Location Transport

Would you a buy a car if.... (help needed, I'm in a dilemma)?

-You're a Senior undergrad college student in Savannah, GA and are taking 3 classes this quarter that each require 40 hours of work per week. - You only have one final year of college (which will have 8 more of such taxing courses) but in the end hope to work on the west coast in California. - You already went 3 years without a car and relied on the college-provided bus transportation which has a schedule and a mind of its own. - You work on campus, and also need to give 110% of academic effort in keeping up the college scholarship. - Since this is your last year, you know you'll need some way of packing and transporting all the stuff in you room including the desktop computer at the end of 2010. - Is thinking of a Honda Civic or Mazda 3, and the Savannah area only has one authorized dealership of each car company where the price of a used car is as good as a new one. - You live on campus. -Then again there might be cab services to take you around for errands and so on. So in other words: The good : I'd like to buy a car, brand new or decently preowned, cause Craig's List in a small town like Savannah which has nothing but college students is a bit unreliable. I'd like to think of my present situation and the "now" and get a car and be done with it seeing that it will fulfill all my back-and-forth trips and errands to school buildings and the dorm. And I'll certainly have convenience and ease of access at my fingertips with 8 more challenging courses left. The not -so-good : I only have a year, and I hope to apply to industries in California to get a job. This means that I either take the car with me and do a cross-country roadtrip from GA to CA, get it shipped/ground-transported which might be a 1000$ maybe, or sell it (and it'll be sold for a loss because cars don't appreciate in value). Please help :( I'm in a real dilemma. Thanks :D Thanks to everybody who answered--especially Sage for thoroughly answering my other question as well! Although opinions did differ, it did help me consider different perspectives in the problem.

Public Comments

1. You should buy the most reasonably-priced used vehicle you can find that's likely to last you for your final year, prepared to write-off its cost as transportation expense during your final year and looking at anything you might receive for it as a bonus. You should then ship your personal belongings via the most economic means to wherever you relocate. Many services offer "partial load" shipping that will combine your belongings with other shipments allowing you to economize your shipping costs. This will also permit any potential employer to absorb your relocation expenses if that proves to be offered as part of your compensation. You can then revisit the issue of buying the best new vehicle to meet your needs wherever you happen to live, which includes the benefit of any new vehicle warranty and being located within proximity to the dealership where you bought the car when if you need it serviced. Even when covered by a warranty that allows you to service the vehicle at any authorized dealership, the selling dealership almost invariably demonstrates greater preferential treatment to its customers, like providing "loaner" cars, priority scheduling, etc. You will also be able to choose a vehicle that's consistent with your life circumstances at that particular point, including your income, expense, and cash positions. Given your stated preference, you will also be able to choose the 2011 Ford Fiesta or 2011 Ford Focus, entirely new vehicles and proven European award and marketshare winners that will far surpass either of the options you've cited in quality, performance, reliability, value, and driving enjoyment. You're otherwise trying to solve for too many moving targets and are likely to lock yourself into choices that are likely to prove more expensive and less convenient, even if you temporarily assume some short-term costs. Best of luck. I hope this helps.
2. Sounds like you have a head on your shoulders and just about answer your own question. I'd concentrate on my studies as you've come so far. Sometimes you can find someone looking for a driving partner from GA to CA in the paper or better yet you can advertise to help drive and/or pay the gas. Buy a bike to go between school buildings, dorm and outings or make friends with someone who has a car and you can share the gas cost. There will be plenty of time to get a car later, get your education.
3. Its good to see you are really thinking this thing through, but sometimes we all have a tendency to put too much thought into our decision making process and it ends up clouding our judgment in the end. The way i see it is this. If you can afford the car (including insurance) just go ahead and do it. You obviously have worked hard the past 3 years in college, treat yourself to something nice. Get someone who knows a little bit about cars to help you find a nice one. As far as taking the car with you back to California, thats no biggie. Just do it.
4. If you consider Savannah a small town, then call your Dad in the big City, and have him look for a car..... If you are putting in 120 hours a week studying and working too, you don't have time to drive.... there are only 168 hours in 7 days.....