With the fall term about to start at schools across the country, you may be looking for the perfect car for your parents to “subsidize”—or for your child to take off to college along with your furniture, your computer, and your life savings.

It doesn’t take an economics major to find a great car for college—but it does take a little research. The most important things for a college car are reliability, fuel economy, safety, and of course, price. Lucky for you, TheCarConnection.com’s editors not only went to college—the eight-year plan, in some cases—they’ve also studied every 2008 model available for sale in the United States, from crash-test scores to gas mileage.

Of all the cars driven and researched by TheCarConnection.com’s editors, these eight stand out for their basic formula of goodness. Each gets at least 25 mpg on the highway and has a base price of less than $15,000, along with a long list of standard safety gear and good crash-test scores. Some are sedans; some are cargo-friendly wagons; and we’ve even chosen a couple of coupes for the style-conscious. In alphabetical order, they are:

Ford Focus
Restyled for the 2008 model year, and updated for 2009, the Ford Focus is a roomy entry-level car—and a music lover’s dream thanks to its SYNC system. A two-door coupe and four-door sedan share a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 140 horsepower and a choice of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Inside there’s good room for four, and the interior also features SYNC, a voice-activated, hands-free communications and entertainment interface that links the car to all manner of phones, PDAs, MP3 players, and portable storage devices. The Focus scores five stars in frontal impacts and has six standard airbags, but make sure to order the optional anti-lock brakes.

Honda Fit
The 2008 Honda Fit is a subcompact five-door hatchback with entertaining road manners and frugal fuel economy. Its 109-horsepower engine won’t be the stuff of NASCAR miracles, but it works very well with either five-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The Fit gets 34 mpg on the highway and 28 in the city, and does it with Honda’s trademark light touch in its controls and a roomy interior with a folding “Magic Seat” that opens a cargo area big enough for a standard-sized bicycle. Side curtain airbags, front-seat side-impact bags, and anti-lock brakes are standard, and it gets top five-star scores in the federal government’s frontal and side tests (though rear-seat passengers only have three-star side-impact protection).

Hyundai Elantra
The 2008 Hyundai Elantra is the South Korean brand’s compact sedan and a recent winner of a compact-car comparison from Consumer Reports. Power comes from a 138-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and goes through either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is as good as 25/33 mpg. It’s a good-looking vehicle, with enough room for adults in back and a good-quality interior outfitted with power windows, power heated rearview mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry, and a tilt steering wheel. Options include a Bluetooth hands-free system, leather, a power sunroof, and a 220-watt premium audio system with an iPod jack. The Elantra gets top front-impact scores and four-star side-impact ratings, and comes with anti-lock brakes and six airbags.

Mitsubishi Lancer
The Lancer is Mitsubishi’s smallest sedan and lowest-priced car in the U.S. lineup. It uses a 152-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, paired with either a very precise-shifting five-speed manual or a "gearless" CVT automatic. The nicely detailed look is matched by a comfortable cabin. Base versions have power windows and a CD sound system, but upscale versions can be outfitted with Bluetooth, automatic climate control, a 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate sound system, and a navigation system that includes a 30GB hard-drive music server. Four- and five-star crash test ratings are backed up by front, side, and curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes are standard on ES and GTS Lancers, but stability control is not available on any version.

Pontiac Vibe
The five-door Vibe returns with a new body style for 2009, a pair of engines and all-wheel drive as an option. Buyers can pick from a 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder or stick with the base 1.8-liter four, making 132 horsepower. Both engines can be teamed to a manual or automatic transmission. Fuel efficiency is good, especially with the 1.8-liter engine, which returns ratings as high as 26 mpg city, 32 mpg highway with the manual transmission. The smoother look outside is met with a roomy interior and high-quality feel inside; the rear seats fold flat to expand the cargo area. A 320-watt Monsoon sound system is among the options. All Vibes include front side airbags, side-curtain bags, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control. The Vibe gets five stars for side impacts for front-seat occupants and four stars in back; front impact tests aren’t in yet.

Saturn Astra
The new 2008 Astra is a European-bred car from GM’s Saturn brand. It comes in two flavors: two-door hatchback and four-door hatchback. It gets its power from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder that spins out 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. The sweet-revving four-cylinder teams well with a five-speed manual that offers a light-touch clutch; there’s a four-speed automatic offered as well. The Astra's ride feels Euro-tuned, with electronic power steering and strong brakes. The Astra has features not often found at this price point, like steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and express-up power windows. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn’t yet tested the Astra but it comes with six standard airbags, anti-lock brakes, and GM’s OnStar system.

Scion xB
The 2008 Scion xB is the second generation of the popular four-door hatchback sold by Toyota’s youth-oriented brand. The 2008 Scion xB is outfitted with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 158 horsepower, mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Fuel economy is 22/28 mpg. There’s room for four or cargo room to move most of a dorm room in one trip (minus the flat-screen TV and MicroFridge). Anti-lock brakes, side and curtain airbags, and stability control are standard equipment. The 2008 Scion xB gets four stars for front impact protection and five stars for side impacts.

Suzuki SX4
The SX4 is a small crossover vehicle with a wagon body, an upscale interior, and plenty of driving fun. Its 2.0-liter four spins out 143 horsepower in a happy, smooth patter; a sweet-shifting five-speed manual is standard, and a four-speed automatic is available. The government rates the SX4 at 21/28 mpg with the manual transmission. Though it might not look like much from the outside, the SX4 has a sharp interior with a high-quality look and features like a CD player with MP3 capability; iPod integration and Bluetooth are available. Six airbags are standard, as are anti-lock brakes and a seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The NHTSA rates the SX4 with four stars for most crash and rollover tests, save for five-star driver-side impact protection.

This won't come as a surprise to anyone who actually owns a teenager--here at TheCarConnection.com, we have the pink slip on two of them--but according to Ford itself, the most popular car for teen drivers is the Ford Mustang.

Shocked? Not really, but Ford went to the lengths of commissioning a study from a group called Teenage Research Unlimited, which also counts Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike, and Adidas among its clients. TRU says when asked which new car they'd most like to buy, most teens picked the Mustang.

In part, it's because the Mustang is an omnipresent American icon--in ads, in TV shows like the new Knight Rider, and in films. In greater part, maybe it's because at around $20,000 base, "It's a little more realistic than other much more expensive sports cars," says brand manager Fritz Wilke.

Of course, that "affordable" price tag doesn't include insurance and fuel. And since only about 1.2 percent of new car buyers are under 21, it's up to teen Mustang owner wannabes to convince their parents that the Mustang is safe and affordable.

Our advice: start whining now before the first college bills come in. The 2009 Mustang's on sale now, and this year's run is a short one in anticipation of the refreshed 2010 model. While you try to con the parents, let's ask those walking checkbooks: Is the Mustang an appropriate first car? Give us your off-the-cuff answer in a comment below.

AAA says the cost associated with teen drivers in accidents has hit $34 billion annually.

The motoring organization conducted an analysis for the first time ever on the bill rung up when teen drivers have accidents. It tallied up more than $34 billion annually in medical expenses, lost work, property damage, quality of life loss, and other related costs in 2006 alone (calculated by a broad range of databases and researches).

The group says it's examining comprehensive graduated driver licensing (GDL) as the next step to teen driving safety. A comprehensive GDL system would ease teens into driving through even more mandatory practice, AAA says, and restrictions limiting teen driving at night and with passengers could help reduce fatal teen crashes by an average 38 percent.

AAA President and CEO, Robert L. Darbelnet said, “These economic figures provide one more reason for legislators to improve graduated driver licensing in their states - a proven measure governments can take to reduce the deadly toll of teen driver crashes.”

AAA is encouraging the states to improve their current GDL systems to help reduce the number of teen crashes. Darbelnet said, “States that improve their graduated driver licensing programs will reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths for road users of all ages and reduce crash-related costs that are paid by the state, too.”

What do you think about graduated licensing? Is it the law in your state - and does it really help improve teen driving and road safety? Tell us in a comment below.

Teaching teens to drive is an essential part of life -- but teaching them how to drive safely is even more critical. This spring, Ford is playing up its involvement in an online and on-site teen driver-training course that seeks to keep more young drivers alive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 5,658 teen deaths from vehicle crashes in 2006. To stem the number one killer of American teens, the Ford Motor Company Fund and the Governors Highway Safety Association established a program called Driving Skills for Life in 2003.

Driving Skills for Life helps young drivers (and regular drivers, too) in four areas that are a factor in over 60 percent of teen crashes: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management. The program, unlike others, is Web-based, enabling teens to receive their training online. On the site, parents also have the option to access tips for their young drivers, and teachers can download lessons for classroom instruction. All downloadable material is free and available in both English and Spanish.

Driving Skills for Life is not only an instructional course. The program also reaches teens through grants given to states to help promote safe driving. Each year different states receive the grant; this year’s beneficiaries are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the U.S. territories of the Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands. These grants help pay for hands-on programs for the students and DVDs that teach safe driving as well.

The program also stages driving events to give inexperienced drivers more skills. Students have the availability to drive specially-equipped vehicles like skid cars, and learn the four key skills on challenging road courses. Highly skilled race car drivers are used as personal instructors and assist anywhere between 300 and 700 students in a two- or three-day event.

This year’s driving events will take place in Dearborn, Mich.; Nashville; and Peoria, Ill. Additional locations and dates are to be determined. So if you and your inexperienced driver can't make those events, take a look at the Driving Skills for Life Web site for online lessons and for more information.

I’m college-bound and car-less -- not exactly a grand combination, if you ask me. But I do have to give myself credit: I’ve been searching through ads on the Internet trying to find out what’s a “good” deal and what’s a “bad” one before I take the plunge and buy my first car.

After reading about more cars than my mind can contain, I've found out a secret: there are keywords out there that just don't go well with cars.

The first unpleasant eye-catcher would have to be rust. I'm not just referring to an ugly color, which I'd also avoid. Even if you’re looking into a car that has “slight rust," don't. Rust spreads! That slight damage would eventually turn into major damage if you don’t attempt to fix it (and usually, even if you do). It's much easier to stop yourself first from buying all that rust in the first place.

Another unsettling word is rebuilt. For those of us, including me, that are concentrating more on driving cars, and not remaking them, the word "rebuilt" is something to steer around. Whether it's a rebuilt transmission, brakes, or engine, it means the same thing: the original parts wore out, and this car's been used. A lot. You don’t know the tools or means that people used to rebuild the car. And if you buy a rebuilt car from someone, you have no idea if they cut any corners or used the wrong parts. At a certain price point you have no choice, but if you can afford it, try to find something that hasn't had anything rebuilt.

I’m not so sure I’d jump at the opportunity to buy a “riced” car, either. Riced cars generally refer to cars that have been retooled with new motors, body kits, wild paint jobs and aesthetically questionable add-ons. They might look awesome -- or look like a hot mess -- but sometimes, the actual performance of the car hasn't been improved at all. Riced cars are generally considered “poser” cars by those that actually improve their cars in every sense. Riced cars can generally be spotted by their body kits, neon lights, neon paint jobs, suspension, spoilers, and excessively large rims. One of the biggest problems with riced cars is something called “identity crisis.” Identity crisis is where stickers, badges, or any kind of identifier show up on a car of the wrong make or type. Identity crisis is not limited to riced out cars, but it does happen often with them. For the first-time buyer, neither's a good sign that the car's going to last long or stay in style.

Next is a word that just sounds like doom: salvage. Unless it’s Carfax telling me there’s no salvage record, I tend to pass over ads that contain the “s” word. Salvage is what it sounds like -- the next step up from “rebuilt” and the last step before the crusher. Salvage cars can be unsafe, and they certainly don't carry a warranty -- two things a first-time buyer can't afford.

The fifth and final “warning word” would have to be the oh-so-popular “about.” Honestly, if you’re going to buy a car from someone, shouldn’t they know the specifics of the car they’re selling? The seller should be able to give you exacts on the car’s mileage, age, title status, all of the important stuff. When someone gives you an “about” or an “around,” you should question whether or not they know the details.

The lesson here? Pay attention to the words in those used-car ads -- they can tell you everything you need to know about the wrong cars out there.