5 Good Cars For College Students
Just two weeks a go, I wrote about a few cars I thought would be great for new drivers and high school students, based on cost, fuel efficiency and a few other factors. This morning, I thought I’d kick it up a notch and write about a few cars that I believe would be great cars for college students.
Keep in mind, these cars wouldn’t need to purchased new – in fact, my research was also based on how well these vehicles hold up year after year as well, so if you’re a college student on a tight budget or the parent of a college student and you’ve been searching for good, dependable transportation – either used or new – check out my recommendations, which are based on fuel efficiency, safety, cost, value and reliability, and has always, if you have other recommendations, please let us know by sharing your comments below.
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
- MSRP: $13,990.00
- Fuel Economy: 22 City/29 Highway
My first choice is the Mitsubishi Lancer, which is also one of my top picks for 4 Great Cars for Teen Drivers. As I mentioned before, it’s fun to drive, great to look at and since it’s a 4 door sedan, insurance premiums may be lower than a sporty two-seater or sports car. The base model, the Lancer DE, comes standard equipped with tilt steering wheel, power windows, power mirrors, tire pressure monitor and CD MP3 player. Move up to the A/C and power package for air conditioning and power locks, or check out the Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, which comes with all the bells and whistles, including automatic climate control, Bluetooth action, key-less entry, cruise control and more.
2008 Hyundai Elantra SE
- MSRP: $13,870.00
- Fuel Economy: 24 City/33 Highway
I chose the 2008 Hyundai Elantra for various reasons, among them is the 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for frontal impact collision protection and a 4-star rating for side collision protection. All Elantra’s come standard equipped with anti-lock disc brakes, full side curtain airbags, front seat side airbags and anti-whiplash front head restraints. The Hyundai Elantra SE also comes with air conditioning, fog lights, cruise control and key-less entry, while an upgrade to heated seats and a sunroof is available.
2008 Pontiac Vibe
- MSRP: $16,855.00
- Fuel Economy: 26 City/33 Highway
The sporty Pontiac Vibe seats up to 5 passengers and offers practicality and fun at the same time. Kind of like an SUV, kind of like a sedan, the Vibe brings together the best of both worlds at an affordable price. Great for transporting friends, band equipment, books or just hitting the beach, the Pontiac Vibe comes standard with air conditioning, tilt steering and CD Player. A few optional packages are available, which include cruise control, key-less entry, sunroof and OnStar.
2008 Honda Fit
- MSRP: $13,950.00
- Fuel Economy: 27 City/ 34 Highway
Previously making the 4 Great Cars for Teen Drivers list, this cute little car will have you buzzing down the highway in no time! The Honda Fit comes standard with air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, 60/40 rear seat and CD Player. If you move up to the Fit Sport, expect fog lights, key-less entry, cruise control and a CD/MP3 player. I also like the safety features and crash result tests for little car. The Honda Fit comes with front side airbags, full side curtain airbags and scored well, earning a 5 out of 5 rating in both front and side crash tests. It managed a 3-star rating in rear side crash tests.
2008 Volkswagen GTI
- MSRP: $22,800.00
- Fuel Economy: 21 City/29 Highway
A little pricier than the rest, the Volkwagen GTI still makes the list because it comes in either a 2-door or 4-door hatchback and standard features include heated mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, 60/40 split rear seat, 6 CD MP3 system with satellite radio and steering wheel audio control. You can upgrade to leather interior, a sunroof, heated front seats and more.
Safety features include front side-seat airbags, full side curtain airbags with rear side airbags on the 4-door model. The 4-door GTI earned a 4 star rating in frontal impacts and earned an impressive 5 star rating in side impact testing.
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Out of curiosity, what’s the reasoning for a car making it to one list or another? That is, what makes the cars better for HS students vs. college students?
Hi Slinky: In preparing this list, I looked for various factors, including travel and fuel economy (most college students travel much farther than high school students overall, so good fuel economy was important in my choices) and while I didn’t list all vehicles that get great fuel economy, I listed some which I felt would be good choices based on other factors as well, such as affordability, crash test scores, standard features, available options, dependability, reputation, value, etc., and while I’m sure there are many more cars that could easily be included, I only listed a few.
Hopefully my lists offer a good starting point.
I have teenage girl getting ready to drive which ones are the best for saving me money on insurance? also I’m concerned with safety, which one do you think has the best safety rating?
Hi Chad: The Honda Elantra and Honda Fit both received 5-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Insurance rates will vary, however the more safety features and anti-theft devices, the better.
I can not imagine a car for my teen daughter (these days) without Onstar. Breakdowns ten years ago simply don’t have the ramifications of today.
Haven’t had a car yet with Onstar, but I was impressed when I heard about how the service stopped a car theft not too long ago. I have a niece in college who drives a Lancer and she loves it. Now I feel safer that you recommend it as a good car for teen drivers.
Hi Annette: I’m happy to hear your niece loves her Lancer
.