<p>I sort of feel the need to defend my German car after all of this…</p>
<p>I drive a 2005 Volkswagon Passat. It is basically the best thing ever I love it so much. It gets pretty good gas mileage and I’ve never once had to repair it in its entire life (other than this one time my sister drove into a pole, but that was just the bumper so…) but anyway, it drives smoother than any of my friend’s cars. They’ve all commented on it whenever I drive them lol. It’s amazing. And I think no repairs in 7 years is pretty good too. Around 100k miles.</p>
<p>If you already have a car, why not keep your current car and have your parents put that money towards something more useful?</p>
<p>Like… Idk… Grad school? Miscellaneous expenses? Spending money? Down payment for a lease on an apartment, etc. All of these things are ‘practical’. Buying a car when you already have one… Not so practical.</p>
<p>You’re going to college, not to “who has the parents with the most money who can buy the nicest cars”. No one cares what you drive, in fact, some people may even think you a bit foolish if you buy another car when you already have one; especially when that money could have been used for more practical things.</p>
<p>I should have clarified. My parents want to keep the F-150 because they use it for all kinds of things. For example, it is needed to load trash after maintaining the yard, haul furniture, etc. Sometimes it’s the only vehicle that my parents will risk driving to our cabin with. So they definitely want to keep it and I have to get a new one.</p>
<p>Never get an Audi. They are/were (don’t know about recent years) very unreliable. I remember the second being in the shop every month or so do to a new leak or something. </p>
<p>As a side note, the BMWs have never had that many issues. I believe the current one has around 100k miles as well ^.^</p>
<p>But, I vote crossover or something else, especially if they are willing to buy it new.</p>
<p>How about a Volkswagen GTI? You’ll get some of the upscale feel of an Audi, but you’ll also get hatchback practicality and a much more manageable price tag (starts around 23,000).</p>
<p>Funny how people in other countries are dying because they don’t have food while your biggest problem is choosing between an SUV and a Mercedes Benz. This is why I love CollegeConfidential :]</p>
<p>@SnackMix seriously? He never said it was his biggest problem first of all. And second of all it’s human nature. I agree that it’s terrible that people are dying (and I do donate a portion of my salary to charity), but if OPs parents have the money and want to spend it on a new car, it’s really not your position to judge.</p>
If offered the deal when I was in college I would definitely have gone for it … I LOVE cars. The 53 year-old me would suggest you consider different options … ask you parents if the money can be gift for different purposes … a gap year doing whatever you want, pay for trips to other continents, pay for flying lessons, pay for scuba diving lessons, save it for grad school save it for a down payment for a condo after you graduate, etc, etc. Cars are a black hole of money … given that pile of money there are a million other possibilities that to me are much more life changing than having a car in college … if it were one of my kids I would advocate one of these other options.</p>