Gallery: Brilliant Back-to-School Cars
Photo: Noah Devereaux/Wired012007-toyota-camry
It’s that time of year again when kids load their backpacks with rented textbooks, school-sanctioned laptops and iPhones crammed with podcasts of English Lit lectures. When your kid heads back to school, chances are they’ll need a way to get there. While it would be great if every school system still ran bright yellow buses to every corner of the district and all colleges were near public transit, that’s not always the case. That’s why Kelley Blue Book released its yearly list of the best cars for going back to school. Not surprisingly, their top five are pretty predictable. The 2006 Honda Civic tops the list, followed by the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2010 Mazda3, 2008 Pontiac Vibe and 2010 Honda Fit. The slightly odder “Saabaru” 9-2X, the 2010 Kia Soul, 2006 Ford Crown Vic (huh?), 2008 Suzuki SX4 hatchback and the new Chevrolet Cruze round out the lineup. It’s a nice list — the Crown Vic is the only Grandma hand-me-down — but most of the cars are compacts, and the newer ones are pretty pricey for the average family, especially after that first tuition bill arrives. That’s why we compiled our own list. If it proves that none of us are fit to be parents, so be it — but we assure you that we’d make some pretty fun uncles. We know you’ll undoubtedly disagree with some or all of our choices. Not to worry — you’ll have your chance to sound off tomorrow. __Above:__ Any Toyota Camry ---------------- You already know why the Camry’s on the list: It’s reliable, safe, gets decent gas mileage and makes Intro to Microeconomics homework seem thrilling by comparison. Finding a Camry for your son or daughter is easy. First, check your driveway, as you may have already purchased one and forgotten about it. If that fails, you’ll have to go to any used car dealership. Choose the color you want, make sure it runs (it will) and offer the dealer 80 percent of the amount posted in day-glo numbers on the top of the windshield. Congratulations: Your kids will have this car until they sell it or wreck it. *Photo: Toyota*
Photo: Noah Devereaux/Wired02triumph-tr7
Triumph TR7 ----------- 1975–81 OK, stay with us on this one, as it follows the same logic that we tried on our parents some years ago. Despite the lack of front airbags, side airbags and even a roof, this might be the safest car on the road. Here’s why. According to the [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration](http://www.yield4me.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=211&Itemid=115), the risk of a fatal car crash increases in proportion to the number of young people in the car. The TR7 only has two seats, ensuring that Junior will be able to ride straight home before curfew more safely than if he were behind the wheel of a Grand Caravan decked out with as many teenage passengers as airbags. Not convinced? Well, consider that NHTSA also reports the deadliest time for teen drivers is between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. That’s after dark and before sunrise. With the double-whammy of pop-up lights and a Lucas electrical system from the Prince of Darkness himself, you can be sure that your kid’s TR7 won’t be leaving the driveway unless the sun is shining. *Photo: A TR7 sits between an MG and a Spitfire. Flickr/[stumayhew](http://www.flickr.com/photos/stumayhew/4341233306/sizes/l/in/photostream/).*
03new-beetle
Volkswagen New Beetle --------------------- 1998–2011 In the same vein as the TR7, this one is all about statistics. According to [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration](http://www.yield4me.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=211&Itemid=115), two out of three crashes involving teen drivers occur when a male is behind the wheel. It only makes sense, then, that you’d want to give your kid the ride Tom and Ray over at [Car Talk consider the ultimate chick car](http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Guy-Chick-Cars/chick.html). Throw some petunias in the dashboard vase and Sarah McLachlan on the CD player, and you’ll be sure your son or daughter is safe and sound, free from the risk-taking impulses that come from years of playing [GTA 4](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV). *Photo: [Carl Spencer/Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/82887550@N00/1018980531/)*
04subaru-outback
Subaru Outback -------------- 1998–2004 Headed to a small New England liberal arts college where the most competitive sport is ultimate Frisbee? You’ll need a Subaru Outback. Sure, the car carries some stereotypes, but whether you use the giant trunk to haul your gear to drum circles or cover over the faded Howard Dean sticker with a College Republicans decal, you’ll be thankful for the all-wheel drive when you’re headed home for winter break in blizzard conditions. *Photo: [Mark Scott/Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/markscott/106819183/)*
05volvo-240-wagon
Volvo 240, 740 and 940 ---------------------- 1974–1995 The clear winner in the sub-$2,000 category, the stalwart Swedes have been mainstays on college campuses for good reason: Their longevity means they’re the automotive equivalent of Abe Vigoda. While repairs can be pricey, and all but the newest 940s are older than the teenager behind the wheel, they’re still the safest, most reliable choice for families on a budget. Bonus: You’ll probably be able to find one with a still-valid campus parking permit. Extra credit if it’s for the faculty lot. *Photo: Volvo*
06mazda3-sized
Mazda3 ------ 2004–present We agree with Kelley Blue Book on this one. While the latest model’s been criticized for a front end that resembles a Cheshire Cat’s grin, any kid with keys to this car would have a similar smile on his or her face. Great gas mileage, sporty handling and safety features keep students and parents happy, while an optional stick shift might teach a nearly lost art to a generation raised on slush boxes. *Photo: Mazda*
GM072010-pontiac-vibe-gt
Pontiac Vibe ------------ 2003–2010 Again, another Blue Book pick that we can get behind, though we prefer the redesigned 2009 model. The Vibe is a versatile hatch that was made in Fremont, California, alongside its sibling, the Toyota Matrix, in the [famed Toyota-GM NUMMI plant](http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/403/nummi). It wears a discontinued badge, but the Pontiac is nearly identical to the Toyota, and Kelley prices a [used Vibe](http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/pontiac/vibe/2009/retail-value/pricing-report?id=349143&equipment=4144078%7ctrue%7c4144129%7ctrue%7c4144130%7ctrue&condition=excellent&mileage=24500) at nearly $2,000 less than a [similarly equipped Matrix](http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/toyota/matrix/2009/retail-value/pricing-report?id=227110&equipment=2301295%7ctrue%7c2301314%7ctrue%7c2301316%7ctrue%7c2301325%7ctrue&condition=excellent&mileage=24500). *Photo: GM*
GM08conan-visits-naias-09-show
Buick LaCrosse -------------- 2005–present Buick put a lot of effort into shedding their oldster image with the new LaCrosse, so why do we recommend the previous model? Simple: if you buy a used car from an elderly person, chances are it’s been waxed more times than it’s been driven on the highway. Plus, it boasts near-Lexus luxury, quality and handling with a comparatively low resale value. That means your kid will have the last laugh about driving Grandpa’s old car, when his friends find out he’s got heated leather seats. Hey — even Conan O’Brien likes ‘em. *Photo: GM*
092008-bmw-325i
2008 BMW 3-Series ----------------- If your parents are paying your tuition in cash, we know a good way to convince them to spend some of your inheritance on one of the best cars on the road. Tell them that a Certified Preowned BMW comes with six years or 100,000 miles worth of maintenance included in the already comprehensive warranty. If you get an '08, you’ll be graduating from college without having paid for so much as an oil change — as if you'd’ve paid for one yourself anyway. *Photo: BMW*
10comutacar3
Chad Conway’s Comutacar ----------------------- Whether it’s a rebuilt electric car like the one that [Chad Conway restored and rewired](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/back-to-the-future-in-a-1980-comutacar-ev/) — a cherry 1964½ Mustang that was a father-son project — or a rat rod cobbled together during shop class, any back-to-school ride that its driver helped rebuild is an education in itself, and surely offered life lessons in patience, perseverance and changing brake pads. It might even [get you an internship at Tesla](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/autopia/2010/05/commutacar-restoration-leads-to-college-internship-at-tesla/). *Photo: Chad Conway*
