PHOTO BY COURTENEY STUART

"I'm a girl, so I pack a lot of shoes and clothes and stuff," laughs college student Casey Barlow, who regularly drives to and from Elon University in North Carolina.

Spaciousness is part of the reason she loves her sky-blue 4Runner, which she got as a hand-me-down from her mother for the college commute and which can fit enough outfits for a whole sorority. In addition to the storage capacity, Barlow--whose long blond hair inspired her license plate: Rapunzl-- cites its sunroof as another prime feature.

But she says comfort is the car's best feature.

"It's a very smooth ride," she says.