This was not a base model. It was in the middle of the model line-up, in that range where you have to spend serious money to get a noticeable performance increase. As someone else said, make sure the bearings are freshly lubed. The U6 freewheel (and a new chain) is not a bad idea.

If you are going to commute on it, you need to add weight (and function) -- fenders, rack, lights.