With mini-SUVs as ideal choice for their return
Nearly 2 years after remote learning, students have finally returned to in-person classes – once again filling campuses with joy and laughter. After a long period of studying from home, face-to-face classes have finally been allowed to resume by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in a program adhering to the new normal as a blended learning method is introduced.
For students who live farther away from their universities, this means early mornings to embark on the challenge of commuting—especially in a crowded metro where public transportation is in high demand. Yet for those college students who have their driver’s licenses, it’s easier to go to school with their personal vehicles. However, some have long aspired to drive their dream car to school, with the majority of college students naming the popular mini-SUV as their dream car.
As quickly as it has taken over the online sphere, the mini-SUVs have taken University Campuses by storm as the majority of college students around the metro have claimed it as their dream car.
With the retro trend now bouncing back, students have commended the nostalgia and “throwback” feelings these real-life “toy cars” have brought back. The evident wave of time-traveling to the past in a timeless and classic piece brings back the easier days of childhood.
Other motoring media platforms have described mini-SUVs as worth it, with one stating that it “taps into our childhood and reminds us of the toy jeeps and trucks we played with when all we had to worry about was doing homework and having enough money to buy Chippy,” as posted on their official website.
Carlito De Leon Jr, a 22-year-old student from De La Salle University, however, is one of the many dreamers who can’t wait to get his hands on a mini-SUV.
“It is the optimal vehicle for my size and build. It has the features of an SUV in a small size, and the recent iterations make it a viable choice for designers who would want a replica of their favorite off-roader,” he said.
The majority of college students drive an SUV to school, this comes from the insight that these types of vehicles are roomy and comfortable, with space to spare. Seconded by sedans, students have said that they are left to drive these vehicles out of the pure choice of their parents and easy availability.
“My parents bought the SUV as a replacement for the older vehicle for obvious reasons such as endurance, quality, space, and price,” said De Leon. Despite driving an SUV, his eye had always been on off-road mini SUVs.
Students have also decided to take personal vehicles to school because of convenience and safety reasons.
JP, 22, who trains for judo after school, said that by bringing a car, he’s able to bring all his equipment and extra clothes with him which might be hassling if he were to commute from his home to his university,
“I like to bring my clothes and equipment with me, including the pads after class. It makes more sense for me,” he said.
Some of the students also stated that they had only acquired driver’s licenses during the pandemic. Taking their own personal car also saves more money and is less time-consuming than commuting or hailing taxi services.
After being quite lifeless for a couple of years, roads around Universities will once again be filled with the sound of revving engines as students make their return, continuing down the road on a journey of educational fulfillment in a comeback of style and speed. And if we were to observe what would normally come in and out of those university gates nowadays, bet your bottom dollar those quaint yet functional mini-SUVs shall definitely be on the upper end of that list.