[Squidward]

I would go with something that has modern safety features like airbags, and something that is durable, even if it is bigger and doesn't get 36 mpg. It is likely that the young man WILL get into a crash, and his survivability is of utmost importance. Getting a tiny car that gets good mileage so that a college student can drink another $40 of beer in a month is NOT the wise choice.

After breaking my neck in a wreck years ago, I am a fan of a vehicle that protects me.

Do you reside in an emissions state?

Get a bluetooth OBDII communications interface and the Torque app for an android device. It is the best weapon against the flippers who tell you everything was great, no engine codes, etc. Plug in the comms device and run the app. It can tell you if the on board diagnostics are ready, or if the computer has been recently "reset" to erase trouble codes. You will probably hear an instant "Oh, hey... I had to get the battery checked, so that's why the computer isn't showing ready".

I enjoyed the full size GM offerings from the late 90's to early 2000's. That might be out of your age range, but I still see a lot of 80-100K early 2000's full size Buicks up for sale from an elderly owner. It may smell like mothballs, but it was probably well cared for.

[pontiacs-r-us]

I put my daughter in an 04 Bonny in high school when she started driving.(felt safer w/bigger car)We had been trying to buy an 97 GrandPrix that was so well kept,it was like new.It was tied up in a divorce till after she was driving.I eventually bought it,& offered it to her.She declined,she liked the Bonny better than the 2door GP(?) We Wanted a newer car for her to travel to collage,& her pick was a G8.I was certainly surprised .When I was that age I wouldn't have a 4door car.(not cool enough,lol) Bought her a 09 base G8 w/V-6.it has been a very dependable car.One more year of collage,& she can buy the next one,lol. Only worry about it when weather is questionable.At least I was able to pass on Pontiac bug to her. Also there is a nice lil Sunfire on here for sale?My lil sister drove one in collage to the tune of 250k miles.She loved it,& it was a very good car.


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[wrongway]

When my 2 boys went off to college, here's what we considered when picking their cars.
How far away from home are they? For us, one was 3+ hours & the other 5 hours away.
How often will they be coming home? Both were rarely as they were both involved is sports.
How often will they be needing the car at school? One was hardly ever, the other was many times a week.
How's the weather where they are? The one 5 hours away that needs his car multiple times a week was in a heavy snowfall area.

The biggest thing is that we wanted them to be in cars that were safe and reliable and they had to be reliable for at least the 4 years of school.. There was no way I wanted to be replacing any cars during that time and I didn't want phone calls from them when traveling that they were having car problems.

The one 5 hours away driving in snow got an all wheel drive 4 door. He loves it and has room to haul his hockey team mates to practice when it does snow.

The one closer to home got a rear wheel drive 2 door.

We bought them both from a local dealer that we used to have a good relationship with and both cars have been very good to us & the boys.

You just need to consider all your circumstances & go from there.

Also consider your brand choice on any needs to have the car repaired by a local shop near the school he's going to if you can't get there to do any repairs yourself.

Good luck in your search!

[69hardtop]

I suggest a 2008 - 2012MY Ford Escape with a 4 cylinder. Good gas mileage, driver sits up high, they go in snow with the standard FWD and have a pretty good reliability record

I have a 2009 with 160K that both my kids have driven....its bulletproof if you keep up on the maintenance

[vidguy]

Yep something 04 or newer so it has the good airbags and such.
We went through a few Corollas with my Son. A '99 then an '05. They actually were not as bulletproof as hoped.

I have personal experience with and recommend
04-08 Saturn SL's Ions or Vues. We used these for the Son and later the Daughter.
We still have an 04 SL with 184,000 and an '07 Vue with 155,000 miles that the kids went through that we still use daily.

You can get them really cheap, they are very dependable. Made in America.

[mrrat1]

Originally Posted by Jim Zeek

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=780478

if I had extra cash I would buy this just to have it. chris is an honest guy and not terribly far from you

this is the one I would get also!

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by mrrat1

this is the one I would get also!

By this time tomorrow night I should know if it's available or not.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by mrrat1

this is the one I would get also!

By this time tomorrow night I should know if it's available or not.

It passed CT emissions and VIN check inspections on Monday - good to go.