I'm looking for the cheapest, yet most reliable, subcompact car for a college student.
We have a whole section at Cars.com dedicated to helping college students buy and own a car while in school. It ain’t easy being a college student on a tight budget — let alone shopping for a car — so the section also includes our list of the top 10 used cars for $10,000. If you decide to buy used, we suggest picking a vehicle that’s been through an automaker’s certified used vehicle program. The warranty coverage and inspection process included in these programs will provide more security and peace of mind than buying a used car that doesn’t have any warranty or inspection program, which is typical of most used cars.
However, if you’re willing to spend a few extra bucks for a new car, there are compact cars that start around $11,000-$14,000. The cars we chose as 2007 Best Bet models for subcompacts include the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. You can’t go wrong with these, as their reliability, resale value and cargo versatility are some of the best in the small-car segment. Compacts like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla also made our Best Bet list for similar reasons. Cars that earn our Best Bet tag are ones that we feel do top-notch jobs in safety, reliability, comfort, features, and ride and handling.
Senior Editor Joe Wiesenfelder sums up the previously mentioned four models, including why they were chosen as Cars.com Best Bets:
Honda Fit: The Fit hatchback took the American subcompact market by storm last year with overall quality and performance that put the growing competition to shame. The Fit isn't cheap; its price range overlaps with that of the compact Civic, but it continues to prove its worth with exceptional reliability and high crash-test ratings.
Toyota Yaris: When you look at price and practical considerations, the Yaris more than does the job, at least in the sedan version. It should deliver reliable performance, and its IIHS crash-test ratings are Good (the highest) when equipped with optional side-impact airbags, which we highly recommend.
Honda Civic: The Civic represents a great balance of drivability, refinement, comfort, reliability, fuel economy and resale value. While shoppers are fixated on hybrids, every version of the Civic (except the sporty Si) gets roughly 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. If that's not enough, there's a hybrid, too.
Toyota Corolla: The Toyota Corolla has consistently stood for a level of quality, reliability, efficiency and longevity: The Corolla is one of the most handed-down models we know of, and one that owners may give up on long before it gives up on them.
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What about the nisson versa. I seems cheaper than all others, and nisson builds a good reliable car. Why isn't it listed?