<p>Hey guys! I'm just about to turn 17 in a few months and my parents are starting to look into buying me a car for college. I probably will in turn pay for part of it, but that is fine with me.</p>
<p>The college I plan on going to is about 3 or 4 hours away by highway, so there is a mild amount of driving to get home every now and again. Although, I have some friends going to the same university that would allow me carpool with them. So my driving would be reduced to a few random weekend trips driving home. Other than that, I pretty much just need a car for zipping around campus, driving around town (the city is fairly small), and to get to my uncle's house the next town over.</p>
<p>My parents were thinking about, instead, getting me a scooter/moped for getting around locally and around campus. Sadly, winters around here are cold and windy! Not to mention the frozen roads!!! I would rather get a car and use a bicycle when possible. </p>
<p>So, aside from all of that, I would like to get a smaller gas-friendly car. I've been looking at smart cars (I can hear you laughing already!) and other smaller cars. Other than the more expensive repair cost, they seem economically viable. Mini Coops are way too expensive! Smart cars, on the other hand, run around 12K to 15K and are a lot nicer on the wallet when you are at the tank. They get a city mileage of 33 and a highway of 41. That's not a huge savings in gas, but every dollar saved is a dollar earned. </p>
<p>Now for the use? Being a college student, I don't need to haul a boat or a tailor around (figuratively). So, buying a bigger more expensive car is just wasted money and space. I just need a simple and small car to get my butt from point A to point B.</p>
<p>What's your opinion? What car do you think fits the bill? What's your own story?</p>
<p>I’m a parent, so my views may be a bit different from others. I wouldn’t want to see my kid driving a very small car, especially if it’s in a place with snow and ice. To me, the ideal car for somebody in your situation would be something like a used Subaru Outback with 4-wheel drive.</p>
<p>I agree, I would not get a car as small as a Smart Car if there is any chance of winter conditions like icy roads, snow, or even heavy rain. A Smart Car is basically a scooter/moped with doors and windows, it’s not going to protect you in accidents and it’s not going to handle well in inclement weather. </p>
<p>Let’s put aside for a second that I think it’s a bad idea for non-commuting college freshmen to have cars anyway (you are going to be most popular, most bothered member of your class, constantly being nagged to drive people places.) You should probably go with a Ford Fiesta or similar car as others have suggested. Get an efficient, safe sedan at least, but preferably get something with four wheel drive like the Outback or similar.</p>
<p>Considering you are 17 and, I assume, a relatively new driver, safety should the number one factor when choosing a car. Volvos handle quite well in the winter, they’re fuel-efficient (5 cylinders, so you get more power than you would in say a neon or escort, but still have the fuel efficiency), retain their value, and, most importantly, are some of the safest cars you’ll ever drive. (As you can see, I’m a proud Volvo owner )</p>
<p>Thanks guys! A Smart Car was just a thought. I really like that Ford Fiesta! Although, being in a Toyota family, a Yaris or a Corolla might be more up my alley. My dad is sort of a Toyota Nazi when it comes to cars! </p>
<p>Sadly, everything is already sounding so expensive! : o/</p>
<p>And yeah, cars are expensive. Don’t look at what your insurance rate will be if you wanna avoid heart attacks.</p>
<p>If you want a cheaper car, at least buy used. It’s pretty stupid to buy a brand new car since it loses so much value as soon as you get the keys and drive it off the lot. </p>
<p>Older Honda Civics are usually pretty cheap and ultra reliable. My friend has a Saturn LS2 from like 2000 or 2001 and although it’s no BMW, it works and it’s also reliable.</p>
<p>Also, where are you going to college? At least give us the city. We have “cold and windy” winters in DC but there have been maybe three winters where a big, four-wheel drive car would have been necessary. I’ve lived here for 16 years. They’re helpful, yes, but not necessary.</p>
<p>I am a freshmen in college and would like to own a car, but looking at places to move off campus one location ( that I like so far) is right in the heart of downtown ( it appears it is above a few bars and near stores) and currently I am unsure if parking plans are available or what are the parking options near. With my interest in a car as explained I came across a lot and Smart Cars always made me a little nervous. I am not looking for a large vehicle either but a Smart Car on the highway seems risky, although a unwanted case but how safe is the vehicle in a accident like a semi truck? It doesn’t seem like a car made for traveling, more for inner city where traffic is slow.</p>
<p>Yeah, they’re more suited to urban driving. They hail from Europe which doesn’t have an obsession with needing to feel like you’re a tank commander when you drive a car. </p>
<p>And honestly, getting hit by a semi truck going 65MPH is gonna hurt even in a Hummer H1.</p>
<p>That said it would still hurt like hell getting hit at 30MPH by an SUV in a Smart Car:</p>
<p>lol I have already looked at my rates! Without any price reductions, my insurance [at 16] would be more than both of my parents combined! Luckily, I’ve been fortunate to pull straight As and I’m going to take safety courses to lower the price. I only have a permit right now, which allows me to go off of my parents insurance. My insurance provider told us that my rate would actually be cheaper once I graduate high school.</p>
<p>My mom is friends with a owner of a Toyota dealership, so we get awesome prices on vehicles. My mom bought a Toyota Highlander through them for a fraction of the cost of a new one. The funny part? The previous owners were an elderly couple that only put about 1,300 miles on the car before they decided the SUV was to big for them.</p>
<p>Just to be on the safe side, I don’t really like to give out too much personal information. I will say that I plan on going to college in Oklahoma. Sadly, Oklahoma is really inefficient when it comes to winter weather. It’s to the point where northerners in the state mock the whole system.</p>
<p>We aren’t fully a norther state and we aren’t fully a southern state. Most people in Oklahoma think with a southern mindset that ice and snow is a big deal! And, in return, the whole state shuts down when the first snowflake falls.</p>
<p>The real problem we have is ice! It usually sleets then snows, so there is a decent amount of ice on the roads during the winter. The weather, being fickle as it is, will warm up and the ice will melt during the day. By morning the water on the roads will freeze and we’ll have icy roads again.</p>
<p>The upside is that we have tooooooons of snow days! And on rare occasions, we’ll even get to skip finals and other tests.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know that Oklahoma and the plains states can get some crazy winter storms. You’ll probably want winter tires on your car for the winter. You should be able to find a used Subaru Outback 4WD (hell I think they’re all 4WD).</p>
<p>As for everyone wanting to mooch rides off of you, if you have any semblance of a spine that won’t be an issue.</p>
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