College Car

Hmmmmm.

You didn't mention 2 things:
1. How long Junior is going to be in CTMU.
2. Who is going to own the car.

Since nearly all males under about 40 have testosterone induced stupidity, I'd say get the Corolla or a Mazda-3. Both are orders of magnitude more fun to drive than any Prius, and Junior will trade this thing out THE DAY AFTER he gets his sheep hide if it's his car (meaning he has clear title) and he has to drive a car that he REALLY does not like.
If there's another sibling in the breech, or if there's a significant chance that this kid will pop positive for early onset frugality, or marriage......something like that, then I'd lean towards the C-type but it sounds like the Corolla would make for a better college car. It has a 3800# GVWR so it will also be a better candidate for the cycle trailer and you already own one, so you already like them.
Both will be real-world reliable for 10/200.

If there's a significant amount of commuting in your son's future you may want to consider the Sentra as an alternative.
They don't get a lot of good ink in the rags....but they're in Toyota's dependability bracket, they're excellent as commuters, and they're a little cheaper than Yotas. They DO get great mileage, and their baby-Altima approach sacrifices fun-to-drive for a pretty comfy interior and a more adult exterior. Probably my grey hair talking.

The Fit.....being a hatch and being a Honda will be a great college car and support the bike hobby, but since we've already knocked down two years of college I guess I'd be looking for something that doesn't look so much like a college car 5-10 years from now....when common sense says he should still be driving the car.


Let us know what comes out of the decision loop!
Best of luck !!!!

 

both corolla and c are good cars for my grandkids in college. I'd say buy the one you get the best deal on, not necessarily the cheapest,
the c gets 10 to 15 mpg better than corolla but is slower and just might be less expensive to to less market. a honda fit is also a good choice providing doesn't have takata airbags.

 

no matter the 10 to 20 mpg difference. I left my c home while I relocated and my college sister pretty much stopped driving her civic and put near 5k miles (3 months time) on my C before I got it back.

C would probably be better for college bound folks (if someone else is footing the car payment for them), since that extra mpg difference and how small the tank is and how much you can go on that tank alone will make any cash-strapped college kid smile with glee

 

I own a C and a new Civic. I love my C, but when I commute for more then an hour in traffic, I enjoy my new Civic more, build quality is excellent. Also, you can get really great deals on them as the new redesigned 2016 is coming soon. I would pass on the Fit, as I have been told there are quality issues related to the new manufacturing site. The Corolla is great, but dealers can't keep them on the lot, so don't expect any great deals. As to my C, it has been dependable with no issues to report. It is smaller, with less back seat room, and you have too really like the new designed front end on them . Keep us posted on what you decide on.

 

One nice thing I liked about the c (and the gen 3 liftback) is the beltless engines. I hated having to replace those in my old 93 honda civic, and having had to repair the head gasket twice on that thing, I figured the less stuff on my next car, the less stuff I'll have to worry about breaking down.

The c will have lower cost of ownership due to its superior mpg, especially in city/suburb driving. And since it's a hatchback, it'll be useful for when he goes on trips and needs to pack stuff in. It's really easy to park as well, and I could make a U-turn on my street, whereas with the liftback I have to do a Y-turn. True, looking out the back is a bit more limited with the c, but I never had any significant issues with it.

For a college kid with limited funds, the less money you have to spend on gas and/or maintenance, the better. New Toyota's also come with that free 2 year/25k maintenance plan, so it'll save him even more money, though he could get it with the corolla too.

I would probably spring for at least a c 2 trim, unless he never uses cruise control on the freeway. But if he tends to make a mess inside of the car, a 3 trim would be better with the softex seats, which are infinitely easier to clean compared to cloth seats. And if he's going to school in the north where winter shows up every year, the 4 with its heated seats is really nice.

 

You may want to consider the G3 over the C-type if you buy the car soon.
For the money, the G3 is a much better car....but 21K may be a bit higher than you're wanting to pay.

 

The Fit would be a fine choice. Its magic seats let a bike stand upwards in the rear seat area...



One more consideration if fuel economy ranks high... Just over your price range at $23K (TrueCar prices in my neck of the woods) sits the Prius v Two... with a lot of cargo space for a biker...

 

has yaris been mentioned?

 

my spellcheck must be broken, isn't yaris a word?

 

...and a little bit better real-world crash protection......and a higher resale value....and a (slightly) more comfortable ride....and a little more grunt under the hood (to tow the cycle trailer)...

 

Been in the exact same situation. The answer ended up being the Corolla for a couple of reasons:
1) Very long life. It is simple and Toyota paint last longer than Honda paint from my observation point. College parking is a real paint test.
2) It is a safer car. Every parent thinks twice about safety. The Prius C and Fit are might small vehicles. As you clearly mentioned, your money, your (parent) priorities.
3) College cars end up hauling as many students are there are seats or space. The Corolla requires the bodies to be in the seats instead of the cargo area.

 

The 2015 Civic has no timing belt, so belt replacement is not an issue. The Civic's hwy mpg is 39 mpg, and I average 36 with mostly hwy driving, at above posted limits. The Civic is one of the few new cars that passed the overlap front end crash test, beating out all high end cars, like Mercedes, Lexus, BMW. At $19K with lots of up scale features, it's hard not to consider it. As to paint lasting on one brand of car over another, really depends on how one maintains their paint.

 

We own the Prius (v)agon and a 2013 Honda Fit bought a year ago. Despite the very attractive upgrades and improvements Honda made to the new Fit we chose the prior generation in order to avoid Mexican manufacture and first year woes.

My wife averages about 36 mpg in city driving, while in my hands the car averages about 45 mpg. We paid something over $15k for the base trim and then added a 3rd party rear view camera and Nav for $700 more. The car is as versatile as they come, and fun (to this older fart) to drive. I have no complaints about the car to mention.

That said, if your son is American average I bet he would ask you to add the Mazda3 to the list.
My only heartfelt recc: choose a hatchback.