows have grown 30 percent in the new 3-series convertible, while overall visibility is up 38 percent. A convertible can enliven the most mundane drives–including the daily commute. BMW’s first-ever hardtop convertible is a sport-sedan dream, with sleek looks, ferocious performance and room for four adults. The practical side comes through in class-leading resale value; free scheduled maintenance for four years or 50,000 miles; and EPA highway mileage of up to 26 mpg. The convertible’s 12-cubic-foot trunk is actually one cube larger than the coupe’s, but shrinks to 7 with the top down; still leaving usable space beneath the panels.

For Carpoolers: Mercedes GL 320 CDI
Base price: $53,175
Engine: Turbocharged, 3.0-liter diesel V-6, 215 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 18/24 mpg city/highway
This Mercedes GL 320 CDI is with 3.0L V6, 24 valve, 215 hp @ 4000 rpm, Diesel - Biodiesel ,7 speed automatic transmission. Widely acclaimed by the automotive press as the best large SUV on the market, the Mercedes GL is as sumptuous and smooth-riding as any Benz sedan. The carpooling difference is that the GL seats up to seven adult passengers, with a notably spacious and accessible third row. The quiet, powerful diesel 320 CDI model adds another trick: 40% better fuel economy than the gasoline V-8 version.

For Carpoolers: GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook/Buick Enclave
Base price: $28,340 to $32,790
Engine: 3.6-liter V-6, 275 horsepower
EPA fuel economy: 16/24 mpg city/highway
This is the best General Motors SUV .GM’s crossover triplets–the Acadia, Outlook and Enclave–have drawn raves for their incredible space-efficiency, family-friendly features and solid all-around performance. Unlike similarly priced two-row crossovers, the GMs carve out three cavernous rows and room for seven adults, eight in a pinch. Yet thanks to a car-like ride and poised handling, drivers never feel like they’re wrestling with a monster SUV–or filling one up at the pump.