Buying a College Student Car?



Transcript

Today I wanted to talk to you about a college student car and getting a college student car and some of the things you need to be aware of if you are going to go and buy one.

First of all, what do you look for in a college student car. Well I would say to look at what your school surroundings are like. Is it a lot of hills? Does it rain or snow a lot or at all during the year? If these are the cases, you are going to want a car that is not only reliable, but also gets good gas milage and has front wheel drive.

I am from Utah and it snows a lot during the winter and a rear wheel car is not a very good option. It's just not. You need a front wheel car to get where you are going to go. And if you want to get a four wheel drive car, that's great but you will sacrifice a little bit of gas milage. But they work fine.

Again, consider the school surroundings and if there is a lot of rain or snow and consider if there are lots of hills. Make sure you have a reliable car that gets good gas milage.

Number 2 is buy used. Buy a used car. You don't need a brand new car for college. You don't! You don't need the extra student debt that a new car is going to use, not to mention that when you buy a new car, as soon as you drive it off the parking lot of the dealer, it just lost a lot of value.

So buy a used car and pay cash so you aren't going to go into debt for it, and that is still reliable and gets good gas milage. Look around and you will be able to find one.

Number 3, take care of the car. Do the things you need to do. The manufacturers recommendations are found in the owner's manual. Take a look at those. See what you can find. Make sure you're hitting all of those recommended milage intervals for services on the car.

Now especially make sure you are getting the oil changes regularly and on time and that you are getting the tires rotated. These are the two easiest things you can do to take care of you car.

I used to work at a Jiffy Lube and I saw a lot of people who would go very far over on the milage intervals. And, honestly, that's the easiest things you can do to make sure you car is running properly, getting the oil changed on time, getting the tires rotated and just making sure that, you do that when it needs to be done.

If Your College Student Car Needs Repairs

Now if you do need to take it to a mechanic, ask around and see who's a trustworthy mechanic. There is something found in the car industry and it's that you can't trust everyone. There are many out there who are just trying to get your money. It's not just in the automobile industry.

Ask around. Ask you friends, your friend's parents, even your professors. Ask them why do they like them. You might even be able to find online some reviews of some good mechanics. Make sure you take your student car and make sure it's gets the best possible car.

If you need a big service done, shop around. Use your phone book, and just call around to several different mechanics. Often you'll find some of these are very competitive in price. You'll find a place that will do it for less money and you might find someone who will match the price or beat it. You can find a good mechanic for a good price and get the services done that you need.

College Student Car Summary

So again, just to cover what you need to know about a college student car. Number 1, remember look at your school surroundings. Look at what your school's like, any hills or bad weather, consider that. Number 2, buy used and number 3, take care of it. I hope this has been helpful to you!

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