A new college graduate who is lucky enough to have found a full-time job and is not about to drown under student loan repayments may be thinking about getting good, reliable transportation to make the commute to and from work and maybe have a little fun on weekends. And while there might by a very lucky handful out there who will get the keys to a Porsche 911, a far more modest vehicle is a likelier option for most others.

The editors at AutoTrader.com have put together a list of 10 new and late model certified pre-owned vehicles that may fit into a new grad’s budget. We have noted an MSRP as listed at Kelley Blue Book (from KBB.com) and given the KBB’s out-the-door price, which includes tax and license, in Chicago. Fuel economy ratings come from the U.S. Department of Energy (fueleconomy.gov).

Nissan Versa Note
At a base MSRP of just $15,005, the 2015 Versa Note S hatchback is the lowest-priced car in this list. According to KBB, the out-the-door price is $15,336, including tax and license in the city of Chicago. A down payment of $2,798 and a 60-month, 1.99% car loan yields a monthly payment on the car of $220. The base model Versa Note with a four-cylinder engine and a four-speed manual transmission gets a combined city-highway fuel economy rating of 30 mpg.

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Honda Fit
The 2015 Honda Fit LX hatchback from Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) carries a base model MSRP of $16,470 and the KBB out-the-door price for the car is $17,333. With a down payment of $3,167 and a five-year loan at 1.99% interest, the monthly payment is $248. The Fit LX with a four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission has a combined city-highway fuel economy rating of 32 mpg.
Mazda3
A 2015 Mazda3 i SV sedan has an MSRP of $17,765, according to KBB.com, and an out-the-door price tag of $18,328 in Chicago. Making a down payment of $3,351 and getting a 1.99% loan on the balance for 60 months yields a monthly payment of $262. With a four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission, the Mazda3 i SV has a fuel-economy combined city-highway rating of 29 mpg.

Jeep Renegade
The Jeep brand has been a top performer for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) and the all-new 2015 Renegade is the only compact crossover vehicle to make this list. The Renegade Sport’s MSRP is $18,990 and the out-the-door price is $20,087 for the two-wheel drive version. With a down payment of $3,676 and an auto loan interest rate of 1.99% on the balance, monthly payments total $288. The fuel economy rating on the four-cylinder, six-speed manual transmission model is a combined 27 mpg.

Fiat 500
The 2015 Fiat 500 Pop from Chrysler is a two-door hatchback that carries an MSRP of $17,825 and an out-the-door price of $18,124, according to KBB. With a down payment of $3,314 and a five-year loan at 1.99%, monthly payments run $260. With the four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission, the Fiat 500 has a fuel economy rating of 34 mpg, but the car uses premium-grade gasoline.

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Toyota Camry
The Camry from Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) is the best-selling mid-size sedan on the market and the price range for a 2013 model year, certified pre-owned Camry with 36,323 miles on the clock is $17,216, according to Kelley Blue Book. KBB puts the monthly price at $328. The fair market price range on the car is $16,332 to $18,099. The fuel economy rating on the four-cylinder model with an automatic transmission is 28 mpg combined city-highway driving.

Ford Fusion
The Fusion from Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) is the company’s best-selling midsize car, even though it trails the F-150 pickup, the company’s top-selling vehicle, by a good margin. A certified pre-owned front-wheel drive model with a four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual transmission and 34,379 miles on the odometer is available for an average price of around $16,281, or $310 a month, according to KBB. The fair market price range for the car is $15,465 to $17,096. The car’s combined city-highway fuel economy rating is 29 mpg.

Chevrolet Trax
The all-new 2015 Chevy Trax LS compact crossover from General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) carries an MSRP of $20,995 for a four-cylinder model with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. According to KBB, the out-the-door price in Chicago is $21,921. With a down payment of $4,015 and a five-year loan at 1.99%, the monthly payment totals $314. The vehicle’s combined fuel economy rating is 29 mpg.

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Buick Encore
A 2015 Buick Encore compact crossover is the most expensive new car in this list. The base model, with front-wheel drive, a four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission carries an MSRP of $24,990, according to KBB. At an out-the-door price of $25,929, the Encore will cost $371 a month, with a down payment of $4,756 and 60-month loan for the balance at an interest rate of 1.99%. The Encore’s combined fuel economy rating is 28 mpg.

Lexus IS 250
The 2012 Lexus IS 250 sport sedan from Toyota is the priciest car on AutoTrader.com’s list, but a four-year-old certified pre-owned model costs considerably less than the basic MSRP of $36,550 for the 2015 model. AutoTrader prices the base model with a six-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission at $27,690. KBB has a fair market range of $23,807 to $25,964 and a mid-point price of $24,886, or $475 a month. The combined city-highway fuel economy rating is 25 mpg on premium grade gasoline with the automatic transmission.

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