Do you need to buy a new car real quick for your teen or college student? It can be complicated and full of stress. I’m an an automotive journalist, a professional road test reviewer and the mother of a brand new college freshman.
And while my teen daughter drives a circa 2000 Mercedes-Benz S 550 (in which she escaped certain death from a recent bad freeway accident), some parents are looking to buy a completely reliable, affordable and super safe new car for their high school or college student.
I’d buy my college student any one of these Top 10 Back to School Cars with pride and peace of mind.
2011 Ford Fiesta
The 2011 Ford Fiesta takes the No. 1 spot as best new car for teens and college students because this much-lauded affordable sporty compact is a fun-to-own-and-drive car. Certainly, the outside and interior design is fresh and in some cases quite vivid with brash new paint colors like lime and magenta. Ford is top of the heap these days when it comes to everything else you’d want in a new car like high safety marks, high resale value, high quality awards, high fuel economy (40 mpg hwy!) and the world’s best connectivity technology to date with SYNC. Plus, the 2011 Ford Fiesta comes with what Ford claims as “15 class-exclusive features, adding luxury and convenience usually found in vehicles at significantly higher price points.” Bravo Ford!2011 Chevrolet Cruze
Although I have yet to road test the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, I’ve heard great things about this affordable sedan. However, my auto journalist colleague Kimatni Rawlins of super cool auto portal Automotive Rhythms did test it out. From what he says, the 2011 Chevy Cruze is a good bet for seniors. “The styling of the Cruze may not stop you in your tracks but has a very strong silhouette with bold lines. The Chevrolet Cruze is deceptively quick when it matters. When merging onto a highway or needing to overtake quickly and safely, the Cruze is more than able to get the job done while maintaining great fuel economy. Compared to the Honda Civic, the Cruze comes out on top by delivering the same capable handling with a much more comfortable and forgiving ride. Speaking of fuel economy, the Cruze delivers up to 40 mpg. Very impressive! You can tell that they (GM) designed the Cruze for a more mature and sensible driver who also likes to have a bit of fun.”2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
All active kids love sport wagons, right? For Earth-loving students, the “clean” diesel-powered 2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI is rather affordable (base MSRP $24,310), has fun-to-drive German engineering, a hip minimalist interior and gets almost unbelievable fuel economy (42 mpg hwy). Yes, the 2010 VW SportWagen TDI pleases in more ways than one. Plus, this gas-sipping sedan is eligible for a $1,300 federal income tax credit by qualifying for the “advanced lean burn technology motor vehicle” credit. Why such a nice rebate? The 2010 Jetta SportWagen TDI feeds on today’s low sulphur diesel gasoline, which burns super clean and is good for the environment.2010 Mazda MAZDASPEED3
Does your kid love style and speed? Yes, the 2010 Mazda MAZDASPEED3 is definitely built for young guys who like to drive real fast. The MAZDASPEED3’s 2.3-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder engine gets 263 hp and an EPA-estimated 21 combined mpg. Plus this sporty hatchback has superior speed, suspension, handling, braking and a super special interior design. In fact, the Speed3 is so much fun to drive that YOU will want to borrow it on weekends!2010 Mitsubishi Lancer SportBack
Here’s another cool sport wagon mostly for guys although some girls (including this HUGE Lancer fan!) think it should not be overlooked by the ladies. The Mitsubishi Lancer SportBack is a great pick for young active guys (and gals) because it combines sporty styling and performance. I road tested the all-new 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer SportBack and found this five-seat hatchback is affordable and has sporty performance, a distinctive interior, top safety marks and loads of cargo capacity.2010 Chevrolet Malibu
Women seem to love Malibu and it’s no surprise that young ladies are attracted to the female-friendly design of this cool sporty sedan. Come to think of it, all coeds will love the sophisticated Euro styling both on the inside and outside of the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. And, if you have an environmentally-minded student, you can buy the Malibu in a hybrid version. The 2010 Chevy Malibu is also a fun-to-drive sedan with top safety marks and rather good fuel economy.2010 Hyundai Elantra
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra was built as the perfect student car: an affordable get-around-town car with excellent fuel efficiency and lots of standard features. And the 2010 Hyundai Elantra really delivers, especially against such tough competition as the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.2010 Kia Soul
Does your brash prodigy need to stand out in a crowd? The 2010 Kia Soul is definitely a head-turning compact CUV with funky fresh design inside and out, zippy performance, top safety marks and excellent fuel economy. Plus, for such a small car, I found there’s more than enough room for both driver and four passengers although cargo space isn’t huge. Made more popular these days by some clever advertising, the 2010 Kia Soul is no joke and is definitely worth a trip to your nearest Kia dealership.2010 Nissan Cube
The 2010 Nissan Cube competes head to head with the 2010 Kia Soul as a funky little car with a super cool ride. The interior is super cool and comfy. And the performance is really fun. All in all, the Nissan Cube is a great vehicle for students who want a fun-looking car and parents who want a low price. As a middle-age (and rather boring) woman, I was leary of road testing this seemingly wacky ride. Surprisingly, I found the 2010 Nissan Cube is an overall best buy for performance, design, versatility, cargo space, technology and safety.2011 Nissan LEAF
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