If you’re preparing to start the college experience, you’re probably debating the drive/dorm options. I’ve never dormed and don’t plan on it, so I’ll only be advising about the former. If you’ve decided to commute, hopefully you already have a vehicle at your disposal. If not, we’ll work on that. Prepare yourself, for the critical steps in acquiring and preparing your college commute car.
1. Hunting for your beater:
Maybe you have a good chunk of change to hunt for a car, I’ll conservatively assume you don’t, being a college student. Having hunted for a couple of college cars myself, I’ve found there’s a very rough checklist that will get you rolling on a budget.
Vehicle starts and runs with no hiccups, get on a highway and get the vehicle up to cruising speed as a comprehensive test. Anything that sputters or stalls will likely need maintenance after a time.
Mileage is more important than age. A car’s physical age will usually impact its condition more than its chronological age. I’ve seen many instances of 20-year-old cars running longer and smoother than newer, but higher mileage vehicles.
Avoid vehicles with significant undercarriage and body rust, if you have extreme winter conditions you run the risk of the vehicle rusting out more quickly.
More of a personal recommendation: I’ve found that old nineties Nissan sedans are pretty sturdy if you can find one with low mileage. For short range commutes, you can’t beat a '96/'97 Sentra. They’re small, and don’t do steep hills well, but I’ve made my 36-mile roundtrip commute in one for two years, and haven’t had one fail me. (I did fail one of the cars though, snowstorm and a telephone pole. To its credit, the car still runs and can putter its way around the farm, though it does pull to the left pretty hard)
2. Preparing and maintaining your vehicle:
College will keep you running and distracted most days, and you want your vehicle to help you, not hinder you. There’s a few things you can do to keep your car running, and more importantly, organized.
You’d be amazed how many textbooks, binders, and folders will find their way into your car, usually in the backseat. A milk crate in the backseat with a couple of dividers will help keep your books organized. You can usually divide them up by weekday (few college classes are five days a week, at least as far as I’ve seen)
Your glove box should always have a phone charger, a pair of gloves you can comfortably drive in, and breath mints (Trust me).
If you’ve got enough trunk space, keep a small box with a couple bottles of fluids; motor oil, coolant, antifreeze, and windshield wiper fluid. A pair of jumper cables never hurts either.
Regular Maintenance? Just suck it up and pay the price. It’s not worth the hassle you’ll have of replacing damaged components later. An oil change every 3000 miles, a tire rotation, and your yearly inspection will keep a vehicle running well for years.
Good luck. And please don’t drive like a jerk. Even if you’re late for class. Better off late than never arriving.
