[jarcher]

She wants good gas mileage (so 4 cyl) and room to haul (so probably small/crossover SUV).

Whoops - should have read more closely.  Guess that rules out a Jaguar, though there was an X-Type station wagon, though I've never seen one on the road. 

I really prefer station wagons over SUV's and have owned many european ones.  Haul just as much or more, handle better, get better gas mileage, etc.  And the MB / BMW ones have generally been owned by folks with a bit more money to take better care of them.  I'd avoid VW / Audi though as the general reliability has been below average (i've owned a few 90s Audis).  Saab wagons are very cheap and have some of the best / most comfortable seats, if you can get past the idea that they are not made anymore.

A 2000-2003 Mercedes E320 wagon is really bullet-proof and can haul as much or more than most SUV's.  Should be quite obtainable at that budget.  C class wagons and BMW 320 & 525 wagons are more rare but good as well and 10 year old ones are well within that budget as well.  Saab 9-5 wagons you could easily get 2 at your budget!  A pre purchase inspection is especially critical for all of these. 

Aside from Subarus, don't see a lot of Japanese station wagons in the US.  A Ford Focus wagon would be easier to find.

Best of luck!

[JLM]

I'm a Toyota fan but also currently own a Subaru Outback. Love the Outback's AWD but maintenance is very expensive compared to the Toyotas I've owned. I'd recommend a Scion xB. According to Consumers Report one of the very most reliable. Tons of room. First generation have small/efficient engines. The current ones are bigger. Either one is in concept a micro van.

[Austin08]

You can find most undergrad or young one usually do a lot of driving. So over mileage charge should be a very importance factor when leasing.

[macrojack]

While I am not a female college student, I have first hand gone through this very program with nearly the same criteria laid out by the OP. I bought the Matrix opportunistically. Could well have been a Fit or a Scion Xb. I also considered the Nissan Versa and Cube and the Mazda3. There were a few others including the Focus. In conversation with one of the more experienced mechanics at Western Slope Ford & Toyota, I asked about the Matrix vs. the Focus. I was told they are both good cars but the Focus with 100K miles would be as close to the end of its useful life as a Matrix with 200K miles. He works on both and knows them equally well. He wasn't selling anything. Another local guy I have learned to trust owns a highly esteemed one man repair shop specializing in BMW, VW, Audi & Mini. He says for economy and reliability go for Toyota and for ergonomics and performance, go German.

Read the reliability records from Consumer Reports and you'll find the Japanese cars dominate the findings. Check resale values and you'll find the better ones are all Japanese. As Nelson Pass stated in one of his white papers, "The used market speaks eloquently".

I'm sure I sounded like I was kidding when I suggested you come out west and buy a car to drive home. After that I noticed that you you were under a deadline and needed a car for her in the coming week. My experience has been very good buying private party sec on hand. It's quite like buying an amp used. You buy the person as much as the vehicle. You are probably a pretty good judge of character. Use that to your advantage. Buy from a family. Sometimes a youngish couple is selling a great little car just because of family expansion. Consider your state's laws. Out here in Colorado, a car that is at least 5 years old pays a much smaller annual fee for plates. The rate is based on a percentage of the original purchase price when new. That formula yields to a small flat rate after 10 years. Also, in northern NY state, front wheel drive would be a good choice. This could go on forever.
Don't lease, buy. And buy Toyota. Anything that seems well cared for and has under 100,000 miles will get her through 4 years of school just fine. Counting a Lexus, I've had 12 Toyotas now. And don't waste too much time looking for that 4 cylinder Yukon.

[DaveC113]

Avoid the Focus/Mazda 3 like the plague, my last gf had a 3 and it's clutch and tranny were horrible. Her tranny was going out and she got raped by the dealer on trade in, $5k for a '10 with 85k miles... she has an impreza now.

[jd3]

Avoid the Focus/Mazda 3 like the plague, my last gf had a 3 and it's clutch and tranny were horrible.

I've had just the opposite luck with 2 Ford Focuses my college kids had.  Both were automatics, but went well over 200k miles with not much more than brakes and minor issues.  No engine or transmission problems with either of them.  Two of my daughters have Kia Rio's now, and fairly bulletproof cars too.

[DaveC113]

Yeah, it had to do with the clutch ($2k to replace, won't make it to 100k mikes in most cases) and tranny, so I should have said avoid those cars with manual transmissions.

[Doublej]

Given that we are on audio board should not the answer be the one with the best audio system?

[timind]

Sent two daughters off to school, both were driving used Toyota Camrys. We bought them while they were in high school so we didn't have to taxi them around. Both daughters drove them through HS and for the full 4 years at Purdue.

[BobM]

Test drove a Subaru Imprezza and a Honda CRV and a Toyota RAV4 today. The Honda seems to have won in my daughters eye. Just a nice drive, AWD, base model, but it has lots of standard amenities.

I talked them down to $23,500 plus tax with $8000 down. that will give her a monthly payment of about $300 for 5 years. I think this is an awesome deal, below invoice according to Edmunds.

It just got better. $22795 ... sold! I love playing one dealer off against another.

[BobM]

After the initial fear of spending so much money, and having to make 5 years of car payments, my daughter saw them bring the newly washed and primped car out for her and got really excited. She drove home slowly in the right lane all the way. But now she is really pumped about her new purchase.

And I am really happy with her choice. Lots of peace of mind for me and my wife. A reliable car, 3 year warantee, safety, AWD. All good things to keep us from worrying while she is 500 miles away at school, driving in the snow and ice of upstate NY.

[S Clark]

I bought a new CRV for my wife in 2000.  I told her that I'd buy her a new one when she put a quarter million miles on it.... but being a softy, I replaced it at 248K.  There was nothing mechanically wrong with it.
Your daughter should have a very dependable car for years to come. 

[TomS]

We've had '07, '10, '12 CR-V's. All great cars we were able to put huge miles on with low operating costs. She'll love it.

[RDavidson]

We've had '07, '10, '12 CR-V's. All great cars we were able to put huge miles on with low operating costs. She'll love it.

We had an '05, if I remember correctly (it was a 2nd gen CR-V anyway) for a few years. It was probably the most reliable, low cost of ownership, practical vehicle we've owned. It did a wonderful job in snow too. We had the common front wheel drive version with the active AWD system that kicked in if it detected slipping. Excellent vehicle. My wife loved it. Only reason we traded it in was because our family grew. We're now on our second Odyssey, but looking to go back to a mid-sized SUV within the next couple of years or so. When we do so, it will be either something from Honda or Acura. We'll definitely have to see what Honda has done with the CR-V at that time and decide if it will suit our family needs. I think it will.

[BobM]

I ordered her a few accessories yesterday - AllWeather floormats and cargo mat, IPhone car charger.

I was thinking of getting some wheel lock lugnuts, but she has the standard wheel, and I doubt anyone is going to want that, so maybe not.

There is an engine immobilizer system, so the engine can't be started without the master key, but no actual alarm. I wonder if getting a car alarm installed might be a good idea? The cheaper alternatives like "The Club" or a brake lock club don't seem all that effective except as a visual deterrant, but unnecessary since there is already an engine cut off. I know, all alarms can be bypassed by a professional, but a little blinking red LED and a glaring horn probably does more in the long run. She will be parking in a public lot for her internship this summer (on Long Island), and also up at school, so an alarm might be a good idea.

What are your opinions?

[Doublej]

The rims may not be of interest but a set of four new tires worth $500(?) might be worth snatching. $50 for a set of wheel locks is a no brainer to me.