One of the top picks for the back-to-school crowd, the Ford Fiesta, the company's first subcompact in decades, offers a nice range of features and a sporty design.
If you’re past the stage when the kids want pencils, paper and a Transformers notebook to help them head back to school, odds are it’s time to find them a new set of wheels.
True, you probably had to walk to school — uphill both ways. And, when you finally earned enough money to buy a car of your own by working for a nickel an hour bagging groceries, you settled for the cheapest rust-bucket you could afford. But that’s just not the way it seems to work anymore, as a quick drive through the parking lot at most high schools and college campuses will reveal.
Heck, the students are likely driving better cars than their teachers can afford. Thank you, Mom and Dad.
Now, before we go and recommend the best new cars to buy for your returning student we will risk suggesting you consider something in the form of a previously-owned car — especially something that carries the certified-used label. These products will often be substantially cheaper than a new car but still offer a like-new warranty on a vehicle that has gone through an extensive inspection and repair process.
Okay, so the scholar says you should take the used car and get them something new? Here are our top picks for vehicles that are safe, stylish, fuel-efficient and fun to drive — not necessarily in that order, you can tell the kids. And the good news is that they’re all under $20,000 — even if you load up the options:
Ford Fiesta. The Detroit maker’s first subcompact in several decades is a stylish, efficient and strikingly attractive offering that is available in both sedan and hatchback body styles. The Fiesta is one of the most fun-to-drive models in the segment, as well, and offers a wide range of features, including the latest Ford Sync infotainment system.
Nissan Versa sedan. The Japanese maker has dominated the small car segment in recent years with its Versa line. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the hatchback version has dominated demand, but for 2012 Nissan has completely redesigned the Versa sedan — the hatchback to follow a year later. It now offers such amenities as A/C as standard equipment.
Hyundai Accent. The newly-redesigned 2012 version of the Korean subcompact surged to the top of the sales charts within months of its introduction. Why? It’s a big improvement over the old Accent, more stylish, better equipped — and it’s the latest Hyundai model to deliver 40 mpg highway.
Fiat 500. The Italian maker, now partnered with Chrysler, has made a major splash in its return to the U.S. The Cinquecento, as it’s called back home, is a delightfully compact car that turns heads wherever you drive, though it doesn’t quite match the mileage of some of our other choices. Happily, the 500 features the latest in safety gear.
Honda Fit. The Japanese maker’s smallest offering in the U.S. market has been one of the most popular models in the subcompact segment — and for good reason. It’s no econobox, offering a stylish design, peppy performance, good handling and a solid mix of standard features. It’s also safe and fuel-efficient.
Chevrolet Cruze. Among the biggest cars on our list, the Cruze has revealed a new side to Chevy, with a compact sedan that is roomy, safe and — if you opt for the Eco package, able to squeeze out more than 40 miles per gallon. Cruze is also one of the best-equipped models on our back-to-school list.
Toyota Prius. The world’s best-selling hybrid-electric vehicle is the one product on our list to pop over the $20,000 mark but considering the green streak that sweeps through today’s college crowd we’d be remiss for leaving it off the list. If you’re looking for something a little more affordable and can wait until next year, Toyota will be launching the smaller, cheaper Prius C.
Volkswagen Jetta. The German makers have traditionally priced themselves out of reach of the college crowd — at least those already saddled with student loans — but VW has launched an all-new, base model that sacrifices some of the features found on the more upscale Jetta but still delivers that distinctive Teutonic ride and handling.
While these are the cars we’d have probably been looking at if they were available when we were heading off to school, there are a number of other models worth considering, as well, including:
Honda CR-V, the crossover getting an all-new design in mid-2012 model-year.
The Ford Escape, another crossover scheduled for a redesign.
Chevrolet Sonic, the new American-made Chevy minicar.
Mitsubishi i, a reasonably affordable battery-electric vehicle launching later in 2012.
To make this a baker’s dozen, we’ll also toss in the next-generation Toyota Yaris, which should gain more traction for 2012 thanks to a sporty redesign that should reach market in the months to come — too late, unfortunately, for this year’s start of classes. But compared to the current version we think it will be worth the wait.