What is a decent, affordable suv for college students?

Question

i'm looking for suggestions for an suv that is affordable, safe, etc... that will last me through college. i'm currently looking at the 2007 honda crv but i'm not sure if its a "good" suv. any suggestions would be appreciated, thank you.

Answer 1

Not to refute some of the other posters but I can understand why you'd like a car, even if you don't "need" it. Especially if you're going to a college that's in the boonies (and there are good colleges in the middle of nowhere).

For new SUVs: Honda CRVs and Elements and Toyota RAV4s are going to be the only reliable ones in the lower price range. Toyota FJ Cruisers are really cool if you can afford one(they start at $20,000 but are often found for $26,000).

A good used car can be a lot cheaper though and it needn't even be very old (1-2 years). Almost any Honda or Toyota SUV will last for the time frame you need it to without any real issues (just keep up with basic maintenence); those things just don't die. It might also let you get a "nicer" SUV at the price a new CRV would cost. If you're going to be in an area where it snows more than 3 inches in the winter, see if you can get a part-time 4-wheel drive vehicle; it really does help (this a ~$2000 option on CRVs and RAV4s).

A Honda or a Toyota are more expensive on the sticker price when compared to Ford or any GMC company vehicle. But they don't really break down either and retain good value for resale. And if you pay attention, you can get a Toyota that will save your life in an accident.

Answer 2

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I have one now in white and had it for a month. It was designed for 30 something women with kids or kids on the way. It is an excellent car, a honda and has some neat feature including the all wheel drive when neede. The drawbacks are the manual adjusting front seat, too small an engine for the size and a little noisy. Being a Honda it will definately last through college and hold it's value. The seats fold and roll forward for plenty of room when moving. It has a neat conversation mirror and a hard shelf in the back to store thing out of sight. You can plug your ipod of mp3 player in and it seats 5. The rear seats also lean back like the front seats. Plenty of extra storage is found in the car. The large tires and wheels give it a great look also. Included is the full side curtain airbag along with the front airbags. We are gettin about 23 mpg, but that shuold improve over time. We only have city driving. Good Luck.

Answer 3

I'm not sure why you really *need* an SUV. Are the roads to school unplowed, covered with rocks, crossed by streams, or littered by tree trunks? If they're not, I think you could get by just fine with a regular car.

You can use that shiny,new, nice smelling SUV as the prize for graduating college. Give yourself a goal!

Answer 4

I agree with the first poster...I'd wait until graduating to buy that new car.

If you're still going to buy one, I'd suggest a Honda Element. A ford escape isn't bad either...but the Honda will be more reliable. Here's a list of SUV's from the 15-25k range.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/ViewTypeModels/category=type/attribute=suv/category2=pricerange/attribute2=15k25k

-Chris

Answer 5

Toyota Rav4.
-economical
-fuel efficient
-powerful
-reliable
-looks better than CRV

Answer 6

I don't know why you think you need a car at all. Most college students live in dorms and eat in the cafeteria - you won't need to get off campus, and most college have some sort of bus system if you need to go somewhere and can't walk downtown. Also, many colleges don't allow underclassmen to bring cars to campus - you may want to look into that.

I didn't get a car until I entered grad school. And I certainly couldn't get a new one.

Answer 7

I'm a big fan of the CR-V. I also would look at the element, ford escape, and toyota Rav4.