<p>Our son also needs a car in undergrad to get to off campus teaching observations. We looked into public transportation, carpooling, etc and it was not feasible.</p>
<p>Luckily, we have a longtime friend who is a mechanic. We have bought many used cars with his help.
Found a $3000 9yr old Mercury Sable wagon on cars.com, for sale within 15 miles of our home. Mechanicals good, fair cosmetics, holds all the kid's stuff including two tubas! It's lasted one year so far; if it gets him through this year I'll be thrilled. Insurance runs $800/year on our policy and that's at age 21 and clean record.</p>
<p>I would never consider used without having a trusted independent inspection.</p>
<p>Insurancewise, my D just got her own policy, not one associated with us and it is about $300-$400 semi-annually- so, a 21+ female with an excellent driving record can get insurance for about $700 annually.</p>
<p>P3T,
When I lived in LA, I bought a used Honda from a dealership. I gave it to my S when I left the area. He had been taking buses to internship/job, and appreciated having the car. Its not easy to get around LA without a car. I did have a good mechanic, and he is known for helping people buy used cars. ((Serge, (818) 248-3220))</p>
<p>In past, best way to get good older cars was from friend's grandparents who were no longer able to drive.</p>
<p>Don't forget to figure in the cost of parking. We spend almost $1000/year on our students parking. Insurance is about an extra $1000 on the family policy. We got a good deal on the car a few years back, around 10k for a 2 y/o car that has been very reliable. We felt more comfortable giving a dependable car. I would actually advise speaking w/your insurance agent re what car--if this is California w/an under 25 y/o male it could be prohibitive for some cars, so check out what is cheaper to insure while still safe/reliable/and good mileage. We are lucky to just have one tuition now, and the means to provide for our kid's car, so I know we spend a little more than most. But it is a good feeling to know that the car won't have to be replaced/serviced frequently, and that there is a safe place to park. I would suggest keeping an eye out for a good car, but don't let this keep you awake at night. Remember how kids change their minds, their majors, colleges, etc etc.</p>
<p>I digress a bit, but I once heard the head of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety say in a tv interview that we parents get it backwards when it comes to our teenagers' cars. He commented that we look for old and reliable when we should be putting them in the newest cars we can afford since there are more safety features every year. His point was that we have years of experience and reactions behind us while the new drivers don't. </p>
<p>Our #1 criteria this past summer in buying a used kid car was a little known feature called stability/skid control. It is not easy to find, but we got a 2004 camry with it. It is estimated that this one feature alone would save tens of thousands of lives and is especially helpful in single car, losing control or over correcting type of situations. It will be mandatory on all US passenger autos in 2012.</p>
<p>Also, beware that many hondas and toyotas (and other foreign makes?) don't come standard with anti-lock brakes! Evidently when they are purchased for fleet use they are often ordered without that feature.</p>
<p>Our insurance agent advised us to put the car titles in our name and the kids on our policy to save a ton of money. We have an umbrella policy which also is cheaper than paying for higher limits on the auto policy. Don't forget to call your agent if a child goes to college away from home (I think distance varies); our rates for S1 dropped to almost nothing for him and it still covers his breaks and summers!</p>
<p>Paid $7000 for a 6 year old VW Jetta. It has lots of safety features like side air bags. Repairs have been much steeper than we'd imagined, (clutch, AC, tires, new mirror after she scraped it off exiting the garage)...and it's sitting in the garage right now with a dead battery (hope it's not the alternator). We probably would have come out ahead with a slightly newer car (or a Civic instead of a Jetta!) Insurance has been $75/month and didn't drop much when she left even though the car stayed here.
Haven't bought a car on ebay but have ordered parts there and been quite happy.
I agree that he'll have an easier time with LA internships with his own car instead of flexcar or trains. It's a safety issue as well if any of the meetings or work would be after hours, which in the film industry seems likely.</p>
<p>When people are looking at colleges, they really should figure a $7000-$10000 savings if they move to an urban area with good public transportation!</p>
<p>^^agreed, weenie, or a sweet rural LAC or uni, where the vast majority of students stay on campus most weekends and use bicycles to negotiate campus and the nearby town.</p>
<p>weenie, you are absolutely right. We added in car costs for some colleges when we compared costs bc some campuses were going to require a car to be happy for 4 years. Doing so will definitely eliminate some schools for some families.</p>