Autotrader Names Best Cars for Recent College Graduates in 2024

Autotrader's Great Cars for Grads Feature Affordable Prices, High Safety Marks, Cool Features

ATLANTA, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Every may, a new group of college graduates set off on of their next adventure. Often, a new vehicle is part of that plan. While the grads studied for their finals, the experts at Autotrader, a Cox Automotive brand, studied the automotive landscape to determine the Best Cars for Recent College Graduates for 2024.

"As the class of 2024 puts college in their rearview mirror, many will seek a new vehicle as they drive toward their next chapter," said Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader. "The most recent data from Cox Automotive reveals the average price for a new car in the United States hovers above $47,000, but we want recent grads to know they don't necessarily need to spend that much to get a great new car. And, if the grad is particularly savvy, they should research buying a used version of one of the cars on the list. If that's the case, we suggest considering a certified pre-owned (CPO) model."

All of the featured 2024 model-year vehicles make the grade when it comes to the Autotrader editors' three primary criteria for this list. First, candidates must have a starting price under $30,000, including destination charge. Next, they must have a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). And lastly, each car must have at least one cool feature that stands out to the editors. This cool thing may be functional, or it might be part of the design, or it might be unexpected, but it is a feature that grads will appreciate.

Below, presented in alphabetical order by brand, are Autotrader's 2024 choices for the Best Cars for Recent College Graduates:

To learn more about the Best Cars for Recent College Graduates for 2024 from Autotrader, including each vehicle's standout cool feature, pricing details, photos, additional vehicle information and available inventory, visit https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/10-best-cars-recent-college-graduates-281474980013135.http://www.autotrader.com/BestNewCars

For more information and news from Autotrader, visit press.autotrader.com, follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/autotrader_com/ (or @autotrader_com), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/autotrader/, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/autotrader-com.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market car shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered car shopper looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing and retailing solutions allow consumers to build their deal online, and guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, vAuto^®, Dealertrack^®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch^® and FleetNet America^®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn. 

SOURCE Autotrader

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