Topic: Student Car help

[TacoTaco]

Hello:

In the last couple of days I've been reading a lot in this forum. The main reason being my decision to move back home and commute everyday to school, rather than pay for a place to stay on my own and pay also monthly for the bus.

I live in oakville and I go to Seneca College.  I was wondering if some of you are willing to help me decide on my very first car. All I'm really looking for is an economic and reliable car. I personally like the 2002 Toyota Corolla CE for 4990 and the 2002 Echo also at the same price and both having 110 000kms. I should add both cars are manual.

I currently have my G2 and I'll be getting my G around july. Are any of those 2 cars are a good choice? School is very expensive so I'm trying to cut costs down, is not easy believe me. I'll travel around 60 to 80 miles a day and some weekends too because I have classes at the airport. That's one of the other reasons, If I have a flight at 7 am I'll have to wake up at 5 and take the bus to be on time... not really a good choice considering how time consuming school is.

[articsteve]

Have you checked out the cost of insurance?  Pembridge has low rates for new drivers.

[rrocket]

Both of those cars are among the most reliable on the road.  I have a 2000 Echo, and it has 217,000kms on it and still returns 50MPG.  Nothing mechanical has gone wrong, save for a single wheel bearing.  Any replacement parts and cost to maintain/run it is very very low.  I bought winter tires for a mere $40 ea.  Echo also has a timing chain, so you'll never have to bother with a timing belt.  I think the Corolla is likely the better highway car though, especially if it has cruise (wasn't an option on the Echo).  Either way, you really can't go wrong, but I'd give the slight nod to the Corolla (especially if it has cruise) if you will be doing plenty of highway driving.

[1TSX]

Getting from point A to point B, good gas mileage, reliable as a rock, low insurance. Corolla is it.  I'd probably kill myself if I had to drive a Corolla daily, but its good for what it is.

Make sure you get it inspected, Car Proof checked too.

[Serniter]

I'd pick the Corolla for comfort on the highway as well as economy within city. If economy is the sole criterion, take the Echo.

[articsteve]

A male with a G2, assuming 20 years old = $4K (absolute minimum) for insurance in the GTA traveling 60 one way to school or work.  Full G wouldn't make that much difference in rate for the first 2 years.  Better factor that in to your costs.

[airbalancer]

Which campus? If you driving from Oakville to Finch and 404 it may be cheaper to live on campus
Which airport?
Also is that miles or KM?

[mmret]

I agree with steve, insurance will probably be so murderous that you're better off to just find a place near your campus.

Capital cost of the car, plus gas, maintenance, insurance ($$$), plus your time (and Toronto has horrible traffic), plus parking on campus (usually big bucks too) vs. finding a place with some friends and splitting rent/utilities.

IMHO the biggest problem is that you will be spending so much time on the road vs. just living nearby, its like wasting your life away.

[safristi]

  when 3 olde FARTS AGREE it MUST BE TRUE.......(now tell me mmret is 13 !!?)

[mrthompson]

Perhaps you can register and insure the vehicle under one of your parents?  I did this throughout high school and college.  My parents only had one vehicle, so mine belonged 'legally' to my mother. 

[articsteve]

Perhaps you can register and insure the vehicle under one of your parents?  I did this throughout high school and college.  My parents only had one vehicle, so mine belonged 'legally' to my mother. 

Prior to 2000, insurance companies would be more apt to let that type of policy violation slide.  However, today they would nail him and his parents on it if there was a claim. The costs incurred would bankrupt most ppl.

High school or college is deemed "principle" driver status.  The only way to reduce the risk is have one parent own all the assets and the other parent own all the liabilities including the cars.   

[TacoTaco]

OK..I will try to answer some of your questions first.


One option that i was considering was to put the car under my step-mother's name. In that way she will be the first driver on the Corolla while I'm first on her older 1995 Windstar. I'll still drive the Corolla even though I'm the secondary driver, I'm thinking the cost of insurance on the windstar, as a primary driver,  will be lower than on the corolla. Can this work out?

About having a car vs paying for a place here's the explanation:

I'm currently going to the Newnham Campus located at finch and 404. By the end of april I'll start at Buttonville airport for the whole summer on my third semester of school. I'm studying to be a pilot  . Next year things get even more complicated. I have classes at York university early in the morning, and then classes in the Markham campus, and at night the same day ,flying at Buttonville. All these campuses are far from one another so renting a place located in the middle of these campuses will be rather stupid, I'll have to add money for the bus. VIVA, York Region and TTC as well as food and time on the bus.

Living in res is a no no, firstly because is 5000 per year, and it only covers from september to april, where I'm I going to stay from april to september?I don't have a break during this time, my programs goes on the whole year and the academics stop for 14 days in Christmas but thats it. In addition res is only at Newnham, so i'll also pay for transportation to school every day.

 Prices for places up here are at around 650 a month plus hydro, cable, internet and all that stuff. I already try looking for places but they turned out to be rather expensive. Add to all of these the cost of food and once again transportation every day. i try talking to some on my buddies but their parents are paying for their school so big difference as to what's a cheap place to stay, btwn them and me. They offered me a place for 650 a month and that's the one i'll use as an example.

650 +160 on transport + 100 food a month is rather expensive. Oh.... yeah, and 11 000 on tuition every year plus books and transport Canada license fees for 4 years. Like I said is a lot of money and I'm trying to cut down costs as much as i can. First year is about to finish and I already ow the government 10 500.


I phoned State farm and ask them for a quote, they told me the only thing i have on my side are the marks from school, so they offered me 250 a month If I get it through my parents. By myself a 2002 corolla works out at 375 a month. but like i said I'm getting it through my dads.

About the traffic and waking up early.The majority of my classes during weekdays are from 10:45 to 6:00, with friday being an exception. Only on weekends I have classes in the morning, saturday from 7am to 12, and sunday from 7am to 3pm. Weekends are rather good in terms of traffic. In addition, my girlfriend lives in thornhill with her parents, so the days I have tests in the morning I can stay over at her place, however her parents don't like the idea of me living there with them for a full semester.

for what it counts, I'm 19 turning 20 on july

thanks again for your help

any other advice?

[articsteve]

Next year things get even more complicated. I have classes at York university early in the morning, and then classes in the Markham campus, and at night the same day ,flying at Buttonville. All these campuses are far from one another so renting a place located in the middle of these campuses will be rather stupid, I'll have to add money for the bus. VIVA, York Region and TTC as well as food and time on the bus.

Oakville-400/Steeles-Markam/Buttonville (same place almost)-Oakville.  WOW!  That is mega time on the road dude.

The only way your going to survive is to use the 409 toll road some of the time when the 401 east and west bound are crawling which is usually.  So factor that cost in.


I phoned State farm and ask them for a quote, they told me the only thing i have on my side are the marks from school, so they offered me 250 a month If I get it through my parents.

If that is a solid quote on you being a "primary" then IMO you got misquoted.  The general rule for "occasional" drivers is that for males, in your age with no G or first year G, the insurance premium is usually double that of the most expensive car under the parents name.   So if your dad's car carries a premium of $1200 then expect to pay $2400 for "occasion" use which is defined as not driving to and from work or school.

Moreover, Allstate is considered the most expensive company for new drivers.  Their subsidiary, The Pembridge Insurance Company, is known as the least expensive for new drivers.  I don't understand it, but you might want to check that out.

I totally agree that you need a car.  No question about it.  Tercel is a good choice.  Find one privately.  Have $5K plus with you.  Consider it an investment which you can resell later.  No point in buying a $3000. beater, having untold repairs and then getting a grand for it if your lucky.

[airbalancer]

the 409    it only runs for Kipling to the Airport and will not do him much good and is not a toll
You probably meant 407 the blood sucking toll road

You probably should have gone to Tbay,  Confederation Collage http://www.confederationc.on.ca/flight-mgmt/general.asp
would been cheaper

[TacoTaco]

articsteve:

Let me try and explain it more clearly. My stepmom drives a 1995 ford windstar and my dad a dodge SX2.0 If i buy a car, I'll put it under my stepmoms name so that she is the primary driver on it, and i apply for a quote to be the primary on the 1995 Windstar. By law I am entitled to use either my stepmoms or my dads car because i am the secondary driver on those two other cars. I phoned state farm like i said and they told me that my dad's current quote will now be 250 dollars more than before. He used to pay 196 for for the windstar and his dodge with the house included. Now we will pay 446 for having me driving my stepmoms windstar as a primary driver. However, in real life I will be driving the corolla.

As for the long driving, well I'm gonna have to go thought that...it's college .. life is not easy, at least its never been easy with me.

airbalancer:

Confederation College doesn't offer a degree program and they give you a float rating which is rather useless for what I plan to do afterwards. It is a great school, but it just wasn't what i wanted, same with Sault College.

[Wolfe]

I'm currently going to the Newnham Campus located at finch and 404. By the end of april I'll start at Buttonville airport for the whole summer on my third semester of school. I'm studying to be a pilot  . Next year things get even more complicated. I have classes at York university early in the morning, and then classes in the Markham campus, and at night the same day ,flying at Buttonville. All these campuses are far from one another so renting a place located in the middle of these campuses will be rather stupid, I'll have to add money for the bus. VIVA, York Region and TTC as well as food and time on the bus.

...

About the traffic and waking up early.The majority of my classes during weekdays are from 10:45 to 6:00, with friday being an exception. Only on weekends I have classes in the morning, saturday from 7am to 12, and sunday from 7am to 3pm. Weekends are rather good in terms of traffic. In addition, my girlfriend lives in thornhill with her parents, so the days I have tests in the morning I can stay over at her place, however her parents don't like the idea of me living there with them for a full semester.

They aren't too far away from each other but I shudder to think of how much of a PITA it would be to get from the Newnham campus to Buttonville by bus. Unless, there's a local TTC bus route that connects to a YRT route (which I doubt) you'll have to go west to Finch station to catch one of the VIVA/YRT buses to Unionville which would take you ridiculously far out of your way. York is much easier to get to but all this bus travel would take forever.

Methinks having a car is a necessity, not an option, and I know this area and traffic very well. Even with a car I would want to live closer to school than Oakville, you'll be spending a lot of time commuting. And as you're finding out owning a car ain't a cheap option either. Good luck .

As far as the Corolla vs. Echo, they have very similar virtues, though driving pleasure is not one of them. You're on the right track looking for something reliable and economical.

[barrie1]

You may want to look at the Sunfire or Cavalier as well as you will buy one of them probably cheaper. Theres thousands of them on the roads and they are quite reliable as well. Any money saved on a car purchase is better in your pocket for other things such as Insurance or for other areas of need you will have. 

[TacoTaco]

They aren't too far away from each other but I shudder to think of how much of a PITA it would be to get from the Newnham campus to Buttonville by bus. Unless, there's a local TTC bus route that connects to a YRT route (which I doubt) you'll have to go west to Finch station to catch one of the VIVA/YRT buses to Unionville which would take you ridiculously far out of your way. York is much easier to get to but all this bus travel would take forever.

Methinks having a car is a necessity, not an option, and I know this area and traffic very well. Even with a car I would want to live closer to school than Oakville, you'll be spending a lot of time commuting. And as you're finding out owning a car ain't a cheap option either. Good luck .

As far as the Corolla vs. Echo, they have very similar virtues, though driving pleasure is not one of them. You're on the right track looking for something reliable and economical.

I understand and I do thing it will be a PITA. But what other choices I have? All I'm doing is trying to pick the best one. I think that 3 trips a week one of them in the morning isn't actually that bad. I do spend all the weekends with my girlfriend and she lives in thornhill, about 15 mins from CYKZ (buttonville). So on weekends and mondays I will just drive from her house to school, no need to go to Oakville.

Another thing I need to take into account is gas. Google map reports 64kms each leg to school, So about 120 highway km. My guess is that I'll need around 150 on Gas a month. That is, if all works out the way I'm planning. Driving only 3 days a week from oakville to school.

Anyhow, I'm really thankful for all of your advices, keep'em coming

[TacoTaco]

Ok I've been busy lately with tests so that's why I haven't been able to post.

I've found a 1997 WV GOLf TDI for 3000 and it has cruise, the odo reads 280 000km. I'm looking for a car that would last me at least 4 years. Would this be a good choice?

I've heard Diesel Engines offer great fuel economy specially on the highway. What about parts...how expensive are the parts? Things like changing oil and brakes don't really matter cause I'll do that myself.

I have an insurance quote of $170 (liability) vs $210 civic (1998).

would a civic or toyota be a better choice for my first car? (only thing I'm really looking for is for cheap and reliable transportation) I believe the VW adds a little of luxury so thats a plus

anyhow, please advice me.

[airbalancer]

Go to TDIFORUM.com and check it out