The best cars for students might not be the ones that are the most fun, or have the best image, but they are to be cheap to buy and affordable to run. All the cars here cost less than £3,000 to buy, which, according to car data supplier CAP Automotive, is about the UK average of a first car bought by (and often for) those in their late teens. They also have low insurance groups, are fuel-efficient (45-plus mpg), good to drive and have a four-star Euro NCAP crash rating or higher. We have based the insurance premium on an average 18-year-old student living in a student residence in Nottingham with comprehensive cover and a £250 voluntary excess. His parents are on the insurance as occasional named drivers and the driving licence has been held for less than six months. Click through our gallery to see the full list of the 10 best cars for students.