buying a car in med school

[Cold Penguin]

Hi, I need some advice on buying a car as a med student. I am planning on getting a new car and have been thinking about getting a car with 4-cylinder. I go to med school in the Midwest where it is flat everywhere and 4-cylinder is very doable. But then, I will be spending next one year in a town where the Applachia Trail goes right through and the road/weather (rain+snow) condition has forced me to consider getting a 6-cylinder. I will be there only for one year, but after that, I also have a good possibility to return to the New England area for my residency.

The dilemma is this: I don't think I can afford to get a 6-cylinder car with my budget, but I really need to get a car. I want to know if driving a 4-cynlinder car in the New England area, especially the mountaineous area where the road is very up, down and curvy, is that bad in case of the snowy and rainy weather. I never drove around in the New England area, so any advice concerning the selection of car type (4V vs. 6V, etc.) is very much appreciated.

Can someone give me some insights on this strange question?

Thanks,
CP

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[SoCuteMD]

I've never owned anything but a 4 cylinder and have lived in the Northeast for most of my life. A six cylinder won't do much more for you in terms of getting to and fro. All wheel drive would be nice, but would be expensive and eat up gas when you lived elsewhere. The other benefit is that the roads are REALLY well-plowed up here, so it's less of a problem here than in other parts of the country.

 

[maizeNblue]

I live in the northeast as well and have also only owned 4-cylinder cars. It really shouldn't be a problem. In fact, most people who I know own 4-cylinder cars, and would agree with the previous poster in stating that all wheel drive would be a priority before more cylinders. I wouldn't worry too much over this if I were you, I can only speak for Pennsylvania, but I would consider the roads to be plowed and salted as soon as the first flake of snow/ice hits.

 

[pballa24]

honestly, a 4 cylinder with snow tires can get you through just about any winter weather. the main concern for you, it seems, is price. I'd recommend a 2001 or so WRX (Impreza) = turbocharged 4 cylinder AWD! Can't beat it in the snow. Can find one for right around $7k. It gets about 25/35 mpg..probably more realistically like 22 average.

 

[viper2fast505]

Cant go wrong with an LS1 Z28. That is my car of choice for the next four years. Last time I was on the interstate i got 27mpg. The RPM stays low even at 75mph so it just cruises down the road. I have had it for four years now and just love it. Hope it will last another four years because now all my money comes from student loans and I am not sure if it is right to use them to buy a car.

 

[jonb12997]

I have a honda civic and i live in maine... I still say one of the keys of driving in winter weather is to make sure you have some good all season tires, maybe even consider getting a second set of rims with some studded snow tires, and you'll be all set.

 

[deleted109597]

Buy whatever you want. You don't need a 6 cylinder unless you buy a really freaking heavy car. 4 bangers can go up hills just fine.

Where on earth did you get the idea that it wouldn't?

 

[student101]

Buy whatever you want. You don't need a 6 cylinder unless you buy a really freaking heavy car. 4 bangers can go up hills just fine.

Where on earth did you get the idea that it wouldn't?

I agree. When it comes to rain and snow, the number of cylinders isn't the issue. Just make sure you have something with front-wheel drive (or 4-wheel drive). Besides, I've seen plenty of 4-cylinders that have more muscle than a lot of 6-cylinders. If horspower/torque are an issue, you should really just look at horspower/torque ratings for a car rather than number of cylinders.

 

[Glorified]

I have a honda civic and i live in maine... I still say one of the keys of driving in winter weather is to make sure you have some good all season tires, maybe even consider getting a second set of rims with some studded snow tires, and you'll be all set.

I agree. I also live in Maine and I own a ford escort with about 90 HP and obviously 4 cylinders. Manual transmission in the snow also helps a lot because you can down shift in difficult areas.

Btw, where you located in maine jon? I live in Portland. Are you living on campus in biddeford?

 

[TMP-SMX]

Just be aware that all wheel drive or whatever cylinders you want won't help you when you are on ice. I'm in Michigan and you will just slide around no matter what you are driving. Snow is a different story where you will want all wheel drive.

However, go with something used and something cheap with a decent sized engine that is reliable. Don't get a new car unless you are loaded.

 

[bjackrian]

I grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, going over the passes fairly regularly and never had more than a 4 cylinder. It worked fine. I would ditto the advice about all wheel drive and also suggest that you look for a car with antilock brakes (my first car in high school didn't have them, and having to pump the brakes every time it snowed got old really fast).

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

Buy whatever you want. You don't need a 6 cylinder unless you buy a really freaking heavy car. 4 bangers can go up hills just fine.

Where on earth did you get the idea that it wouldn't?

'cause this america and you're obviously a commie. america runs on six cylinders, comrade.

 

[deleted77919]

'cause this america and you're obviously a commie. america runs on six cylinders, comrade.

America runs on eight cylinders. The old expression is "firing on all eight cylinders." Why would you want to be firing on 4?

In all seriousness, the rest of the advice is good. New England doesn't have any ridiculously high peaks (above 10,000' in Colorado is another story and even here forced induction will help you more than cylinder count). All wheel or four wheel drive makes going in the snow easier. Chains are necessary for ice. Snow tires are a worthwhile investment.

 

[jonb12997]

All wheel or four wheel drive makes going in the snow easier. Chains are necessary for ice. Snow tires are a worthwhile investment.

Well said Dakota! (s)he about summed it up pretty good there..


glorified, I'm living in biddo, but not on campus, I don't think my wife would like living in the dorms with me (med school anyway...)

 

[muncher]

I agree. I also live in Maine and I own a ford escort with about 90 HP and obviously 4 cylinders. Manual transmission in the snow also helps a lot because you can down shift in difficult areas.

Btw, where you located in maine jon? I live in Portland. Are you living on campus in biddeford?

Ughh heheehe... downshifting in slippery areas is the exact opposite of what you should do!

 

[Kris1]

Has anybody ever tried financing one with student loans being the sole source of income? I have good credit and have bought several cars, but never when I didn't have a job. Affording the payments wouldn't be a problem, but I doubt that the financing company/dealership would consider student loans to be income enough.

 

[nlax30]

Has anybody ever tried financing one with student loans being the sole source of income? I have good credit and have bought several cars, but never when I didn't have a job. Affording the payments wouldn't be a problem, but I doubt that the financing company/dealership would consider student loans to be income enough.

If you can, go to an outside credit union to get a care loan, don't go through the dealership for financing. If you have good credit you can usually do better than the rate the dealership will offer you, unless you qualify for a 0% APR deal, though there are usually limits on those such as it's only on brand new cars, only good for 48month loans or less, etc... The wife and I bought our most recent car while we were both technically students. We had some income but it wasn't a big issue because we both have really good credit and we went through a credit union that she is a member of, they gave us a rate better than any dealership could offer and we went into the dealership knowing exactly how much money we had to work with and didn't have to mess with their financing options.

 

[Critical Mass]

I can't justify something more than 4 cylinders with current gas prices.

 

[baylormed]

I need to get a car, too, and I was thinking about getting a used car so as not to have to make monthly payments on a new one. However, looking at gas prices right now are making me think that a hybrid car wouldn't be so bad...what do you guys think?

 

[deleted77919]

I need to get a car, too, and I was thinking about getting a used car so as not to have to make monthly payments on a new one. However, looking at gas prices right now are making me think that a hybrid car wouldn't be so bad...what do you guys think?

You'll save a lot more money buying a small used car.

If you're really worried about gas, get a motorcycle. When I was in college I rode a Suzuki SV650S, around town I would get about 50 mpg and on the blue ridge parkway (no stops, staying right at 50mph) I would get 70-75mpg.

 

[samenewme]

I need to get a car, too, and I was thinking about getting a used car so as not to have to make monthly payments on a new one. However, looking at gas prices right now are making me think that a hybrid car wouldn't be so bad...what do you guys think?

Small used. An old Civic or small Beetle with a stick will save you plenty of gas and the extra several thousand to get a hybrid won't be worth it. If you can live close enough to campus to bike in good weather, the mileage won't be as important to you, either.

 

[Kris1]

A news report did a story on the cost savings of purchasing a hybrid. It stated that one would need to drive the hybrid for six years to realize a savings. That is because of the thousands of dollars more that they cost.

 

[Onstarr]

The subaru impreza is an excellent choice.
4cyl, awd, + the newer ones are 2.5L so it provides enough torque as well

as someone mentioned, you can pick those up for 6-8k used and turbo models 10k-12k used. i have 110,000 in my wrx, stage4 for about 50,000miles and its still running extremely strong. they are workhorses - they should last 150k easy with standard maintanence

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Small used. An old Civic or small Beetle with a stick will save you plenty of gas and the extra several thousand to get a hybrid won't be worth it. If you can live close enough to campus to bike in good weather, the mileage won't be as important to you, either.

Also, look at Corollas and Scions -- Toyota reliability coupled with really good gas mileage. I think the upfront expense of a hybrid would be hard to justify as a medical student unless you can get a good deal on a used model, but I suspect those will be really hard to find.

 

[Critical Mass]

A news report did a story on the cost savings of purchasing a hybrid. It stated that one would need to drive the hybrid for six years to realize a savings. That is because of the thousands of dollars more that they cost.

Whatever happened to the tax credit that we were supposed to be able to claim for buying one? Did GW decide that he needed the cash to bomb some other country?

IMO, it's about more than just the money in my pocket. It's about demonstrating to the industry that we are trying to lessen our dependence on oil as a society.

Build me something that doesn't run on fossil fuels, and I'll be glad to drive it around even if it does cost me more.

 

[mudphudwannabe]

The tax credit goes away once a certain number of people have bought a particular make of hybrid. They're gone on the Prius, but some of the new ones still have a credit. We're looking at a Nissan Altima hybrid for our next car... It'll be quite a change from our '93 Buick LeSabre.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

The tax credit goes away once a certain number of people have bought a particular make of hybrid. They're gone on the Prius, but some of the new ones still have a credit. We're looking at a Nissan Altima hybrid for our next car... It'll be quite a change from our '93 Buick LeSabre.

Interesting. Some states have tax credits, too. I think Oregon has a $2k state tax credit for purchasing a hybrid.

 

[baylormed]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I really wanted to get a not-so-small model (beetles are tiny), because I'll need to haul my stuff--boxes and such--at first. I was even thinking of a small toyota or nissan truck or one of their small SUVs, but if they are too costly I'll settle for one of the smaller models.

Unfortunately biking isn't an option because I don't think the area around campus (even though I'll live close by) is very bike-friendly.

 

[dwigt]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I really wanted to get a not-so-small model (beetles are tiny), because I'll need to haul my stuff--boxes and such--at first. I was even thinking of a small toyota or nissan truck or one of their small SUVs, but if they are too costly I'll settle for one of the smaller models.

Unfortunately biking isn't an option because I don't think the area around campus (even though I'll live close by) is very bike-friendly.

I had an Xterra for a short period. Terrible gas mileage, especially for as little power as the engine had. Also a very bumpy ride. I traded it in for a 5-speed Jetta

 

[samenewme]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I really wanted to get a not-so-small model (beetles are tiny), because I'll need to haul my stuff--boxes and such--at first. I was even thinking of a small toyota or nissan truck or one of their small SUVs, but if they are too costly I'll settle for one of the smaller models.

Unfortunately biking isn't an option because I don't think the area around campus (even though I'll live close by) is very bike-friendly.

If you're only moving once, it might be more sensible to rent a truck and tow your small, fuel-efficient car than to buy a big car to move.

 

[menaniac]

I just went through the new car thing, and wound up with a toyota Yaris Hatchback. Yup...*tiny* is the optimum descriptor, but with the seats down you can fit an amazing amount of crap in there! Total cost= $12,500 new. 5 year loan payment = $250 a month. I'll probably have it forever. I've been getting 34mpg city, 38 mpg highway. Its not a hybred, but does pretty well.

My husband is looking into new cars also right now. He really wants a hybred. He's driven the Altima hybred, which is really great...terrific pickup,a nd fast, but its a gas engine with electric assist, so the milage is only 36 or so mpg (also, I thought the seats weren't that comfortable, but that's just me). The prius is en electric engine with gas assist, so its much more efficient. When I drove one last summer I was averaging 47 mpg (but I drive like a maniac). My friend who owns the car drives it like a grandma, and consistantly got 56-60 mpg. New Jersey still has tax rebates on the prius. I guess the rebate thing is state specific. He also tries the corolla hybred, but wasn't that impressed. Milage was only 36 or so mpg, and it wasn't as roomy as the prius.

I have a professor who has a diesel VW jetta that consistantly gets 56 mpg highway, 48 city, and he's had it for 4 years. He completely loves it. We're in central Jersey, so it does get pretty cold sometimes, but he's never had a problem starting it. If you're in a really cold place like upstate NY, upper midwest or Colorado I probably wouldn't recommend a diesel. Warm weather, its the bomb. Look for a used one and you could get a really good deal.

Good luck with your new car, whatever you choose!

 

[indo]

3.50/gallon

 

[baylormed]

3.50/gallon

So you drive a Hummer, huh?

 

[TMP-SMX]

3.50/gallon

It's about that in Michigan in both places around Detroit. It's come down a bit from the price gouging around Memorial Day with all the people going up north.

 

[indo]

So you drive a Hummer, huh?

No, my penis is not that small.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

No, my penis is not that small.

 

[bkpa2med]

I actually just boughta '04 Saab 9-3. 2.0L 4 Cyl turbo - I'm getting around 36mpg on the highway and about 28 city. I highly recommend it, I bought it for $10,750. Quite a steal.

 

[Cirrus83]

Modern 4 cylinders aren't as weak as they were 20 years ago...I mean, a lot of modern 4 cylinders put out more power than V6's from only a few years ago.

So long as you're not driving some 4000 pound beast, a decent I4 engine will do you just fine in a hilly area, it's not like you're going to scale everest with your car.

And seriously, with gas going for $3.30 around here I don't see why you'd want to add to your financial burden, lol.

 

[Cirrus83]

A news report did a story on the cost savings of purchasing a hybrid. It stated that one would need to drive the hybrid for six years to realize a savings. That is because of the thousands of dollars more that they cost.

Well, not only does that depend on how much you drive it also depends on how much money gas is and which hybrid.

For example the Prius is actually in the same size class as the Camry, but the newer Camry is bigger so it's hard to compare. But if you compared the Camry Hybrid it'd make regular cars seem more competitive because it's not as efficient as the Prius, so that's unfair to hybrids too.

But if you actually did choose a Prius over a regular Camry you'd save $1000 a year if you drove 15,000 miles (at $3.22 a gallon apparently, since that's what the EPA's default price is), which would really get you back the extra money in about 4 years.

And some hybrids don't even have much of a premium over their regular counterparts so even if their improvements are more slight it's not neccessarily a bad deal (the Saturn Vue Greenline for example), especially since they also get tax incentives.

Of course, as broke med students we probably can't even use tax incentives

There's some nice new diesels coming out but to be honest the gas stations near by don't always have diesel which worries me.

 

[kakashi74]

For example the Prius is actually in the same size class as the Camry, but the newer Camry is bigger so it's hard to compare. But if you compared the Camry Hybrid it'd make regular cars seem more competitive because it's not as efficient as the Prius, so that's unfair to hybrids too.

But if you actually did choose a Prius over a regular Camry you'd save $1000 a year if you drove 15,000 miles (at $3.22 a gallon apparently, since that's what the EPA's default price is), which would really get you back the extra money in about 4 years.

.

Maybe the Prius today is the same size as the older camrys but that's not a fair comparison. you would have to compare today's camry to a camry hybrid. and even then you would have to compare the V6 camry to the hybrid.
For me, if the initial cost was the only factor, I would get a hybrid since waiting 4 or even 6 years is not too bad. However, I'm surprised no one considers the cost of replacing the battery. It's not as if after 6 years, you made your money back and you save money for the rest of the car's life. Once the battery needs to be changed, you'll be another $2k in the hole and need to wait another 6 years to make the money back.

If you do a lot of city driving, I think you'll save a little money in the long run

 

[deleted77919]

and even then you would have to compare the V6 camry to the hybrid.

Why? According to motortrend 0-60 on the prius is 9.8 seconds. 1/4 mile is 17 seconds at 81 mph. On the 2007 camry 4 cylinder car and driver reports a 0-60 of 8.9 seconds. On the 2007 camry V6, the 0-60 is 6.0 seconds and 1/4 mile is 14.5 seconds at 97.5 mph. These are serious performance differences, and as you can see the hybrid is slower than the 2007 camry 4 cylinder and much slower than the V-6.

 

[kakashi74]

Why? According to motortrend 0-60 on the prius is 9.8 seconds. 1/4 mile is 17 seconds at 81 mph. On the 2007 camry 4 cylinder car and driver reports a 0-60 of 8.9 seconds. On the 2007 camry V6, the 0-60 is 6.0 seconds and 1/4 mile is 14.5 seconds at 97.5 mph. These are serious performance differences, and as you can see the hybrid is slower than the 2007 camry 4 cylinder and much slower than the V-6.

I meant you have to compare the Camry hybrid(not Prius) to the regular Camry. I did make a mistake thinking the hybrid camry had a V6, it is actually an I4, and the camry hybrid performs somewhere between the I4 and the V6 model.

My whole point was that you can't compare the prius to the camry when doing gas mileage comparisons, because as you stated the prius underperforms compared to the camry. When you get a car, you are looking for X amount of space, and Y amout of horsepower. Yes, the Prius will save you money compared to a regular camry, but so will a regular civic.

 

[megadon]

Number of cylinders doesn't matter, unless you're buying american american (GM, Ford, Chrysler). Four wheel drive = twice as far before you get stuck. The Honda S2000, four cylinders, 220 Hp, granted you drive it at 5000-9000 RPM, not the fuel economy range. Basically any car you buy in the US will get you wherever you need to go now, as long as you supply the tires. Used SAAB guy, congrats, you hit the lottery. Finding a SAAB that doesn't have electrical issues is well, like hitting the lottery (first car, 69 SAAb, second car 72 SAAb, and with GM as a backer it isn't much better). I've got a '93 Accord that I will drive until I see a piston rod go flying through my hood. Once I graduate, it's BMW baby. Four years later I am sure I will be back in a Honda.

Get a stupid Toyota or Honda, they won't fail you through four years of med school. As far as living in Yankee land, sorry, that's your decision. Enjoy the lobster while you're there. buy chains or the stupid snow tires, cause they don't cancel school.

 

[deleted109597]

The subaru impreza is an excellent choice.
4cyl, awd, + the newer ones are 2.5L so it provides enough torque as well

as someone mentioned, you can pick those up for 6-8k used and turbo models 10k-12k used. i have 110,000 in my wrx, stage4 for about 50,000miles and its still running extremely strong. they are workhorses - they should last 150k easy with standard maintanence

Stage 4 can't help for mileage. What are you running, a vf34? Up, down, and water jet or something?

 

[menaniac]

Just got back from my first day looking for housing at my new school. Considering the neighborhood, I shoulda got a jacked-up hooptie so I would blend in better! Make sure you know the neighborhood before you go blowing bucks on a nice car. As my brother found out 3 weeks ago, it might not be there in the morning if its *too* nice (ie. runs).

 

[deleted77919]

Build me something that doesn't run on fossil fuels, and I'll be glad to drive it around even if it does cost me more.

Well, it still runs on fossil fuels, but Honda has the Civic GX NGV which runs on compressed natural gas. The only petroleum you need is for oil changes. I believe the current federal tax credit is $4,000, and another $1000 on the home installed pump (which of course won't help you much if you are poor medical student).

The big catch is you are limited to a range of about 200 miles so either you need to live near a station that has CNG or you need to have a pump installed in your home and connected to your gas line. But hey, you get the cleanest burning IC engine on the planet and no line at the pump (unless you buy two).

 

[Cirrus83]

Maybe the Prius today is the same size as the older camrys but that's not a fair comparison. you would have to compare today's camry to a camry hybrid. and even then you would have to compare the V6 camry to the hybrid.
For me, if the initial cost was the only factor, I would get a hybrid since waiting 4 or even 6 years is not too bad. However, I'm surprised no one considers the cost of replacing the battery. It's not as if after 6 years, you made your money back and you save money for the rest of the car's life. Once the battery needs to be changed, you'll be another $2k in the hole and need to wait another 6 years to make the money back.

If you do a lot of city driving, I think you'll save a little money in the long run

Well, I don't even know if the OP is buying a new car, and the Camry was only redesigned this year, so the current Prius has shared more years with the 2002-2006 Camry than the current one. And I don't see why I'd have to compare it against the V6, although that would just make the comparison more favorable cost-wise (since the V6 costs more it'd lower the amount of extra money paid for the Prius).

Actually, considering used costs, the Camry would probably fare better since demand for the Prius is fairly high that it has ******ed high resale value, lol.

As far as being paranoid that the battery will blow out on you or whatever:

Hybrid-Related Component Coverage: Hybrid-related components, including the HV battery, battery control module, hybrid control module and inverter with converter, are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. The HV battery may have longer coverage under emissions warranty. Refer to applicable Owner's Warranty Information booklet for details.

The entire hybrid system is covered for 8 years and 100,000 miles, so you only have to worry every 8 years

 

[Kris1]

Cirrus83...
That YouTube video is hilarious! Just when I thought that Fergie's lyrics couldn't get more profound.