If You're a Student, Consider These Cars

by admin on 28/08/09 at 11:15 am

Regardless of whether you are in high school or college, the decision to buy a car (even if you’re parents are buying it) is a big one with lots of financial implications. Of course you want something stylish to drive, but you have to consider costs and safety as well.

There have been numerous lists of good cars for students, but one of the best was published by Smart Money Magazine last year. The criteria was the car must be low cost (under $18,000 MSRP), safe, and at least reasonably cool. While the list might be a tad old, the list of cars is still on the mark.

The Mazda 3, with an MSRP of less than $15,000 ranked as the best value. The car got high marks for features and great handling.

The safest car on the list was the Subaru Impreza which offers all-wheel drive and front, side, and rear airbags. It’s also one of the heaviest small cars which might not be great for gas mileage, but does make it a safe ride.

The Ford Focus ranked highest in fuel economy while the Honda Fit was tops in reliability. And you are holding out for a flashy car, the coolest on Smart Money’s list was the Volkswagen Rabbit.

No matter what your future plans are, any of these cars would be wise choices and should last you well beyond college.