I'm A College Student Looking For A Reasonable Ride! What Car Should I Buy?

Aiden is a college student in Philadelphia, with a Nissan Xterra that has recently expired. He wants something smaller and easier to park with low maintenance costs. With a budget of about $6,000, what car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario.

I am a 20 year old full time college student who’s first car (2007 Nissan Xterra) has completely broken and I need a replacement. I go to school in Philadelphia so I do a lot of city driving. I need something relatively small, fuel efficient, and reliable. I do not want a car that will need a ton of work just to function, which I know is hard with my budget of about six grand or so. I have a border collie that I travel with often so I need something that can comfortably fit both me and my dog. I’m obsessed with Volvos and would love to have one but I just don’t know if it’s a good financial decision.

Quick Facts:

Budget: Around $6,000

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Ideally hatchback/wagon, easy to park, good for the dog

Doesn’t want: Something with expensive maintenance costs

Expert 1: Tom McParland – The Affordable Volvo

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It’s a cliche that your college years are supposed to be the most fun time of your life, but it can also be stressful especially when money is tight. And finding an inexpensive car that isn’t a total pile of junk isn’t easy. While it may be tempting to source an old boxy Volvo wagon, sourcing parts and labor may be a challenge. I would suggest you treat yourself to a Swedish long roof once you land that job, and go for the budget Volvo, also known as Subaru.

There are a fair amount of decent Outbacks in the region, but for those tricky Philly parking spots, I would recommend the Impreza 5-door. It’s got plenty of room for the pup and your dorm gear, without taking up too much space. Here is a surprisingly clean-looking 2013 Impreza right in the Philly region with just over 100,000 miles for $5,000. This is a solid car with plenty of cash left over for tickets, for when you forget that you can only park near your dorm between 3 a.m.- 4 a.m. every other Tuesday and only during a full moon.

Expert 2: Collin Woodard – Everything Just Fits

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Well, Aiden, I’d love to suggest some cool JDM import or old Volvo that I found in your price range, but that just doesn’t feel right. You’re in college, money is tight and you need something that works. Dealing with repairs on an old Volvo or figuring out how to import parts for a vehicle that was never sold here probably isn’t your idea of fun.

A Toyota Corolla or Prius is probably the best answer aside from, “Just save your money and take public transportation/walk/ride a bike.” They’re also completely obvious and not all that interesting. I’d like to think you’re looking for something with at least a little enthusiast flair, so instead, I’m going to recommend one of the best daily drivers ever sold in the U.S. — the Honda Fit.

Sure, it’s small, but don’t let its diminutive proportions fool you. There’s a lot more room inside the Fit than you would expect, and there should be plenty of space for your dog. It’ll also be easier to drive and park in a city where many of the streets were built without cars in mind. The Fit is also so much more fun to drive than you would expect considering it’s an inexpensive city car.

Without many good alternatives, demand for Honda Fits is still quite strong, but here’s a 2008 Honda Fit Sport with an automatic transmission and 155,000 miles on it for just under $6,000. It’s also in Bethlehem, so it’s not exactly in your backyard, but it also isn’t so far away that you shouldn’t be able to get a ride from a friend or family member to go check it out.

Expert 3: Amber DaSilva – Do The Bad Thing

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Aiden, I’ll be honest with you: Collin got the right answer here. The Honda Fit is big enough to haul your stuff to college and back, small enough to wedge its way into any street parking spot, and reliable enough to get you through college without bankrupting you on maintenance. It’s the perfect practical car. But what if you’re not all about practicality?

You’re in college! The time for practical considerations is later, now is the time for dumb stuff that’ll make for good stories. Steal that waffle maker from the cafeteria, hit on that person that seems “our of your league,” and buy a $4,050 Fiat 500 Abarth with a rebuilt engine and no air conditioning. Live while you’re young.

This Abarth has an aftermarket blow off valve, intake, oil catch can, intercooler, head studs, rods, pistons, and bearings. It also has an oil leak, no AC, and the tires are shot. This is objectively a bad vehicle, but college is the time to make those objectively bad decisions. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you need to be perfectly put together and mature right now, while you’re still free of kids and healthcare concerns and the general weight of adulthood. Buy the dumb car, do dumb stuff in it, and have some fun stories to tell around the water cooler in a decade.

Expert 4: Bradley Brownell – Always The Answer

Practicality sucks, you’re young. It’s time to live a little. Border collies are pretty small dogs, you shouldn’t have a problem getting them to sit co-pilot in a regular human seat. If you do, just rip it out and put a comfy dog bed in the passenger compartment. It’s the sane and normal thing to do. When I was your age I had a Triumph TR-7, and this is significantly more sane than my choices.

The Miata is a small car with decent fuel economy, cheap replacement parts, and a stellar aftermarket support structure. You can have fun with this car and grow with it for decades to come. Sure, this example is a little beat up, but with some elbow grease and a DIY wrap in the color of your choice, it could be a pretty okay car in short order. According to the seller everything works, it’s just an aesthetic mess. And it’s just $4,800, which leaves plenty of room in your budget for a trunk full of dirty thirties and solo cups.