KBB names this year's 10 best cars under $20k for students, and the top choice was the 2015 Honda Fit:

10 Best Back-to-School Cars 2014 - Kelley Blue Book

 

That list lost all credibility with the Soul/Prius C/Note all being ranked highly.

 

I test drove the Prius C prior to buying the fit. Although its a fucking abysmal ride, the gas mileage it can get in city and on highway is very impressive. I think without the electric motor the gasoline part is 73HP. It's the first car where I've completely floored the gas pedal in normal traffic and not zoomed ahead at an alarming speed.

 

And a Mitsubishi Outlander? What was their criteria?

Considering that there aren't enough Fits out there to even have a rating on KBB they are really shooting from the hip. Also, what are the chances that you could actually buy a car by the time one's child goes back to school?

 

More importantly, who thinks it is a good idea to buy their kids a brand new car?

That doesn't teach them a thing about the value of saving for what you want.

Nor has any kid who was gifted a car ever taken care of it like those who paid their own way (from my personal experience).

Finally, when you're at-fault and total a $3k car...you're out 3k. Not so in a 20k car.

 

One of the things that makes the Honda Fit the perfect back to school car is the cargo capabilities. We are getting ready to move our daughters back to school next week, and are already loading up the back of their new Fit for the trip. It is amazing the amount of cargo you can load into the back of a Fit. As for the others listed, we never researched them so can't offer an opinion. We just know that we are very happy sending our children off to school in a brand new Fit!

 

Your right about availability. We started searching the first few weeks of June. It quickly became apparent that the color our daughter wanted was harder to find, than say a black or silver car. When we did find one, we went that night to purchase it (two hour drive). Our daughter, who is on the title with her Mother, was visiting Disney in Florida at the time, so we needed to take her back to the dealership the next week and have her sign her paperwork. The dealership was nice enough to allow us to take the car home with us the night we drove up, so when our daughter came home from Disney, she had her new car sitting in the driveway waiting for her. I would hate trying to find one in time now. It could be done, but it would be for whatever color and trim level was available locally. Hopefully, when her younger sister reaches her Junior year and gets her own car, she will select a model that is more readily available.

 

I live in University City, close to three major Universities and other smaller schools. From what I can tell from visual inspection, hatchbacks rule among student cars. The Fit is by far the most popular among them, followed by the Prius C . The Outlander Sport is quite popular also. I think that the criteria is cargo space versatility, and low maintenance cost. Japanese cars, long warranties, seems to be good attributes.

 

Plus 20k is a rather arbitrary cutoff. I suppose they needed a cutoff number, but thats still pretty arbitrary.

 

Actually, the best back-to-school car is 5-10 years old with a few door dings. Cars get beat up at college, both because of their owners and the disregard of those around them.

 

Your comment about cars getting beat up at college is true. I was ordering the Honda Fit body side molding set today, and am kicking myself for not getting them sooner. My daughter goes back to school at the end of this week, with Tint to protect her interior finishes from the sun, cargo liner and tray to protect her cargo area, all season floor mats to protect her carpet, and wheel locks to protect her alloy wheels. Somehow I forgot the side moldings to protect her car from parking lot dings. I should receive them just in time to get them installed.

 

People with money and high paying jobs (not car mechanics). my next door neighbor growing up is a stockbroker and has paid for his kids 4 trucks ( 2 kids totalled 2 trucks and their replacements).

 

I'd guess people with lots of cash flow and lots of debt. But then, I'm sort of a Mustachian (and a Texan) so I always view any display of "wealth" with great suspicion. "All hat and no cattle."

 

Can't imagine someone with a Honda Fit being accused of being "all hat, no cattle".

 

Unless they bought four of them for all their kids as high school graduation presents using credit.

 

No offense, but those side moldings look worse than dents to me.

 

Did all four of their children graduate the same year? Or, was this spread over a number of years? For our kids, they need to be a Junior in College, and maintain a certain grade point average, in addition to having some "skin" in the game (downpayment). The decision on credit or cash for the balance depends on the prevailing interest rate. It is hard to sell an investment when 1.49% (or better) financing is available. The car gets titled in the parents/kids name, and the payments are paid by us while they remain in school (or until their grade point average drops). It is really more of a partnership, all while building a credit rating, so when they get out of school, they will be in a much better position to buy a house.

 

I fear you may be right. I guess I am hoping the moldings accentuate the door design. I never had them on my Red 2008 Fit, and as it turned out never needed them (well, at least not for the typical door dings, they would have done nothing to protect my door from the scrap/dent my wife put in the drivers door). However, if you could see just how tight the parking spots are on the "strip" near the school, you would understand my concerns. I did avoid the door edge trim, because that only protects the other guy, and I expect my daughter to be careful when she opens her door (wishful thinking?).

 

The rubber door trim protects your door when your daughter smacks into another car/pole/etc., and leave a bit of paint off of the door's edge.

This will happen, because your kid will not value the car as they would if they'd bought it themselves.

(This is a null statement if the person who buys themselves a car just doesn't give a crap about anything)