The best cars every student should own while attending college

While you may dream of a two-seat convertible, that’s probably not the best car to take to college. For one thing, you can pack it with your stuff. For another, it will most likely be cold in the winter. Of course, you will always find a parking spot, but it is still not a good pick.

Three College Cars with Three Different Personalities

Be Practical with the Toyota Prius

This is a good time to be practical. It will pay off in the long run. That’s why the Toyota Prius tops the list. The gas mileage will help you make the most of your allowance or your earnings from a low-wage job. Used ones can be hard to find, but it would be worth the search. The car may be on the small side, but it has enough room for friends in the backseat and enough space for your stuff, when the seats are folded down. You’ll appreciate that space when traveling home for breaks.

If you can afford a new one, it will come with more technology than many cars this size. You can expect it to have Toyota Entune with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, helping you enjoy hands-free connectivity. Even better, it will have automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control and other driver tech. Keeping you safer, it will have an automatic braking system and a lane watch.

Go Sporty with the Jeep Renegade

If you just have to get an SUV, think small. The Jeep Renegade is extremely fun, and it will fit in tight spaces. You can get four-wheel drive to help you cope with snow, sand, or light off-roading. There’s even a trail-rated version of this ride. Fuel economy doesn’t change much with 4×4 capability because Jeep designed a system just for the Renegade.

Truthfully, the Renegade isn’t much bigger for passengers than the Prius, but you do get more headroom. Furthermore, the front seat can fold flat, giving you more ways to handle carrying your gear. If you get the My Sky roof, you’ll have an open-air vehicle that can go up against a convertible any day.

Get More from the Kia Soul

The third car on our list is the Kia Soul. It’s the biggest of these three, and it has the advantage of extended coverage. You can’t do better than the five-year limited and ten-year powertrain warranty. Shopping used, the warranty may still be in effect so be sure to ask. As for upfront costs, most people will spend more than the base price because they will want an automatic transmission.

The unusual style lends itself to customization, and there are many two-tone color choices if you can afford a new one. It won’t be as sporty as the Renegade, but it will make a statement.

Like the Renegade, it has better ground clearance than the Prius. On the other hand, fuel economy is better than the Renegade. So you could say the Soul slots between the two. As for practical, there’s more room for your friends and more room for your gear, but it isn’t so big that you can’t park it.

With so much standard technology and such incredible gas mileage, the Prius really does rule this list. Yet the Jeep Renegade and Kia Soul are worthy challengers, and both will stand out in the college parking lot where there are bound to be many cookie-cutter hatchbacks and SUVs.