3 Best Used Cars for College Students

3 Best Used Cars for College Students

Posted on May 18, 2017

For many families, it's a tradition to give a soon-to-be college
student a vehicle as a graduation present. In fact, depending on the campus and
living situation, a vehicle might be required. However, a college car needs to
meet some particular requirements.

For one thing, the price should be low since either the student or family,
who probably has other cars to pay for, has to take on the cost. Also, while
you're not putting a new teen driver on the road, safety is still
important. Finally, cargo space is a definite plus since many college students
move between dorms and apartments or back home in the summer or holidays. While
a fancy design is certainly a plus, it's not as important as reliability at a
reasonable cost of ownership. The right used car can fill all these needs at a
price that's manageable for someone just starting out.

Jeep Patriot

The Jeep Patriot
and the old Compass are infamous as two of Jeep's weaker attempts at a
conventional compact crossover. The new Jeep that replaced them is a better
design. After all, the Patriot's reliability is fine, its rugged design makes
it easy to clean, and the limited features are something a college student just
starting out can accept. Overall, the Patriot is a cheap way to get up to 53.5
cubic feet of cargo space.

Fiat 500

Fiat's 500
model is a subcompact hatchback that resembles the tiny town cars popular in
Europe. As you might imagine, this means the price is low for the number of
features you get, but it's not the best car to buy for a student who has a lot
of stuff to move. Even with the rear seats folded, the maximum cargo space is
30.2 cubic feet. Still, the 500 is fun to drive and easy to maneuver through
crowded college-town streets. Even parallel parking is easy, so your student
won't be late to class looking for a parking space.

Dodge Journey

The Dodge Journey is a midsize crossover with just enough space to make room
for an available third row. Of the three options listed here, the Dodge Journey
has the most available cargo room at 67.6 cubic feet. That's not the highest in
its class, but the small size comes with an equally undersized price tag.
That's a definite plus when you're looking for a low-cost SUV. However, you
should also keep in mind that the available V6 engine is the better choice
between it and the standard I4.

There are other vehicles you might want to consider before your child heads
off to college, but the three vehicles above have some definite advantages for
students. While some car buyers are looking for smooth rides, all the latest
features and gadgets, and a design that grabs the attention of everyone in
the parking lot, college students need something that moves them and all their
things from point A to point B at the lowest cost possible.

"Jeep Patriot 2.4 Sport 2013" by RL GNZLZ, used under CC BY