5 Affordable Cars for a College Student’s Budget

Michelle Sun
The Boro Blog
Published in
3 min readDec 21, 2018

For many college students in America, a car is a real necessity. Although ridesharing and bike sharing programs are on the rise, they just don’t work out for all students. You might live way too far from campus. Or you might need the car to get to your part-time work. Whatever the reason, one of the main things students are looking for in a car is a cheap price tag. So, which are the most affordable cars for college students right now?

Chevrolet Sonic

MSRP: $15,500 approx.

A great choice for the safety conscious, this small but stylish Chevy is available with multiple airbags, rearview camera, and park assist. Perfect if you haven’t been driving for too long. Available in hatchback or sedan, and with a range of trims.

2019 Chevrolet Sonic

Mazda 3

MSRP: $18,100 approx.

The Mazda 3 is compact, sleek and best of all, super economic. The highway efficiency rating is around 40MPG, so long commutes to college needn’t cost the earth. It has a wide range of safety features and a touchscreen in-car system.

2018 Mazda 3

Toyota Yaris

MSRP: $15,635 approx.

Available in manual or automatic transmission, the Yaris is great for those who want an easy drive to college. It has hands-free built in, so there’s no excuse not to call home from time to time. There are five different trims available, so the Yaris suits a variety of budgets.

2019 Toyota Yaris

Ford Fiesta

MSRP: $14,300 approx.

Students might be eligible for special discounts with Ford, so do check their website for the latest deals. The Fiesta is a cheap, economical car that’s generally considered to be the king of the hatchbacks. The ST trim add a few dollars on to the price tag but includes higher performance tires and brakes, making it safer for new drivers.

2019 Ford Fiesta

Subaru Crosstrek

MSRP: $21,800 approx.

A touch more expensive, the Subaru lives up to its price tag with a comfortable, smooth ride and plenty of space inside. Recently redesigned for a cooler look and with plenty of safety features included, this car combines practicality with style. A great first car choice.

2018 Subaru Crosstrek

Whatever your college car choice, a Boro auto loan could be the right credit choice to finance your new auto. We look beyond your credit history and have some great rates. All you have to worry about is planning the best route to college in your new car.

About Boro

Boro is the leading platform for college students to get the auto loans, leases, and personal loans they deserve — all while helping to build credit. We are committed to providing affordable and convenient financing solutions to those who are denied credit by traditional lenders. By leveraging alternative data and machine learning techniques, we are revolutionizing the consumer financing industry.

We started our journey as an auto lending platform for international students in 2015. After talking with our customers, we realized that domestic students, young professionals, and new immigrants could all benefit from our products. So, we evolved into a data-driven consumer lending platform providing auto loans, personal loans, and auto leases for anyone without enough credit history to borrow from traditional lenders.

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