<p>hubbellsdad-
Your sons are fortunate to have generous parents providing new cars to get them started in life. We do the same with newish used cars as that’s what our family budget allows.</p>
<p>I like the idea of first month’s deposit on an apt…wonder if that could convince our son it’s time to move on?! :)</p>
<p>Maybe musicmom’s son is saving up for a Mercedes E series.</p>
<p>the subaru impreza is smaller than the outback. it comes as a hatchback or a sedan. just stick with the 2.5 engine and not the turbo engine. the turbo engine is much too fun to drive for anyone under 25yo</p>
<p>My parents got a Focus as I was graduating high school and wound up gifting it to me when I had to go cross-country for a summer job. I’ve had it for about five years now, it’s been cross-country three times, and I absolutely love it. Went to undergrad in Pittsburgh where it served me well for a year, and I feel a hatchback is a GREAT feature for college aged kids. There’s no way the 38" CRT TV I bought off of Craigslist would have ever fit into a standard compact sedan, as well as many of the other loads I’ve had to carry during my life as a roving grad student.</p>
<p>I will agree with some other posters as to questioning the need for a car freshman year. Unless it’s just something you need in order to get off of campus (RIT comes to mind) then I don’t see why it would be worth the expense. Especially if not everyone will have a car, your daughter could easily turn into a taxi service for friends if she doesn’t know how to say no. Also, with how prevalent the drinking culture can be at some schools, I’m not sure how wise it is to give a potential new drinker access to a set of wheels (especially in driving conditions she’s not familiar with!).</p>
<p>It’s commendable that you want to provide your freshman daughter with a safe car. And an all-wheel drive car would be a good choice. However, there is more to your daughter’s safety than a capable vehicle. </p>
<p>A year or so ago, a student wanted to know how to properly winterize his on-campus car. The reason for his query…? He and his friends wanted to go to the local Taco Bell at 1:30 AM during a blizzard. In my response, I questioned the wisdom of striking out on snow covered and icy roads to get $ .89 tacos. If he wanted to know how to keep his doors from freezing shut so that he and his friends could go hunt down tacos in a blizzard, one can only imagine the temptations if the vehicle had AWD.</p>
<p>This is the rub. AWD/4WD vehicles and bad weather have a magnetic attraction. Here in the Snow Belt, the first signs of frost on the roads and every owner of an AWD/4WD vehicle wants to “explore the wilderness” which equates to driving to the mall or the supermarket in a blizzard to amaze and amuse the neighbors and co-workers with their “Lewis and Clark” adventure. Just imagine if instead of horses, pack mules and Indian guides, Lewis and Clark had a Suburban and GPS! </p>
<p>So unless your daughter has a very strong reason to be on icy and snow covered roads, a decent used FWD car with good all season tires should suffice. A set of winter tires is even better, but storing them in her dorm room would be challenging. It’s not about your daughter, but rather her dorm mates who equate “Taco Run” with DD’s AWD “Subie”. Here, a less capable vehicle might keep in check a “What was I thinking” moment.</p>
<p>^^^I’m laughing so hard I have tears coming out of my eyes. My oldest (from Michigan) we sent off the college in a mountainous area with an old Ford Escort station wagon. Many of his college pals got sent out with big 4WD SUVs…guess who never, ever gets asked to drive in the winter?</p>
<p>Oldfort-
Son is definetely NOT saving his pennies for a Mercedes.</p>
<p>He’s been very thrilled with the assorted used wagons we have gifted him with to lug around all his music ‘stuff’ over the last 7 years or so.</p>
<p>Now, I am SURE he has his eye on a variety of Fender products, electronic black boxes and perhaps, tubas! Cars? Way low on his list.</p>
<p>We gifted 24yo our 97 Camry 4dr,stick. Big enough to take a bunch of grad students out with picnic stuff. (he went to Whistler first weekend in Feb. Half off on rooms, no crowds, 1-1 ski lessons for 2 days. Gorgeous skiing. ) Studded tires as a bonus, but he goes a gets chains (?). I wouldn’t give anyone a 4awd, 4wd, or suv because people think they are invincible in adverse conditions-these autos/trucks get squirrelly in too much rain/snow/ice and really dangerous in tight situations.</p>
<p>Definitely helpful comments. We have completely reconsidered AWD based on suggestions here.</p>
<p>Clarkalum, my additional $0.02 worth based on additional comments since my last post. Last post I suggested you reconsider your AWD requirement, as FWD will get you almost anywhere you need to go if properly shod with good snow tires. </p>
<p>This post is to emphasize the latter part of that statement. </p>
<p>In states where it snows rarely, all-season tires may suffice. But in New England, with your child’s life on the line, they most definitely will not. All-season tires are a compromise, doing everything adequately but nothing superbly. New England winters require more. Our roads are often - usually, in fact - compacted with ice and snow. Winter tires are made with softer rubber compounds that stay flexible as the road temperature drops. This allows the tread pattern and little slits (sipes) in the rubber to flex and grab whatever is on the road and keep the car there, even when it’s really really cold. All-season tires are not designed to do that - rubber that soft will not stand up to highway speeds on hot summer days, and the tread wear will be unacceptable. That is why you shouldn’t run winter tires in the heat of the summer.</p>
<p>Forget studs and chains. In addition to tearing up the roads, studs can be slippery on frozen bare pavement. They are used primarily on less-expensive winter-only tires. Get great snow tires and you won’t need them. As for chains, you definitely don’t need them or want to rely on them anywhere in the East. </p>
<p>So. Find your child a good front-wheel drive sedan (traction control a plus), make sure there’s a good independent mechanic who treats college kids fairly that works on that brand, and buy a set of excellent studless snow tires. </p>
<p>I also echo the call for manual over automatic transmission, but that’s an entirely personal decision, not one that will necessarily dictate primary safety concerns. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I mentioned my doubts about the need for AWD pages ago, but I want to add this: if you DO purchase a vehicle w/ AWD, please make sure your daughter understands that the vehicle will not stop any faster than other vehicles. Evidence in snow country here indicates that many AWD operators to not understand this.</p>
<p>
Bingo! AWD and 4WD does not a safer vehicle make. I can’t imagine a college student needing it even in snowy NE. My 19 year old drives a 2000 Neon and had not had a wit of trouble in all the Baltimore snow - 50" in a week.<br>
Back in the day - I was a college student in NE and no one had 4WD! We managed. They do have plows up there.</p>
<p>What does she “need” a car for? driving to a job or just going back and forth between home? … and how far away is home?</p>
<p>We bought 2 Saturn Auras last year - bought one in the summer for me to drive and loved it so much that we bought a second for the kids to share as a Christmas gift. There was a dad in there buying Auras for his twin daughters who were graduating from college - one from UMich and one from MSU. Identical cars except for the school license plates.<br>
It was the 2007 N American Car of the Year.</p>
<p>1995 GEO Prizm (really a re-badged Toyota Corolla) . Safe, reliable, economical and his roomies refuse to be seen in it so it’s not driven too often. What more can you ask for?</p>
<p>BUMP–would like to keep this thread going a little longer as these comments have been very helpful.</p>
<p>Who’s buying, paying for insurance and gas?</p>
<p>DS can well afford a newer car and its accompanying payments. To him its just local transportation to get from A to B. The money that he saves in auto transportation costs can be applied to other things (decides to go to Chile for springbreak with wandering classmate). Don’t know how you feel but perhaps you can offer alternative transportation incentives-ie trip to Europe, China? Much more status in an overseas trip than a new car. JIMO.</p>
<p>Clarkalum, what’s the budget we’re spending on the car? Love to put up some suggestions!</p>
<p>Compact to midsize car, but I think it’s dumb to bring a car for undergrad.</p>
<p>You don’t need AWD. My car is FWD and never had problems with snow, ice, etc… Learn how to steer/brake properly.</p>
<p>I vote no car…<br>
cars mean more roadtrips and distractions </p>
<p>however if you must maybe an </p>
<p>old volvo with side impact airbags</p>
<p>Unless parking and insurance etc is easy…a car is a burdeon not a benefit (and I had a car for all 4 yrs at college)</p>