Good cars for college

Student Lounge College Life
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Those guys all said that a Camry that was maintained properly (don't skip recommended maintenance), could probably be counted on to last to 200k miles or even more. Not many American cars can last so long without ALOT of costly repairs.

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<p>GMs (chevy, pontiacs) will last 200k miles too. We have some that have lasted that long, and we live out in the country on gravel roads, which means we need a little more maitenance (new fuel filters often, clean out the AC) because of the extra dust. Anyway, I'm just sick of hearing that a GM and Ford won't last.</p>

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<p>mm99:
Well, I currently have a Ford and have had a GM car in my life. My personal experience is that our Toyotas and Honda have lasted longer with less expense maintenance-wise. </p>

<p>I understand how you may feel annoyed with the general attitude that GMs and Fords "won't last". However, my opinion comes from living with it, so I'm not generalizing here. Sorry!</p>

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<p>Curiouser, that's okay that you think that. Maybe it's because I live in the country, which is a lot different then driving in a city. </p>

<p>And the dealer also told me that my Grand Prix will last 200k miles too. Also, my mom's van (chevy, 2002) has 130k miles and we have used it to haul 500 pounds of feed (for the cows) in the back seat (My mom doesn't like driving the truck).</p>

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<p>Finally, a topic that I have a crapload of knowledge on haha. </p>

<p>I actually didn't intentionally go out and learn the massive amount I now know about cars...it all began when I bought a 1991 mr2 turbo running on a bit more than string and duck tape LOL. </p>

<p>Since then I've been through about 3 cars, two of which I built myself. </p>

<p>Please, save yourself the massive headache, THOUSANDS of dollars, and entire summers and buy the right car the first time. Although I personally enjoy working on / modifying/tuning automobiles, when I look back on it, I could have used all that time and $$$$$$ achieving more important goals of mine. </p>

<p>Rule #1 - DONT GO USED CAR SHOPPING ALONE. Find a friend/ relative who knows about cars and take them with you! If you don't have anyone like that, hire a mechanic to check it out or if you have AAA use their $100 mechanical inspection service (I SOOO wish I did). $100 is nothing compared to the probably $6,000 I have into miscellaneous parts so far.</p>

<p>Rule #2 - 85% of people selling used cars (Craigslist, Autotrader, Dealers...) are trying to hide something from you about the car they're selling. I've seen firsthand the hack jobs done on used cars...with clean titles too!! Unfortunately I can't explain every last detail that you should look for, but thats why you need to hire a mechanic! Seriously, you would be shocked to know what a lot of used cars have been through...ever wonder what happened to all the Katrina cars? A friend of a friend of mine bought almost 20,000 of the flooded cars and shipped them to Iraq, where they're being sold on used car lots!!! Moral of the story: BE OVERLY SUSPICIOUS! Plus, Carfax is your friend for only $30 :)</p>

<p>Rule #3 - Beware of scams. I'm sure you already know this, but anyone who claims they're out of town or w/e and asks for a check for an alleged vehicle, is trying to scam you. read up more on this when you have time.</p>

<p>Also a tip for bargaining, if you have a car you're really interested, but you want to bargain some money off of...say $500ish, just show up with cash. 90% of people will settle for a lower sale price if you just flash the cash. </p>

<p>Tip for money saved in the future: Buy a common car...rare cars = higher parts price</p>

<p>That all said here is my opinion on the breakdown of brands:</p>

<p>Ford - A company that's losing billions of dollars each year and recalls cars right and left? PASS. I own a Focus SVT right now, and while it's fun to drive I wouldn't buy it again.</p>

<p>Acura - Easy to steal. Two screw drivers and a coat hanger, and thieves have instant access to your car. Not to mention that if you have an integra, if the cops happen to find the car, it will literally be cutup into a small heap of metal by the time thieves are done with it.</p>

<p>Honda - Also easy to steal ('90-'99 civics). Trade off is that you get a GREAT vehicle. I would recommend a 1999 two door civic ex...or a dx if you want a manual car. Just make sure it has A/C and a nice stereo and you're set. You can remedy the security vulnerability by buying a steering wheel club or something. </p>

<p>Toyota - Even after all the sports cars I've driven, I got a ridiculously fun kick out of driving a '97 corolla for about 2 weeks. I don't know why but it was just really fun lol. EXCELLENT on gas...mine had a dead O2 sensor and it still averaged 40mpg. I highly recommend corollas for college students. I'm not sure about how secure they are against thieves though.</p>

<p>Pontiac - Unless it's the vibe (which is 100% just a corolla/matrix rebadged at the NUUMI plant in Fremont, CA) I would steer clear of them. Why? Cheap feel, mediocre drive...you get the picture</p>

<p>GMC - gas guzzlers and crappy components for the most part</p>

<p>BMW - There's a reason a lot of BMW owners sell their cars for cheap after the 50k maintenance program is finished lol. I LOVE BMW's for the way they drive and feel, but damn I wouldn't be surprised if the carpet broke on one haha. </p>

<p>Mercedes - Newer models are unimpressive. If you're bold and have money and time to kill, I think an old Mercedes diesel car converted to biodiesel (free gas!) would be a cool project. But def. not ideal for someone who wants a hassle free daily driver</p>

<p>Buick - NO! I own a hand me down Regal Custom (1997). Just don't</p>

<p>Mitsubishi - DSM cars = turn you into a mechanic real quick. I have a 91 galant vr4 and while I LOVE IT, I would def. not tell anyone who didn't know about cars to buy it. Evo's on the other hand are SICK cars and pretty reliable...but they're also the #1 most expensive car to insure...3.5k / 6 mo.</p>

<p>Saturn - cool non-denting doors. Too bad the head of the motor is designed so that around 80k miles the coolant flows into the piston chambers = gernaded motor</p>

<p>hmmmm</p>

<p>if you have any specific questions post up and i'll help out the best i can.</p>

<p>disclaimer: the above statements are based on my experiences / opinions. I'm not a professional mechanic of any kind.</p>

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<p>Get a Lexus/Toyota (this is coming from someone who loves BMW). They will give you the best "ownership" experience. Not necessarily "driving" experience, but the most worry-free. Just add gas and oil; our '04 Lexus RX330 has 100,000+ miles on it, absolutely no problems. My 325Ci, on the other hand...</p>

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<p>poppin3000,
Great advice. But as a European car lover, I would like to hear what you think about all those Swedes: SAAB 900, 9000, 9-3; Volvo 850, S70, V70, V70XC. I admit that those are not quite as reliable as Hondas and Toyotas; however, with a REALLY careful inspection you can find one that's gonna be reliable and yet much more stylish than all those Camrys, Accords and Civics.</p>

<p>Another point is that I think it is a great idea to get to know a few dealers in your area really well so you can trust they sell their cars honestly. As of myself, I already know two guys I can turn to when shopping for a Volvo. Another point is that some dealers offer warranty free/for a "small fee". What do you think? Is warranty worth extra $$$ when buying a car? </p>

<p>Also, you mentioned, that you've gotta bring your car to a mechanic prior to buying. What mechanics do you recommend? Manufacturer-certified mechanics or just all those cheap mechanics?
Thanks!</p>

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<p>saab 900: have to be more specific, so many models/ranges from the GM900's to the old tanks to the newest ones (9-3's)...overall not bad but some of them are quirky (for example, if the dipstick is not all the way down on the older ones you'll get all sorts of issues, ignition is by the handbrake, etc.) The good news is resale on saab's are **** poor so you can snag a used one up cheap. If you read about these on the net you'll get everything from "best car ever" to "biggest lemon piece of **** ever"</p>

<p>saab 9000: IMO not worth it unless you get an Aero, and even so I wouldn't want to pay that much maintainence to drive something so old and large but that's just me.</p>

<p>Volvo 850: decent cars, the turbo and T5 versions are deceptively fast. The S70/V70 is essentially the same car but with improvements made in the area of interior comfort (sound dampening, etc) so I won't do a separate piece on it. This car probably saved volvo from death. Again these swedes will cost more to maintain then a toyota-lexus/GM/etc...but they are worth it for some. I am a huge fan of volvos and drive an s40 (it hibernates during school :D ) - an s40 might be a better choice then the 850 just because of the fact that you'll probably have less maintainence issues and it will be easier to find one in good condition then an 850, they are much cheaper then they used to be now too). </p>

<p>V70XC: this car is basically a raised V70 wagon (which is basically an updated 850 wagon) with AWD and 190-200hp depending on year. I would not get it for college because it uses lots of gas (I drove one around a few summers ago, I am getting old...damn) due to the weight. Plus the raised suspension means that it isn't very nimble - though it is a great cruiser and damn fun on dirt/gravel roads and in snow. Would not be my choice for a college car though because of the gas mileage and suspension but hey.</p>

<p>ok I wrote too much, entourage time</p>

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<p>get a friggin maserati those cars are bada*ss</p>

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<p>Just keep your eyes out.. you never know what you will find. </p>

<p>My sister bought a 96 or 97 Honda Civic two years ago when she was 16 with 92k miles on it or something like that for $4,000. She hasn't had a single problem as of yet (knock on wood) and the only maintence it's taken was a routine oil change. It's a very nice car. Came with a security alarm (which helped the insurance payments), a sunroof, aftermarket speakers, and a 10 disc cd changer. </p>

<p>I bought my 02 Mitsubishi in 2004 with only 12,000 miles on it for $8,000. I've seen those same year models even today in 2007 selling for $8,000. </p>

<p>You just have to keep your eyes out and if you see a deal that looks good, inquire. Find out WHY it's such a good deal. You don't want to buy a piece of crap that somebody has knocked down the price on just to get rid of it. A large majority of people are getting rid of their car because they don't want to deal with the problems they are about to have with it.</p>

<p>My car was previously reposessed by a bank which is why I got it for so cheap. My sisters car had its passenger side door keyed on the lot (barely visible) and the dealership dubbed it their 'managers special' and knocked $2,000 off it. </p>

<p>If you can test drive the car without the sales person in it with you, do it, get out of sight, pull over and inspect the car inside and out while they are not there looking over your shoulder. Don't go yourself, take someone who knows about cars with you. Get the carfax report. If you are looking at a dealership, a lot of times they will provide you with the car fax for free. They did on both my car and my sisters. See if they have maintence records. I don't know how other people are, but I have a log of every single oil change that I've done on my car and that kind of stuff. When I bought my first car from a dealership it actually had notes written under the hood on the parts in white pen when each part was last serviced/replaced. I thought it was great and I felt assured that the prior owner had taken good care of the car.</p>

<p>I would stay away from GM products as well as dodge neons if you are buying used, they tend to be (in my experience) not very reliable cars and lead to many repairs. The engine's seem to be okay on the GMs, but they tend to have more cosmetic problems - door handles breaking, windows jamming, seats jamming, breaks wear quickly. I would say to stay away from power anything if you go that route on a GM. As for the dodge neon, their transmissions (At least on the older models) are awful. I had one go bad at around 61k.. as well as the head gasket, the starter, and whatever other part went wrong at that point.</p>

<p>Also, don't forget about other expenses such as insurance. My sister pays about 90-100/month for her insurance and that includes comprehension (I wouldn't buy a civic - one of the most commonly stolen cars) without that... but she didn't get collision due to the cost. Her premiums would have skyrocketed.</p>

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<p>Vyse--</p>

<p>How hard is it getting around CS/Bryan without a car?</p>

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<p>^</p>

<p>Oh boy.</p>

<p>If you don't have a lots of friends willing to give you rides, then its very hard. CS doesnt have public transportation, so you're only dealing with Texas A&M's transportation. A&M's buses though have routes that are designed to take people back to their apartments, not to take people to Wal-Mart or CVS, or any other errands other than the grocery store. Its a lot more helpful for people who have a car but just dont want to have to pay to park on campus than it is for people with no car that need to run errands during the day. The buses quit running off campus around 6 p.m., meaning no evening errands, and they only run 3 routes an hour on the weekends. Some of the places you really need to go will be at the end of the route, meaning you're in for a 40 minute wait. And some of the places are only hit by 1 route. So say you take the bus to CVS and spend 5 minutes picking up a prescription. Well the bus may not be back for another 30-40, because it has to finish its entire route. If you dont mind the wait, places like HEB and the mall are easy to get to. But other places like CVS are on the opposite side of the road from the bus stop, and if you want to get there you'll have to cross a busy street with no walk signal (assuming they're doing construction on texas ave, which they almost always are). You get used to it, but its no fun.</p>

<p>And the buses dont even travel to Bryan, so if you need to get to the super wal-mart, you'll have to get a friend to drive you. </p>

<p>Its also very frustrating when something spontaneous pops up like an invite to the movies. There's no city bus or rapid transit system to get you there. The buses dont even hit some places on the outskirts.</p>

<p>These weren't issues I thought through when I went to A&M sans a vehicle. I'd lived in Dallas all my life, and public transportation will take you absolutely anywhere.</p>

<p>That said, there were some really nice people that helped me out when I needed it, and I'm going to do the same when i have a car and someone else needs a ride. But there are also some really frustrating times when you'll be out of luck.</p>

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<p>get a used EVO or 3000gt.</p>

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<p>i actually don't know too much about saabs other than the new ones are SUPER nice inside and out. I would venture away from a turbocharged one though just b/c if they're anything like audi's turbo design then that means the factory turbo comes attached to the exhaust manifold = $3,000 replacement if the mani or turbo cracks.</p>

<p>@ the post above me^
evo -- only if its 100% stock and driven by a grandma and if you can afford the insurance
3000gt -- no way! the non vr4 models have problems with leaks and the vr4 models have issues with metal shavings entering the motor!</p>

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<p>one of my friends owns a 3000gt, wow. They're pretty cheap these days, prbly under 8k...good for someone into speed and style.</p>