Just in time for the opening of classes throughout the country, CNN Money recently released its selection of the seven best college cars. Choosing the best from today’s crop of new, low-priced car models is not an easy task. The team at CNN Money found that there is a surprising number of options available for the college student or the recent college grad even though they restricted their choices to cars with a starting base sticker price of below $16,000. CNN Money’s criteria for choosing the best college cars include great fuel economy, functionality and safety and size. Based on these, here are the seven best college cars according to CNN Money, ranked from the lowest to highest base price:
Nissan Versa - $12, 450 Scion xA - $12, 780 Dodge Caliber - $13,425 Ford Focus - $13,450 Mazda3 -$13, 710 Honda Fit - $13,850 Kia Sportage - $15,900