Top 10 Back-to-School Cars list by KBB has some curious pick

[sonya zafar]

Having a car in high school can immediately vault you several rungs on the cool-kid class meter. However, choose the wrong car and you can actually lose points, sending your popularity down faster than the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of vehicles that it believes will appeal to the kids out there with driver’s licenses, and we’re not entirely sold on all of the choices.

Here is a quick breakdown of KBB’s choices for both new and used vehicles:

New:
5. 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
4. 2011 Fiat 500
3. 2012 Ford Focus
2. 2011 Honda Fit
1. 2012 Hyundai Accent

Used:
5. 2007 Nissan Sentra
4. 2007 Ford F-150
3. 2007 Kia Sedona
2. 2008 Chevrolet HHR
1. 2007 Suzuki SX4

The new choices all make sense, since the vehicles are affordable, efficient and attractive enough not to make our inner teens cringe in shame. Something tells us the little Fiat might really score much higher on the desirability list.

The used car choices, however, have at least one eyebrow raiser in their midst. While we’ve grown to fully appreciate the utility of a minivan, there isn’t a teenager in the entire country that wants to be seen driving one. Sure, they’d be able to pack all their friends inside, but teens aren’t known for making sensible decisions.

We’re also a bit curious about the F-150. Yes, it’s best-selling vehicle in America and arguably the leader of its class, but it’s hardly fuel efficient. Not quite an obvious choice in our minds.

Still, it’s hard to say no to any car at that age, which explains why our first cars are far from our dream rides. We’re curious: What was your first car? Feel free to sound off in the comments.