A Car For the Student: Everything You Need to Know

In today’s world, it is commonly believed that a car is quite expensive and unaffordable for most average students. Let’s find out if this is really true.

A car for a student – do you need one?

Whether a student needs a car or not is a controversial question. Someone will say, yes, its presence really saves time (true for cities without the subway), someone will answer in the negative because it is much faster to get by public transport than by car (typical for the capital). Also, there is a question about the rationality of the purchase, because students almost always have a limited budget. It is also worth thinking about other expenses – accommodation, study materials, term papers online, clothing and entertainment. Does the car fit into that budget? For sure, every student will have a different answer.

Let’s try to assess the pros and cons of such an acquisition.

The pros and cons of buying

The following factors speak for the purchasing:

• It is much more convenient and comfortable to move in your car than in public transport, especially during peak hours.
• A student who has his car is not afraid of the cold, rain, and other features of the weather.
• It is always comfortable to drive your car with friends or even with the girl you like.

There are such arguments against the purchase:

• The car is expensive. Not every student has such an amount of money. You can, of course, diligently save up, rejecting everything else. But is it worth it?
• Do not forget that the car is always an additional cost. Firstly, for gasoline and car wash. Secondly, for consumables. During one year you can gather quite an impressive amount.

In any case, whether you need the car or not, everyone decides it himself.

How a student should choose a car

Since we focus in this article on average students from ordinary families (not rich), the criteria for choosing a car for a student will be as follows:

• Affordable price.
• Inexpensive repairs and available parts to order.
• Not a new car. It is not recommended for an inexperienced driver to buy a car from a service station. As statistics shows, first-time drivers more often than others get into minor accidents, and their cars need body repair from time to time.

Main criteria, which are worth paying attention to

It is recommended to choose a car together with an experienced person, preferably a specialist, who can understand if the car is really good if everything works or it is just the words of a tricky seller.

When choosing a car, it is important to consider the following:

• The year of manufacture of the car. This is not the most important criterion for choosing, but it is important, especially when it comes to domestic brands. The more years the car is, the worse its condition is. Of course, you can find an exception to the rule, but you will have to search for a long time.
• The state of its body. And this is the point you really should pay attention to. There are models with quality galvanized bodies that can serve for dozens of years. But the majority of budget cars do not possess this feature.
• Work of the engine and gearbox. Especially it concerns the foreign brands. The replacement of the engine or gearbox on a foreign brand car will not be cheap. That is why when buying a car, be sure to ask for a drive, listen to how the engine starts and works, how and with what sound the gear shifts are made.
• The availability of spare parts of this brand at the market. It is assumed both the availability of parts and their price.
• Reviews of motorists. Before you buy a car, choose 3-5 options for yourself, suitable in price, and be sure to read the reviews of car owners. You can do this on special resources.

We hope that our tips will help you choose the right car.