10 of The Best Cars for Students at UAlberta

10 of The Best Cars for Students at UAlberta

Cars for students need to be extra affordable, reliable, and safe, with plenty of space for sports equipment and friends. Here are some of the best.

Keyword(s): cars for students

When you're in college, you don't have a lot of spare cash lying around. You might want to buy a fancy sports car to cruise around in, but you just can't make it work.

However, you still need a reliable form of transportation. It has to be affordable, easy on gas, and safe for you to drive. It might also be nice to have something you can pile your friends into to go have fun on the weekends here and there.

Is that too much to ask for?

No! Check out this list of 10 of the best cheap cars for students. This will give you an idea of what to be looking for.

Toyota Corolla

Toyota has long been listed among the greats when it comes to talking about good cars. They make solid, reliable vehicles that last for a long time and get the job done.

The Corolla is no exception. It might not be the sexiest vehicle out there to drive, but it has an impressive safety rating.

As a young person, you may think you're invincible so that safety rating may not be high on your list. It will be high on your mom's list, though, so you can use it as a tactic to get her to help you pay for a car.

It's also an inexpensive option, something that probably is a bit higher on your list.

Toyota Prius V

The Prius V is even less sexy than the Corolla. But it comes with all the same reliability and durability that Toyota offers.

Don't get it confused with it's more famous hybrid cousin. This is a wagon version that offers a ton of cargo space.

Even with all that space, it gets an impressive 41 combined MPG! When looking for cars for students, MPG is important to keep your day-to-day transportation costs down.

Honda Fit

The Honda Fit is a smaller hatchback than the Prius V. Even so, it actually gets fewer miles to the gallon than the Prius V.

However, if you go to school in the city it's likely that parking is at a premium. This little guy is small enough to maneuver into virtually any parking spot. Maybe even ones that aren't technically parking spots. We won't tell.

To get a little extra space for transporting items, simply fold down the back seats.

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is sleek and has made a name for itself as one of the safest small cars on the road. It also has an excellent reliability rating, tying with the Corolla.

It's on the affordable end of the spectrum and is roomy for its size. All in all, it's one of the best cars for students on a budget.

Keep in mind that it has a two-level instrument system. Some people love it and some people really hate it. You should take it for a test drive before buying to find out which category you fall into.

Buick Encore

Looking for something a little bigger? The Buick Encore is a subcompact crossover that might be just the car for you.

It isn't too expensive and the front-wheel-drive version gets a nice 28 MPG. Watch out for the all-wheel-drive version, though. It gets significantly less gas mileage.

Although, when there's snow on the ground you may find it worth it to you. You just have to decide if saving money on gas is more important or not.

Hyundai Elantra

The Hyundai Elantra also gets an excellent safety rating. Along with standard airbags, there's even a knee bag for the driver.

Depending on who you ask, it has even better reliability than the Toyota Corolla or the Honda Civic. J.D. Power & Associates ranks it higher than both the others. Consumer Reports says it has fantastic reliability but the other two still beat it out. Regardless, it's reliable.

The best thing about the Hyundai brand is the price. Most of their cars are very affordable options and the Elantra is no exception.

Hyundai Accent

The Accent is even more affordable than the Elantra. It doesn't get near as high of a safety rating, however.

For its reliability ratings, J.D. Power and Consumer Reports agree. This car is above average in reliability for its class.

It's a nice little car. It has a strong engine and gets great gas mileage.

Kia Rio

The Kia Rio is a great, serviceable little car. It doesn't get the highest safety and dependability ratings, but it doesn't get the worst either.

It's a bit noisy on the highway so if that bothers you another option might be better for you. But it has a strong engine and gets good gas mileage.

You can get it in either a four-door sedan or hatchback design. We'd recommend the hatchback version. It looks a bit more snazzy and makes it a great car for students who don't want a boring ride.

Mazda3 Sport

If you really want to take it up a notch, go for a Mazda3 Sport. This is a nice option if you're looking for something a little more fun to drive. It has a great manual gearbox and the handling and steering are fabulous.

It gets a good safety rating and above average reliability, so you're not giving anything up in those areas. Even though it's so fun to drive, you don't give up too much in gas mileage either--as long as you don't drive like a maniac, of course.

Subaru Impreza

If you want a car that will last until long after you've left college behind, go for a Subaru Impreza. The reliability of this car is undeniably impressive.

It also has a pretty impressive safety rating. That's not surprising since all Subaru cars have had good safety ratings for years.

You'll pay a little bit more for this car, but the benefits are worth it if you can afford it. The car has great handling, is easy on gas, and the AWD will come in handy during the winter.

Best Cars for Students

So there you have it, our top 10 picks for the best cars for students. Ultimately, you'll have to decide what is the best car for you. Wants and needs vary from person to person. But this list is a great place to get started.

Looking for more car-buying advice? Be sure to check out our tips for buying used cars.