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Best cars for students of 2024

With the cost of living crisis putting students off living away from home, as well as the number of places for them to stay not keeping up with demand, many students now commute to their place of study.

If you’re looking to save money, it’s a fantastic option, because you can pick up a tidy motor for less than the cost of a year’s rent. With the average cost of student accommodation equalling more than £5,000 per school year, we’ve put together a bunch of cars available for less than that.

We've selected cars that are affordable to buy, economical with fuel, and offer decent passenger space in a relatively small footprint, as parking around colleges and in university towns is often in short supply.

Some of these cars are also available with low-cost leasing options, so even accounting for the up-front payment, will get you in a brand-new car for less than a room in student halls.

Dacia Sandero

1. Dacia Sandero

8/10
Dacia Sandero review

What's good

  • Value for money is tough to beat
  • Interior is spacious and impressively practical
  • Holds its value well

What’s not so good

  • Poor two-star safety rating
  • No USB charge points in rear
  • Colourful paint job costs extra
Although it’s not officially Britain’s cheapest new car anymore, the Dacia Sandero is still one of our favourite cheap cars. It’s by no means fancy, but the latest models actually look pretty stylish, and are available to lease for around £200 per month. And because of their low starting price, you can find some fairly recent models on the used market at bargain prices. They’re not exactly the coolest cars to climb out of in the university car park, but they are one of the most sensible.

What's good

  • Value for money is tough to beat
  • Interior is spacious and impressively practical
  • Holds its value well

What’s not so good

  • Poor two-star safety rating
  • No USB charge points in rear
  • Colourful paint job costs extra
Hyundai i10

2. Hyundai i10

8/10
Hyundai i10 review

What's good

  • Stylish exterior design
  • Very easy to drive in town
  • Good-sized boot for such a small car

What’s not so good

  • Really basic entry-level models
  • Cheapest petrol engine is gutless
  • Alternatives have more eye-catching interiors
We’re keeping our sensible hats on for our next choice. The i10 isn’t particularly spacious inside, nor will it be the most comfortable companion if your uni commute takes in a lot of motorway driving, but it has a useful boot and looks great. More importantly, it can be leased for peanuts if you want a brand-new model, while the used market is full of fairly fresh examples for not too much cash.

What's good

  • Stylish exterior design
  • Very easy to drive in town
  • Good-sized boot for such a small car

What’s not so good

  • Really basic entry-level models
  • Cheapest petrol engine is gutless
  • Alternatives have more eye-catching interiors
SEAT Ibiza

3. SEAT Ibiza

8/10
SEAT Ibiza review

What's good

  • Stylish design
  • Fun to drive
  • Decent-sized boot

What’s not so good

  • Some cheap plastics inside
  • Top models can get pricey
  • Entry-level petrol engine is noisy
If it’s cool you want, may we introduce the SEAT Ibiza. It's tough to find anything more stylish at this price point on the new car market. It doesn’t just look good, it’s also fun to drive, which is just as important if you want to enjoy a long drive to class. Even if you don’t fancy taking advantage of the low-cost leasing, there are plenty of older examples available at a low price on the used market, with even previous generation models looking pretty smart.

What's good

  • Stylish design
  • Fun to drive
  • Decent-sized boot

What’s not so good

  • Some cheap plastics inside
  • Top models can get pricey
  • Entry-level petrol engine is noisy

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Volkswagen Polo

4. Volkswagen Polo

8/10
Volkswagen Polo review

What's good

  • Slick cabin feels posh
  • Very comfortable on the road
  • Plenty of boot space

What’s not so good

  • Not as fun as some alternatives
  • Entry-level petrol engine lacks punch
  • Useful options can be expensive
If you want your small car to be as much like a big car as possible, the Volkswagen Polo is your best bet. We’re big fans of the fact that it’s really spacious and comfortable for long drives, while also feeling posher than other cheap cars inside. The downside is that leasing a new one will cost a bit more than the cheapest cars here, but it’s far from extortionate. Used models also represent great value, and there are plenty to choose from.

What's good

  • Slick cabin feels posh
  • Very comfortable on the road
  • Plenty of boot space

What’s not so good

  • Not as fun as some alternatives
  • Entry-level petrol engine lacks punch
  • Useful options can be expensive
Ford Fiesta

5. Ford Fiesta

7/10
Ford Fiesta review

What's good

  • Great fun to drive
  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard
  • Nippy 100hp petrol engine

What’s not so good

  • ST-Line models feel firm
  • Alternatives have more rear space...
  • ...and bigger boots
The Ford Fiesta is a hugely popular choice among younger drivers because it looks great, is cheap to run and fun to drive. Leasing deals aren’t fantastic when you look at what else you can get for the same or less, but there are loads of tempting options on the used market. You can find some high-spec, sporty models at affordable prices.

What's good

  • Great fun to drive
  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard
  • Nippy 100hp petrol engine

What’s not so good

  • ST-Line models feel firm
  • Alternatives have more rear space...
  • ...and bigger boots
MINI 3-Door Hatch

6. Mini 3-Door Hatch

7/10
MINI 3-Door Hatch review

What's good

  • Fun to drive
  • Excellent infotainment
  • Lots of personalisation options

What’s not so good

  • Small boot
  • Tight rear-seat access
  • Wind and tyre noise
If you’re looking for a fashionable uni car, the Mini hatchback is a brilliant choice. It’s a bit pricey when new, but you can find some handsome, well-specced older cars on the used market. Running costs will be a bit higher than most cars here, and they don’t have the best reliability record, but take a punt and you’ll have a slick, stylish interior and one of the most fun small car driving experiences around.

What's good

  • Fun to drive
  • Excellent infotainment
  • Lots of personalisation options

What’s not so good

  • Small boot
  • Tight rear-seat access
  • Wind and tyre noise
Nissan Leaf

7. Nissan Leaf

6/10
Nissan Leaf review
Battery range up to 239 miles

What's good

  • E+ models have a good range
  • Plenty of clever safety kit
  • Good boot space

What’s not so good

  • Sluggish infotainment system
  • Interior feels a bit cheap in places
  • Alternatives are roomier in the back
The Nissan Leaf is a bit of a left-field choice for this list – and it won’t work for everyone. The leasing prices are a touch high, but if you’re able to charge at home you might find the fuel savings offset the higher cost. If you’re looking at cheap, used models, you’ll be sniffing around early Leafs, which don’t have a great range – less than 80 miles in the real world. So only go down this route if you won’t have to rely on pricey public charge points.

What's good

  • E+ models have a good range
  • Plenty of clever safety kit
  • Good boot space

What’s not so good

  • Sluggish infotainment system
  • Interior feels a bit cheap in places
  • Alternatives are roomier in the back
Toyota Yaris Hybrid

8. Toyota Yaris

8/10
Toyota Yaris Hybrid review

What's good

  • Efficient hybrid engine
  • Good fun to drive
  • Plenty of standard equipment

What’s not so good

  • Dour interior
  • Ride is firm on larger wheels
  • Rear-seat and boot space aren't great
Whether or not the Toyota Yaris can be considered cool depends entirely on whether you’re the sort of person who thinks fuel economy and reliability are sexy. There are literally dozens of us, honest. Even if you don’t, the latest Yaris actually looks pretty good and is decent to drive, and offsets its higher leasing cost with excellent fuel economy. You can get a cheaper, older Yaris within our £5,000 budget, but they’re even less exciting than newer versions. They’re still very unlikely to go wrong, though.

What's good

  • Efficient hybrid engine
  • Good fun to drive
  • Plenty of standard equipment

What’s not so good

  • Dour interior
  • Ride is firm on larger wheels
  • Rear-seat and boot space aren't great
Vauxhall Corsa (2019-2023)

What's good

  • Fairly fun to drive
  • Range of efficient engines
  • Generous standard equipment

What’s not so good

  • Fiddly infotainment
  • Bumpy at low speeds
  • Limited back-seat space
The Vauxhall Corsa is Britain’s best-selling car, and for good reason. The latest model looks good and is reasonably priced for its size. It might look like one of the pricier options in this list, but leasing costs won’t set your wallet on fire if you really want the latest model. The Corsa’s ubiquity means the best deals are found in the used market, though. Whichever model you go for, you can be sure it’ll be cheap to fuel, cheap to insure, and cheap to fix if things go wrong.

What's good

  • Fairly fun to drive
  • Range of efficient engines
  • Generous standard equipment

What’s not so good

  • Fiddly infotainment
  • Bumpy at low speeds
  • Limited back-seat space
Citroen C3 Origin

10. Citroen C3

6/10
Citroen C3 Origin review
The Citroen C3 is in the fight to be the least expensive car in the UK, which is quite remarkable because it looks great and is really comfortable to drive. It’s far from exciting, but if your commute is a long one, the C3 is a bit like cruising along in your living room armchair. Older models within our budget aren’t quite so funky-looking, but they’re just as comfy and cheap to run.

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Advice about cars for students

Cars for students FAQs

As one of the newer models on our rundown, the Hyundai i10 should be a safe bet, not least because it gets an impressive five-year warranty. You could also consider the Toyota Yaris, though this only comes as a hybrid in newer models. That makes it pricier to buy or lease, but you will have low running costs.

The SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo are great options, with 355 litres and 351 litres of boot space respectively. If you really need the space, though, the Skoda Fabia offers 380 litres

This will come down as much to trim level and engine rather than the model of car, as well as the driver's age, sex, location and history; all of the cars in this list are available in guises that should make insurance as affordable as possible, even for relatively posh cars like the Volkswagen Polo. Check out our list of the cheapest cars to insure for more information.