mmcartalk
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A number of you here on the forum, no doubt, are parents with teens that are, or will soon be, going away to college......or, for that matter, simply staying at home and going to a nearby 2-year community college (as I did between the ages of 18 and 20). When I was in college, I couldn't afford a new car (neither could my parents afford to buy one for me), and I owned a couple of older, used cars...I often mention one of them, the big Buick, that I loved. But that's not the reason I'm doing this thread....we've spent enough time on my own past. The question is: What's the best car for a college student TODAY?
Opinions differ, of course, and I'm sure that many of you have good thoughts on the matter. One big difference, of course, is that, today, many parents are more safety-minded (and, in many cases, more well-heeled) than they were back in my day, and will insist that their kids have either something brand-new and/or something up to date in safety features. It's well-known, of course, that Mercedes and Volvo, for decades, have generally led the auto industry in the pioneering of new safety-features, but most of their American-market offerings have been (and are) priced outside the entry-level range that many parents would want to spend on an starter-car for their kids (or that the kids themselves can afford).
And, of course, kids go away to college in all sorts of different places.....Deep South and tropical climates, far Northern states with brutal winters, urban/suburban environments with wall-to-wall traffic (welcome to the D.C. area LOL), and remote Western or Alaskan areas where towns themselves can be hundreds of miles apart. Is there one single new car that can do everything well, and provide for all of a college student's needs, wherever he or she goes? Probably not....but, IMO, a reasonably good case can be made that the Subaru Impreza/Crosstrek comes closest.
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/impreza/index.html
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/crosstrek/index.html
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/index.html
New Imprezas start between 18-19K, include standard All-Wheel-Drive for bad weather, and come in either 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback versions....the hatchbacks, of course, would be more utile if the student has to carry along some bulky things. With a CVT automatic (many kids today can't drive a clutch), destination charge, and a few options/packages, Imprezas typically list in the low-mid 20s, but discounts, and sometimes rebates, are usually available at dealerships. They are arguably the cheapest new vehicles available in the American market with all-wheel-drive....the Suzuki SX-4 used to have that honor, but, of course, was discontinued when Suzuki stopped selling new automobiles in the U.S. and kept only its motorcycle division. Imprezas come with a non-turbo 2.0L flat-four "boxer" horizontally-opposed engine, a CVT (Continuously-Variable-Transmisison), and Subaru's famous Symmetrical all-wheel-drive systems that are simple, reliable, effective, and easy to service. While many college students, of course, don't go away to school in severe-winter or heavy-snow areas where all-wheel-drive would have its greatest benefits, the all-wheel-drive, particularly in the way Subaru designs it, can also greatly aid in both wet-weather traction and dry-weather handling as well. I admit that I'm not a terribly big fan of the way many CVTs operate and respond to the throttle (motorboating, rubber-banding, etc...), but that is simply a personal preference, and many kids probably wouldn't care. I'm also not totally convinced of the CVT's ultimate durability compared to conventional torque-converter/stepped-gear automatics, but Subaru offers the same 5/60 drivetrain warranty that most mainstream Japanese auto manufacturers do. The company also has had a good record of standing behind their products, in some cases (such as with head-gaskets and rear-wheel bearings) with extended-warranties from the factory. Most Subarus (high-performance WRX and STI models excepted), according to Consumer Reports, have had consistently Better-Than-Average reliability ratings. Subarus consistently do well in DOT/NHTSA/IIHS crash-tests, and come with a lot of standard and optional safety features.
If the student is going away to school in an area with severe winters and a lot of snow (such as to the Ivy League schools in New England, or to schools in the Great Lakes Snow Belt), the Subaru XV Crosstrek might be a better option than standard-model Imprezas. The Crosstrek is essentially the same car as the Impreza hatchback, but sitting higher off the ground, with a different suspension, wheels, and tires. Crosstreks, with their added ground clearance, would probably be a little better-suited to deep snow or deep water (though one should never try and drive into seriously flooded roads, matter what kind of vehicle he or she is in...many lives and vehicles are lost that way every year). Crosstreks start at just under 22K, but, with options and destination charge/taxes, etc....typically list in the mid-high 20s, though it's possible to spend 30K or more on loaded top-line models. But, as with the Impreza, discounts and/or rebates are often available. If interior space really becomes an issue, one could check out the Subaru Forester, which is built the same frame/platform as the Impreza/Crosstrek but offers a much larger cabin, square-box space-efficiency inside, and superb outward visibility. Foresters run (roughly) in the same price-range as the Crosstrek, and, of course, include the same Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system (I did a full-review on a new Forester recently...it was posted in the Garage forum).
So, there you have it....that's my recommendation.
And, of course, now that we are halfway through August, with school-season rapidly approaching, now may be the time to start looking if you are interested in a purchase. An added bonus is that the summer months are often a good time to shop for all-wheel-drive vehicles.....months before the first snowflakes start flying, and demand (and prices) for those vehicles may rise.
And, as always, Happy Car-Shopping.
MM
Opinions differ, of course, and I'm sure that many of you have good thoughts on the matter. One big difference, of course, is that, today, many parents are more safety-minded (and, in many cases, more well-heeled) than they were back in my day, and will insist that their kids have either something brand-new and/or something up to date in safety features. It's well-known, of course, that Mercedes and Volvo, for decades, have generally led the auto industry in the pioneering of new safety-features, but most of their American-market offerings have been (and are) priced outside the entry-level range that many parents would want to spend on an starter-car for their kids (or that the kids themselves can afford).
And, of course, kids go away to college in all sorts of different places.....Deep South and tropical climates, far Northern states with brutal winters, urban/suburban environments with wall-to-wall traffic (welcome to the D.C. area LOL), and remote Western or Alaskan areas where towns themselves can be hundreds of miles apart. Is there one single new car that can do everything well, and provide for all of a college student's needs, wherever he or she goes? Probably not....but, IMO, a reasonably good case can be made that the Subaru Impreza/Crosstrek comes closest.
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/impreza/index.html
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/crosstrek/index.html
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/index.html
New Imprezas start between 18-19K, include standard All-Wheel-Drive for bad weather, and come in either 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback versions....the hatchbacks, of course, would be more utile if the student has to carry along some bulky things. With a CVT automatic (many kids today can't drive a clutch), destination charge, and a few options/packages, Imprezas typically list in the low-mid 20s, but discounts, and sometimes rebates, are usually available at dealerships. They are arguably the cheapest new vehicles available in the American market with all-wheel-drive....the Suzuki SX-4 used to have that honor, but, of course, was discontinued when Suzuki stopped selling new automobiles in the U.S. and kept only its motorcycle division. Imprezas come with a non-turbo 2.0L flat-four "boxer" horizontally-opposed engine, a CVT (Continuously-Variable-Transmisison), and Subaru's famous Symmetrical all-wheel-drive systems that are simple, reliable, effective, and easy to service. While many college students, of course, don't go away to school in severe-winter or heavy-snow areas where all-wheel-drive would have its greatest benefits, the all-wheel-drive, particularly in the way Subaru designs it, can also greatly aid in both wet-weather traction and dry-weather handling as well. I admit that I'm not a terribly big fan of the way many CVTs operate and respond to the throttle (motorboating, rubber-banding, etc...), but that is simply a personal preference, and many kids probably wouldn't care. I'm also not totally convinced of the CVT's ultimate durability compared to conventional torque-converter/stepped-gear automatics, but Subaru offers the same 5/60 drivetrain warranty that most mainstream Japanese auto manufacturers do. The company also has had a good record of standing behind their products, in some cases (such as with head-gaskets and rear-wheel bearings) with extended-warranties from the factory. Most Subarus (high-performance WRX and STI models excepted), according to Consumer Reports, have had consistently Better-Than-Average reliability ratings. Subarus consistently do well in DOT/NHTSA/IIHS crash-tests, and come with a lot of standard and optional safety features.
If the student is going away to school in an area with severe winters and a lot of snow (such as to the Ivy League schools in New England, or to schools in the Great Lakes Snow Belt), the Subaru XV Crosstrek might be a better option than standard-model Imprezas. The Crosstrek is essentially the same car as the Impreza hatchback, but sitting higher off the ground, with a different suspension, wheels, and tires. Crosstreks, with their added ground clearance, would probably be a little better-suited to deep snow or deep water (though one should never try and drive into seriously flooded roads, matter what kind of vehicle he or she is in...many lives and vehicles are lost that way every year). Crosstreks start at just under 22K, but, with options and destination charge/taxes, etc....typically list in the mid-high 20s, though it's possible to spend 30K or more on loaded top-line models. But, as with the Impreza, discounts and/or rebates are often available. If interior space really becomes an issue, one could check out the Subaru Forester, which is built the same frame/platform as the Impreza/Crosstrek but offers a much larger cabin, square-box space-efficiency inside, and superb outward visibility. Foresters run (roughly) in the same price-range as the Crosstrek, and, of course, include the same Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system (I did a full-review on a new Forester recently...it was posted in the Garage forum).
So, there you have it....that's my recommendation.
And, as always, Happy Car-Shopping.
MM
