When it comes to cars as a student what came to my mind right away was price, safety, reliability ratings, and of course looks. The perspective on a vehicle has changed after high school when I entered adult life. Before, in high school all I wanted was just a better looks because thats just how it is. Then as soon as I graduated high school when the bills dropped on me the car I wanted was more of a cost, reliability and features. Scroll down if you want the best cars for a student right away.

Here are the basics we are looking at:

  • Reliability Score: Saving money on costly repairs.
  • Price ($15,000) or less: to keep the monthly payments affordable.
  • At least 30 mpg or better: You can drive around without breaking your bank.
  • Phone Connectivity (Aux, Bluetooth): Not sure who’s still listens to CD’s but it is nice to be able to your own music or even better to stream.

I’ve settled with Toyota Prius, after test driving itI have fell in love with it, surely it was a great choice in all the terms and I knew repairs wouldn’t be much either but of course there were a few things I gave up which I noticed the most are the power and looks and I believe its because there are just too many Priuses out there but is it worth it? oh yes, this thing lasted me well over 400 miles on a full gas tank which was always under $30. And what I loved the most about Prius and I’m sure about the rest of the hybrids is its quietness when you come to a stop or cruising below 40 miles per hour,
what I mean by that is when you are below a certain amount of miles the hybrids drive on electricity which is the reason why they get such a great MPG.

Prius served me for some time and I was looking at alternatives and was actually looking at alternatives like a Mazda 3 or a Honda Civic but guess what? I ended up getting a used Lexus CT200h (yes, the h stands for a hybrid). Again a hybrid, yes. Then, after doing some research I found that this Lexus CT200h has exact the same engine as a Prius and I knew this would be great alternative to my Prius but still the same lasting long engine as the Prius. Surely, I paid a little more and out of my budge but the deal was hard to pass and after doing the research on the value of this car I believe I’ve invested in this car where it will lose the value in the next 7 to 10 years very steadily and considering I want to be in Financial industry this was a great step.

Must be wondering how was the change from Prius to CT considering it is the same engine? Well, the car feels much different from Prius. From cabin noise (not sure why I’m so obsessed with this) to driving it. Even though the CT has a more sportier tires, it is still much smoother on bumps and way more fun to drive. I guess that is why we pay extra, it is for the badge every penny I spent on purchase of this car was worth it, and I know that it will last me a long time because of the reliability of Toyota engine cars. I consider this car one of the best cars for a student but it is a little pricey I admit.

Here’s a list of cars that I would recommend to any college student or entering college and want the features I’ve listed in the beginning of this post. One thing though, don’t buy new unless you really can, there really is no reason to buy new as a student. (You drive the car out of the lot and boom the car lost already 10-15% of the value, it’s not affordable for a student and definitely a bad investment other than a warranty of course but assuming the prices on brand new cars this days and insurance costs, it all adds up ).

  1. Mazda 3 
  2. Toyota Corolla 
  3. Kia Forte 
  4. Toyota Prius
  5. Honda Fit
  6. Hyundai Elantra

All of those I highly recommend getting after 2010 and stay below 2015 years. Please contact me if would like help choosing the car, I’d love to assist you.

Bottom Line

Don’t overspend on a vehicle as a student, do research, thankfully we have so much at our hands and by typing in a year, car, and a model into google you will get all the information right there it’s just a car in the end that will get you from point A to B. Here’s the Picture of an example on how quick and easy it is to make up your mind on the car.