<p>Which car is the best for college? Consider cost, mileage and value for money while making the decisions.</p>
<p>Something old with a hatchback.</p>
<p>In your posts, also suggest cars for those who do not have any budget restraints.</p>
<p>"In your posts, also suggest cars for those who do not have any budget restraints. "
-Why don’t you buy Mercedes then? Or maybe Bentley is a better choice?</p>
<p>I say a Ferrari. The professors will think your child is important and give them better grades.
What the hell kind of question are you giving us, prudent? We don’t know how your child drives, how responsible they are, how far away the school is, how much the car will be driven on the highway during breaks/weekends, whether you will pay in cash, whether you want it to last more than four years, what you can afford, etc.</p>
<p>Ferraris are too flashy. I’d go convertible BMW.</p>
<p>BMW’s are for poor folks like us…</p>
<p>Glido, my husband will Def buy a hatchback for D. We told her if she gets a big scholarship we will get her a newer car. Not her poor old matrix that runs like a top but falling apart on the outside.</p>
<p>Buy a used Honda Civic. That way, the kid can park in the faculty lot and never get caught.</p>
<p>"Not her poor old matrix "</p>
<p>-Served my D. very well (she was on full tuition Merit scholarship in UG) and still serving her well in Med. School. No ferrari, she would not ask, she is happy with us paying her tuition.</p>
<p>If the kid doesn’t need the car to commute to college daily, and lives on or near campus, doesn’t need a car to get to an off-campus job or internship, and if Zipcar is available at his or her college, I would recommend that instead of owning a car. Why burden a student with the hassle of taking care of a car if someone else will do it instead?</p>
<p>I think that prudent is actually the student and is an international. Prudent, most college kids in the US who are living on campus do not have cars and do not need cars. You would need to consider parking fees, insurance costs (which tend to be quite high for young drivers), as well as practical matters such as where the car will be stored during summers. Also, if you’re not from a region with significant snowfall, you may need to consider what kind of vehicle best performs under those conditions if you wind up at a school that gets winter weather.</p>
<p>Guys, I am not asking parents to buy there children flashy cars or high performance race cars. Buying a decent car for your children can be a good investment if you can afford it. It will not only give them to look forward to but it will also motivate them to study harder. By the way, I can afford a merc or a Ferrari and if the teachers do give preference to students with flashy cars, I will buy one.</p>
<p>@ alynor: interesting prospect</p>
<p>Cars are rarely good investments. Especially when purchased new, they depreciate significantly in the first year of ownership. If there is no budget constraint, why not go for a limo and driver? Then there will be no hassles for parking, insurance, etc.</p>
<p>Back in the real world (the one with the budget constraint), none of our 3 kids have had a car in college. Seems to have worked out fine for them.</p>
<p>Buy your kid a car as a graduation present. He is bound to remember it for the rest of his life. Buy cars which are going to turn into classics after a few decades. It will be a good investment. There was a article on yahoo about cheap cars that are going to be good investments in the future. Read it and decide.</p>
<p>Many students attend urban colleges where a car is more trouble than it is worth (or if you have a car, you don’t want a nice one that will get dinged up in an urban environment).</p>
<p>Prudent, if you’re an international student, you may be unaware that the American love affair with the automobile is cooling, especially among young people:</p>
<p>[Study</a> shows teens want an iPhone more than a car | Technology News Blog - Yahoo! News](<a href=“Study shows teens want an iPhone more than a car”>Study shows teens want an iPhone more than a car)</p>
<p>My son has confirmed this is true among his classmates, that they care very little about cars. He says he wants to live in a place during college and after where he can get around on his bike because cars are a “waste of money” and “a hassle.” In that, he may be like his sports hero, LeBron James, who undoubtedly can afford any car he wants:</p>
<p>[Miami</a> Heat’s LeBron James bikes to work to avoid marathon traffic - Miami Heat - MiamiHerald.com](<a href=“http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/31/2615787/lebron-james-bikes-to-work-to.html]Miami”>http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/31/2615787/lebron-james-bikes-to-work-to.html)</p>
<p>As for the investment potential of cars, identifying a cheap car destined to become a “classic” may be akin to finding the next Picasso at your town’s summer art fair. </p>
<p>That said, if you must purchase a car, consider a hybrid, such as a Prius. Those cars have actually been holding their value fairly well due to Americans’ hypersensitivity to fuel prices.</p>
<p>I think personality influences what sort of car you would be happy with. In researching your previous posts which gave me a bit of insight into yours, I suggest an AMC Pacer or a Ford Pinto, or perhaps the 1985 Mosler Consulier GTP.</p>
<p>@ alynor: I had no idea about the iPhone vs car thing. Thank you for the information.
I have listed a few cars that retain their value well or are going to become classics in the future. There was an artifice about it on yahoo today. Go ahead and read it.</p>