The Veloster is too big? That’s a new one. It’s really very small, no bigger than most of the listed cars. It is very similar to an Accent mechanically, just a bit swoopier. Nothing wrong with the Accent, either. The Mazda2 is related to the Ford Fiesta, but with a Mazda engine. Theoretically it is less powerful than the Ford, but all the car magazines found it actually felt peppier. We had a B210 with an automatic, with the acceleration of a pedal car. Only in your memory is the Datsun a good car (even with a manual.) I like the Fit a lot, and don’t think it’s unusually noisy. It wouldn’t be my first choice for a long trip, unless I had a lot of stuff to carry. I dislike the Mini, finding it cramped and ugly on the inside, but the auto magazines all praise its handling. Just don’t buy it if you have tall friends. Even the Velolster has a lot more headroom.
I don’t understand why the Fusion is on there. It’s a mid-sized sedan. Do you maybe mean the Fiesta? Or the Focus? Both come as hatchbacks. I find the Fiesta pretty cramped, but do like the styling. The Focus is nice, but costs too much for what it is. I’d take a Mazda3 Skyactiv any day. One problem with the smallest cars is that they don’t get any better gas mileage than the next size up, cost nearly as much when similarly equipped, and aren’t as comfortable or roomy. The Fit being a bit of an exception, but it has as much room as a Mazda3 or Focus.
So what would I get? Well, what we did get was an Elantra GT hatchback, but we don’t drive a lot of miles per year, so mpg wasn"t a primary concern (though it has been fine.) The Mazda3 Skyactiv was our other finalist, but the interior wasn’t as nice or the back seat as roomy, both important to us. The Mazda drove better. And all these other cars would be fine if commuting was the main point. Since it’s not your only car it can be as impractical as you want it to be. For efficiency there is even the Honda CR-Z. Or whatever it’s called. The Prius C doesn’t get much respect (based on the unloved Yaris) or I’d suggest it. But I really like the Veloster. One parks on our block and I always give it an admiring look as I pass. Seems like an ideal commuter car to me.