Top Cars for College Students; CarMax and Driver's Edge Recommend Best Vehicles for Safety and Reliability

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 10, 2006 -- College students are preparing to head back to school, and many are dreaming of packing up their own car for the drive back to college. To help students and parents find the best car, CarMax, Inc. , the nation's largest retailer of used cars, and Driver's Edge, a national nonprofit organization providing youth driver education, have teamed up to recommend the top cars for college students.

"Typically, parents' top priorities when looking for a vehicle for their student are price, reliability, and safety, while young people are usually interested in style, features, and performance," said Ron Costa, regional vice president of purchasing for CarMax. "We recommend conducting online vehicle research first and then finding a car retailer that provides a transparent, customer-friendly, and easy car buying process."

The top cars recommended for college students that fulfill both the parents' safety and reliability demands and the young drivers' requirements for looks and performance include (in alphabetical order by manufacturer):

  * Audi A4
  * Ford Five Hundred
  * Honda Civic
  * Hyundai Sonata
  * Scion tC
  * Subaru Impreza (except WRX models)
  * Toyota Corolla (models with ABS)
  * Volkswagen Jetta
  * Volkswagen Passat
  * Volvo S40

"When deciding on a vehicle for a young driver, safety has to be a top consideration," said Jeff Payne, president and founder of Driver's Edge. "Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for people under 24, outnumbering the combined deaths resulting from drug use, guns, and other violence." Driver's Edge recommends that parents review crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when considering any vehicle, along with the advice and ratings of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"It's pretty tough to come up with a list of cars that will satisfy both parents and students," said Steve Tepper, chief operating officer of Driver's Edge. "Issues of looks, cost, safety, and performance don't always line up, but there are some great cars out there that fit the bill safety-wise while still being a cool car to drive."

The cars on the list are recommended for drivers who have at least two years of practical driving experience. (Smaller cars would not be on a list of cars recommended for true novice drivers.) Driver's Edge and CarMax used the following criteria to select the recommended cars:

  1) Each of the selected models scored at least a four star rating from
     NHTSA for both frontal and side impact protection in each of the last
     four years.  Exceptions are the Ford Five Hundred and the Scion tC,
     each of which have only been available since 2005.

  2) Each car offers an array of active safety features (e.g., anti-lock
     braking systems, traction control, etc.).

  3) Cost and vehicle styling have been considered, but safety
     considerations weighed more heavily in determining the cars to
     recommend.

"It's not just about choosing the 'right' car," Payne said. "There is no five-star rating or safety device that can take the place of a well educated driver. A lousy driver can make even the safest of vehicles a bad place to be. That's why we also recommend that all drivers seek out the proper training and learn the skills needed to help them stay safer on the highways."

About CarMax

CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2006 "100 Best Companies to Work For," is the nation's largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 71 used car superstores in 34 markets. CarMax also operates seven new car franchises, all of which are integrated or co-located with its used car superstores. During the twelve month period ended May 31, 2006, the company sold 300,011 used cars, which is 94% of the total 320,255 vehicles the company retailed during that period. For more information, access the CarMax website at http://www.carmax.com/.

About Driver's Edge

Las Vegas-based Driver's Edge is a Nevada 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Driver's Edge offers a free educational program for young drivers aged 15 to 21, teaching real life emergency avoidance and response techniques and overall driver safety. This innovative program is taught on an ongoing basis in Las Vegas, Nev., with annual national tours visiting multiple U.S. cities each year. The program is funded entirely by corporate sponsorship, public grants, and charitable donations. Please visit http://www.driversedge.org/ for more information.