2009 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars

Along with choosing the right books, calculator and backpack for the upcoming academic year, the return to school often calls for selecting a new (or used) ride. Choosing the right kind of car can be a difficult process, especially so when parents and their children are at odds with what they need versus what they want in a set of wheels. While features such as reliability, safety, affordability and practicality are important to any parent, how quickly their car accelerates and how cool it looks when cruising to the school football game are often bigger concerns for students.

The good news is that there are plenty of vehicles out there that can please both parties. Those considering a new entry-level vehicle will find the latest and greatest safety and technology advancements, a full warranty and, of course, that new car smell. If saving money places higher on the "must" list, then there are plenty of dependable used cars out there that would suit the needs of any young adult.

Every new car listed on this year's Back-to-School list features New Car Blue Book Values that start at under $18,000. (Values listed are for the lowest-priced entry in each model's lineup. All New Car Blue Book Values reflect transaction prices during the last week in July 2009).

Every used car identified has a Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail Value of less than $12,000. These values represent what you can expect your local dealer to ask for the vehicle in question, and from which you can negotiate downward. (For each model, we chose the most recent model year available that came in under $12,000, priced using mileage matching each car's age. We chose 2005 as the earliest qualifying year.)