Owning a car in College is always is the cool thing to do, but there are many factors that should considered before diving in to a purchase.  The first advantage to buying a car in college is that it is a good way to build credit along with your credit cards. Paying off your car loan in college can get you on your way to getting the kind of credit you need when going to buy a house or getting a good job. Having a car also enables you to do things like work off campus and explore in extra-curricular things not happening around school. It’s true that 70% of college students own a car, but there’s a good majority of those that are much better off than they think by not owning one. Check out these situations below:

The Cost Of The Car

• Many students go the route of buying a nicer or better-looking car that is used over a practical new car. This is not a smart decision in case things go wrong down the road and repair costs start cutting into your already growing student loans. If you can swallow some pride and get a new car for the same price you were willing to spend, even if it is a little more, new cars are the way to go. You will get factory warranty throughout your college career and never have to worry about a thing besides filling it up. One less beer at the bar or one less pizza a week could mean the difference between a used and new car. Start searching with our friends at Edmunds.com. The following ad will take you to their car search.
  

Financing

• Getting a loan from a dealer can be a difficult situation in college since you probably do not have much credit and dealers love trying to take advantage of these situations. Go to a place like MyAutoLoan.com first to try and get approved for a loan. Getting approved won’t cost you anything. Once you have been approved, bring in the approval sheet to your school and see if the school can help you out with beating the interest rate. Most colleges have a financing department for things other than strictly tuition. This can save you hundreds of dollars. One more thing to consider is asking your dealer if there are any manufacturer promotions going on for first time buyers or college students. This might hook you up with a discount. Do you know if you have credit? It's a great idea to find out. Get your credit score free by clicking here
  
  

Insurance Anyone?

• Try and get your new or used car to be insured under your parents insurance and pay the directly. This can save you hundreds of dollars as well over getting insurance on your own. Because you are a first time insurer and recent driver, they will give you a high premium. Insurance with a high premium can mean an extra couple thousand dollars a year for you, so be sure to check this out before you buy. We recommend searching on NetQuote.com for some good rates around the Internet.  If that doesn’t work, then head over to our other recommended insurance companies for college students like AIG Direct and 21st Century.  If you are a male driver and under 25, you will be paying the highest premium of your lifetime until you hit the age of 70.  Why? Well, young drivers have the highest rate of accidents and legal infractions. They also on average cause 1 in 10 accidents. The most important way to save on your car insurance is to get good grades (insurance companies give discounts for above 3.0 GPA), and also to read our Guide To Insurance Discounts.

Operating Costs

• Create a budget of all the things you plan to spend on your car. Customizations, oil changes, parking passes, car washes, etc. These things add up guys. It’s a way bigger deal to own a car than you think.

Being Responsible

• Don’t drive drunk and don’t pack more than the amount of people you should in the car. College kids are notorious for this and it can cause problems like you won’t believe. Just be safe is all we are asking.

Important For College Students! Before You Shop, Make Sure You Know The Following Information:

• What Insurance Are You Geting? We reccomend AIG Direct or 21st Century for the most relaible and inexpensive young driver insurance. You can also check NetQuote.com to compare Insurance Prices around the web. Also relate to our Complete Guide On Auto Insurance

• Have You Read Our Guide On Buying Used Cars? Read This

• Will You Need A Loan? We reccomend using MyAutoLoan.com
  or Any-Credit-Auto-Loan.com

• Do You Have Good Credit? Why not check for Free with Equifax.