Depends on the commute, right?
I have a well-employed friend who commutes 18 miles through the NW Boston suburbs each way every day. 36 miles a day is plenty and a nice bike is a lot cheaper than a crappy car. That commute calls for a different bike than someone commuting 12 city-blocks to a downtown office building.
OTOH, my wife worked in Leiden for a year and commuted (like almost everyone else) on a bike that was about $89.
And . . . who cares if the manufacturers call something a "commuter". Everyone should still buy the bike(s) they'll ride.