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The house vs job location decision calculation is a straight foward annual average cost matter. More subjective are the preferences involving lifestyle.
A commuter vehicle such as a fully faired 250cc motorcycle or diesel sportscar can be had for around $10,000 and may get 130 mpg hwy. See the Vetter Challenge vehicles from Mid-Ohio last year. You may have to use a cool suit instead of AC.
The big issue is perceived vs actual safety. The notion that mass alone is the deciding factor in vehicle safety belongs in the Unicorn Corral. Material strength and design geometry are key in determining the amount of impact energy a car can convert into deforming itself instead of the passengers. I have taken the slide-for-life in a Corvair, a Cadillac hearse, and a Corolla all without injury. Was the 6000 lb. Caddy safer? Not really, the smaller cars stopped quicker before impact. The Caddy had fewer dents in the sheet metal because it collapsed a culvert hitting head on. The little cars allowed more control so I could pick my spot and angle of impact. Back in the day, we engineers refered to this as the "lead sled" effect. A good uni-body or monocoque tub will take a horrific beating and still protect the driver. A truck frame may be very rigid but the body is connected by only a handful of bolts. Once these shear, the lighter cab and driver keep moving toward the next impact. Nowdays SUVs or crossovers often share the same platform as a sedan. The sedans brake quicker than a pickup truck by about 10 ft from 60 mph and have lower air drag. If you need to haul materials or more than 8 passengers then a diesel truck or van makes sense.
If you are the tail gunner on the ice cream truck or the trunk monkey in a security detail, I can recommend a mag fed 12 ga.
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