Wrt the Renegade, do you want eyelets for a rack and disk brakes?
I vote for a regular road bike. My commute is 18 miles each way and I use a saddle bag on a road bike. And, while many folks go long and do fine on Tiagra and lower, 105 and higher is what you should try to afford. Keep in mind; the bike you have gets you to work and back. You want a road bike (that you can also ride to work).