Best Back-To-School Vehicles: Vincent's Auto Reviews' Picks

            As hard as it is to believe, the new school year will soon be upon us. If your teenager is going back to school, whether it be high school or college, and you want to buy them a used car, Vincent’s Auto Reviews has compiled a list of our best used car picks for back to school.

Best Subcompact Car: Kia Rio, 2006-2011: Small, thrifty, and safe, the Kia Rio is a great pick for going back to school. Plus, the industry-leading 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty means that scheduled repairs will be taken care of during the time your teen has the car. Should they need to take passengers along for the ride, the Rio, in either sedan or hatchback form, will seat five passengers comfortably.

Best Compact Car: Ford Focus, 2008-2011: A fun-to-drive, efficient, and sporty-looking little car, the Focus offers up many features to satisfy your techy teen. From Bluetooth hands-free phone and iPod integration, to SIRIUS Satellite Radio, to full voice control of the sound system, the Focus offers many features to keep your teen safe, yet still satisfied, while behind the wheel. Plus, Ford’s MyKey on later model (2010 and newer) Focus’s allows you to set parameters for your teen, such as limiting the volume of the sound system, muting the sound system until your teen buckles up, and setting a speed warning and limit. Should your teen want extra sportiness, a coupe variant, which still seats five passengers and is visibly sportier than the sedan model, is also available to purchase.

Best Midsized Car: Mazda6, 2004-2008: There’s a Mazda6 to satisfy every driver, including your teen. From a five-door wagon, to a four-door hatchback, to the traditional four-door sedan, there’s plenty to choose from. With either four-cylinder or V6 power, there’s also an engine choice for every driver. All models seat five passengers in comfort, while providing plenty of trunk or cargo room space to load up your teen’s things. While harder to find, the MazdaSpeed6 is also available to purchase.

Best Full-Sized Car: Dodge Charger V6, 2006-2010: Just because you don’t want your teenager to have a lot of power, doesn’t mean they still can’t have fun while driving. The V6-powered Charger, offering the looks of its V8-powered siblings, while offering better fuel economy and less power, the Charger is a fun-to-drive sports sedan. Bluetooth technology allows your teenager to connect their phone and take calls or stream their favorite music, while an auxiliary input jack allows them to plug in their MP3 player. Plus, if you live in a cold climate where snow may be in the forecast, all-wheel-drive can be had on the Charger, in addition to the standard rear-wheel-drive version.

Best Compact SUV: Jeep Liberty, 2002-2007: So your teenager wants a Jeep, but you don’t want them in a convertible. The Liberty is a fun-to-drive, four-door SUV that offers four-wheel-drive capabilities while still having excellent on-road manners. Offering a swing-out rear tailgate, your teenager can load cargo into their Liberty easily and without much effort, while the rear bench seat folds flat to create a larger cargo area. The Liberty is a no-brainer.

Best Midsized SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1999-2004: If your teenager wants a more traditional Jeep, the Grand Cherokee satisfies that want. Offered with six-cylinder or V8 engines, two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive, and many different models, the Grand Cherokee is a solid pick. Like the Liberty, even though it doesn’t have a swing-out tailgate, loading of cargo is effortless, and the rear bench seat folds flat. Plus, your teenager can carry four additional passengers in comfort. The Grand Cherokee is a great choice for teenaged drivers.

Best Full-Sized SUV: Ford Expedition, 2003-2006: While you may not be shopping for a full-sized SUV for your teenager, the Expedition remains a great consideration. Even though it has V8 power, a fold-flat third-row seat allows for passenger-carrying capabilities when your teenager needs it or cargo-carrying capabilities when your teenager needs to carry larger items in their vehicle. Advanced safety features like side-mounted airbags and traction and stability controls keep your teenager safe while behind the wheel of the Expedition.

 Best Pickup Truck: Dodge Dakota, 2005-2011: If your teenager plays a sport or just needs to haul a lot, a pickup truck may be a great option, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a full-sized pickup truck. In fact, the Dakota offers V6 or V8 power, two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive, and four doors, either in extended or crew cabs. The Dakota also seats up to six people (in crew cab form) and can be equipped with a large bed for extreme cargo carrying capabilities. The Dakota is a solid choice for your teenager.

-Vincent D., Vincent’s Auto Reviews