Purchasing a car for medical school

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evooo8

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I have decided I am going to be driving from California to Tennessee for school. I have also decided that I will be getting a new car. Do any of you have any inputs on what car to get? I am currently looking for certified pre-owned. I want the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong it will get fixed and since the miles will be low the likely hood of something going wrong is not very high.

Right now I am considering Kia. 10 year/100,000 mile power train warranty
or a Honda 7 year/100,000 mile power train warranty.

Anybody have any opinions or recommendations? Thanks!
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Just make sure to know the geography of the area you're going. I'm considering buying a different car as well (currently have a Jeep that can't haul anything, am hoping to maybe get a truck with some towing capacity.) Also it might be nice to have some decent gas mileage for driving to your different rotations.

I honestly don't know a lot about Kias or Hondas, though. Best of luck!
 
If you are going to Tennessee (I'm assuming LMU-DCOM?), you don't have to worry about snow which could potentially limit the type of car you purchase. A car with a good mileage and relatively inexpensive maintenance would be the most ideal.
 
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Yes, I will be attending LMU-DCOM. Also debating if I should lease a car or purchase one.
 
Leasing may be cheaper overall, but keep in mind that you have a certain mileage you have to stay under. If your rotation sites require a lot of driving, you are going to be SOL.
 
IMO purchasing a used car is always the best option. Get a model 3 years back (so like 2012 or older) and get a Honda. My dad, mom, sister and myself all drive them with mileages approximately 350,000 250,000 150,000 and 80,000. Moral of the story is they last forever and give you very few problems. That said my uncle is a mechanic and owns 5 toyotas. Leasing a car is almost always a bad idea especially so if you are going to be living in a rural area like LMU. You'll get killed on the fees when you give the car back.
 
s5260205 said:
If you are going to Tennessee (I'm assuming LMU-DCOM?), you don't have to worry about snow which could potentially limit the type of car you purchase. A car with a good mileage and relatively inexpensive maintenance would be the most ideal.
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It does actually snow at DCOM. Obviously not like LECOM - Erie, but it still does.
 
I have to disagree with Dr. Death here. I see value in leasing a vehicle, especially considering the lifestyle of a 1/2/3/4 year med student. I just opened a 36 mo lease for a 2015 Mazda 3 at $216/month which is roughly $8000 over a 3 year period. I had 30 miles on the car when I drove it off the lot, and I have 30,000 miles to stretch over 36 months. When you think about it (~30 miles/day) is actually a lot of miles, and over the long course of 3 years you are sure to eventually make-up for long drives. The first 2 years you'll likely have a lot of miles that roll over since you'll be studying most of the time.

You're getting the best years out of the newest vehicles for a fraction of it's cost, and right before it would need maintenance (like new tires) you wash your hands clean of it by giving it back. Now if you really spent the time to break down the difference in cost between these two options, and there was a net-gain from buying a used car it's probably minimal (depending on the cars' rate of depreciation) and quite frankly the leap in convenience is worth some extra money. I for one don't want to waste any time in these busy years dealing with car problems.
 
I second this. I'm currently leading a Honda for UG and I think it makes a lot of sense or a student (as long as you don't drive the crap out of it).

MedNation907 said:
I have to disagree with Dr. Death here. I see value in leasing a vehicle, especially considering the lifestyle of a 1/2/3/4 year med student. I just opened a 36 mo lease for a 2015 Mazda 3 at $216/month which is roughly $8000 over a 3 year period. I had 30 miles on the car when I drove it off the lot, and I have 30,000 miles to stretch over 36 months. When you think about it (~30 miles/day) is actually a lot of miles, and over the long course of 3 years you are sure to eventually make-up for long drives. The first 2 years you'll likely have a lot of miles that roll over since you'll be studying most of the time.

You're getting the best years out of the newest vehicles for a fraction of it's cost, and right before it would need maintenance (like new tires) you wash your hands clean of it by giving it back. Now if you really spent the time to break down the difference in cost between these two options, and there was a net-gain from buying a used car it's probably minimal (depending on the cars' rate of depreciation) and quite frankly the leap in convenience is worth some extra money. I for one don't want to waste any time in these busy years dealing with car problems.
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How a your driving record? Leasing a car requires full coverage insurance, if your record isn't clean? Ur monthly insurance payment will be high. If you own a car, ur can buy liability only insurance, which is much cheaper.
 
You can't go wrong with Hondas because they are very reliable. If you look online there are many of them for sale that have reached over 200,000 miles. A Honda Civic is less than $20,000 and will last you for a long time.
 
I recently bought a new base model Hyundai Accent. If you just want a nice car good gas mileage and reliable its a great way to go. I was looking for a used car but I found the accent for $12,200 brand new and was sold. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles but has been a great car so far and know it will be under warranty the whole time I'm in school and residency. Hard to beat new vehicle 60,000 miles and 10 year 100,000 mile power train for that price.
 
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I was considering leasing a Honda Civic, but I figured they are pretty well built cars I would probably be better of just purchasing a certified pre owned. But I have expensive taste and can't really imagine spending $15k on a 2013 Civic when I can probably get a really nice 09 5 series for that price from a private party or carmax, but no warranty and would be a nightmare if any issues arose.

Definitely don't want to purchase or lease a new luxury car right now though. Trying to keep my budget under $20k, hopefully closer to 15.
 
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Curious, how are you guys funding this purchase/lease? Separate car loan or incorporating it into your student loans? Forgive me, my parents had a car for me to use during undergrad.
 
Para-dox said:
Curious, how are you guys funding this purchase/lease? Separate car loan or incorporating it into your student loans? Forgive me, my parents had a car for me to use during undergrad.
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My current car I bought on my own. If I do decide to purchase a new car, I will likely sell my car and use part of it for a down payment. Then use the rest to make car payments until I get my student loan.
 
The new honda accord coupes are SSSIIIICCCCKKKKKK. Pretty pricey though.. they can hit over 30K.
 
evooo8 said:
I was considering leasing a Honda Civic, but I figured they are pretty well built cars I would probably be better of just purchasing a certified pre owned. But I have expensive taste and can't really imagine spending $15k on a 2013 Civic when I can probably get a really nice 09 5 series for that price from a private party or carmax, but no warranty and would be a nightmare if any issues arose.

Definitely don't want to purchase or lease a new luxury car right now though. Trying to keep my budget under $20k, hopefully closer to 15.
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Why would leasing put you over 20k budget? Unless you go really expensive you'll keep it below 10k over the 4 years. Full coverage insurance will likely hit ~5000 over 4 years, so $15,000 is an easy mark to hit via leasing.

Para-dox said:
Curious, how are you guys funding this purchase/lease? Separate car loan or incorporating it into your student loans? Forgive me, my parents had a car for me to use during undergrad.
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Dipping into what I have saved in my name right now, I'll just incorporate these payments into my budget come matriculation.
 
MedNation907 said:
Why would leasing put you over 20k budget? Unless you go really expensive you'll keep it below 10k over the 4 years. Full coverage insurance will likely hit ~5000 over 4 years, so $15,000 is an easy mark to hit via leasing.
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Purchasing a certified pre owned BMW would throw me over my 20k budget. Still unsure if I want to lease anything because then 4th year I will have to lease or purchase something again.

I am interested in a Kia Optima, the exterior to me looks nicer than a Civic. But the interior of the base model looks so cheap.
 
evooo8 said:
Purchasing a certified pre owned BMW would throw me over my 20k budget. Still unsure if I want to lease anything because then 4th year I will have to lease or purchase something again.
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I often hear people say getting a 48 month lease is really tough, and is strange because it was offered every single time I was quoted by a rep. Anyways, those exist. And if you went with a Honda, it may be worth it. Typically 36 months marks the spot when you can get the smallest difference between MSRP and depreciation value (hence what leasing actually means) but all makes are different. Honda and Toyota are known makes that hold value over time.
 
evooo8 said:
I was considering leasing a Honda Civic, but I figured they are pretty well built cars I would probably be better of just purchasing a certified pre owned. But I have expensive taste and can't really imagine spending $15k on a 2013 Civic when I can probably get a really nice 09 5 series for that price from a private party or carmax, but no warranty and would be a nightmare if any issues arose.

Definitely don't want to purchase or lease a new luxury car right now though. Trying to keep my budget under $20k, hopefully closer to 15.
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Psh you can get a Honda Civic for under 10k
 
I'mJustCurious said:
Psh you can get a Honda Civic for under 10k
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Lease or purchase? And used I assume? I'm starting to look into what to do for transportation -- I have some savings to dip into prior to loans kicking in.
 
Para-dox said:
Curious, how are you guys funding this purchase/lease? Separate car loan or incorporating it into your student loans? Forgive me, my parents had a car for me to use during undergrad.
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I got my truck when I was still working full time...it has since been paid off. I did one of those 5 year 0% interest deals on it when I got it.
 
Para-dox said:
Lease or purchase? And used I assume? I'm starting to look into what to do for transportation -- I have some savings to dip into prior to loans kicking in.
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Used. It's smarter to buy a used reliable car during med school so you got money to pay off tuition and then start accumulating money for other needs.
 
For somebody with a budget of $40K for a new/used car... what do y'all suggest?
 
With a lease the insurance will cost more and the lease will kill you if you drive a lot. So NO long road trips or long drives to rotation sites and live near the school/on campus. Other than that a lease can if you shop around be a fair deal, as you often have cheaper payments, give the car back when done and can leave costs to the dealer (but beware the deals where you are responsible for everything on the car they consider disposable... you could be buying a $1500 timing belt if you put a lot of mileage on it).

Buying a used but certified low mileage Kia or Honda can work out very well as you get the extended warranties and either one will get you through med school and residency. You'll save lots of money on it as well.

Making payments can be done, but understand that cash will be tight so you'll trade eating out with friends for a car payment. It can be tough buying a 3-5yr old used car, as some are shiny wrecks with huge repair costs. So if you go for something older get it checked out by a mechanic.

Just don't do what some students do and buy or lease a BMW or some such and then not have loan money for rent.
 
DrMikeP said:
Still go cheaper... Honda, Toyota (some), Kia... etc and save the extra. Assuming you aren't driving in 5ft of snow.
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Played around with building a Prius online... came out past $30K. That's a lot of moola for a Toyota.
 
The Subaru Impreza is a great car! Mine gets like 29 mpg driving around town.
 
DetectiveAlonzo said:
For somebody with a budget of $40K for a new/used car... what do y'all suggest?
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I would spend ~$20k on a lowish mile reliable used car (think Honda/Acura/Toyota/Lexus), and pocket the other $20k for operational expenses.

mspeedwagon said:
It's normally listed as one of the top 5 most reliable car brands. Basically most ratings have Honda/Toyota/Mazda/Audi/Subaru listed as the most reliable cars available.
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I wouldn't trust any list that calls Audis reliable

Subarus are okay. They do rust pretty easily (at least older ones), and there were a couple years where they very frequently went through head gaskets.
 
3 of my siblings have Audi's and love them. My brother bought an Audi A4 in 1998 and sold it this year (still for over $5k). Never had an issue with it. He just upgraded to the Audi Q7.

My other brother bought an Audi A6 in 2000 and still drives it. It has never had an issue. Bought another Audi for his wife (I know it's an SUV, but not sure which model).

My sister also drives an Audi, which she got more recently, the A3 (no issues thus far, but it's only been a few years).

Everyone else in my family drives a Toyota (all Camrys) and they are equally reliable.

I own a GM car and it's in the garage and I never get to drive it (I basically made it through the year with various rental cars). I will never again touch a GM car in my life. I'm clearly the idiot in my family :-/. My next car will probably be a Camry. I'd get an Audi A4, but it's out of my budget for now.

I should add that the love for Audi in my family has to do with folks liking to ski/snowboard and the need for an all wheel drive vehicle.

terra330 said:
I wouldn't trust any list that calls Audis reliable
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mspeedwagon said:
3 of my siblings have Audi's and love them. My brother bought an Audi A4 in 1998 and sold it this year (still for over $5k). Never had an issue with it. He just upgraded to the Audi Q7.

My other brother bought an Audi A6 in 2000 and still drives it. It has never had an issue. Bought another Audi for his wife (I know it's an SUV, but not sure which model).

My sister also drives an Audi, which she got more recently, the A3 (no issues thus far, but it's only been a few years).

Everyone else in my family drives a Toyota (all Camrys) and they are equally reliable.

I own a GM car and it's in the garage and I never get to drive it (I basically made it through the year with various rental cars). I will never again touch a GM car in my life. I'm clearly the idiot in my family :-/. My next car will probably be a Camry. I'd get an Audi A4, but it's out of my budget for now.

I should add that the love for Audi in my family has to do with folks liking to ski/snowboard and the need for an all wheel drive vehicle.
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Hmmm interesting.. I thought I read somewhere that amongst the German brands, Audi and Porsche are at the top.
 
evooo8 said:
I have decided I am going to be driving from California to Tennessee for school. I have also decided that I will be getting a new car. Do any of you have any inputs on what car to get? I am currently looking for certified pre-owned. I want the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong it will get fixed and since the miles will be low the likely hood of something going wrong is not very high.

Right now I am considering Kia. 10 year/100,000 mile power train warranty
or a Honda 7 year/100,000 mile power train warranty.

Anybody have any opinions or recommendations? Thanks!
Click to expand...
"Korean cars are garbage" - a piece of wisdom passed down to me from my father who has been in the second hand auto business for many years. I'd go with a mid sized suv from Honda, Toyota, Subaru that is ~6-7 years old. So CR-V, Rav-4, Forester.
 
Endorphins98 said:
The Subaru Impreza is a great car! Mine gets like 29 mpg driving around town.
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Adding to that list, Foresters run amazingly well. Mine is approaching its 13th birthday and still going strong. I expect to celebrate its 20th birthday with a Subaru cake while I am a resident. 🙂
 
Don't buy any vehicle, new or used, that has CVT transmission.
 
Unfortunately, they don't share the same reliability reputation. Unlike Audi, Porsche is notoriously unreliable, even more expensive to fix, and has no real re-sale market. They are on the opposite end of spectrum of each other. Porsche is often cited as the most unreliable car available: http://www.carsuk.net/bentley-porsche-the-most-unreliable-used-cars/. However, their cars look way cooler. I had a brother that had a Porsche, and it was the only car I know of that spent more time in the garage than my GM car.

DetectiveAlonzo said:
Hmmm interesting.. I thought I read somewhere that amongst the German brands, Audi and Porsche are at the top.
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I second this. My GM car has CVT transmission. I'd never go near another car with it. My check engine light is on, the code is transmission (this go around) and no one (including the dealership) can figure out what's wrong. Also, never by a GM car of any sort.

costales said:
Don't buy any vehicle, new or used, that has CVT transmission.
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mspeedwagon said:
Unfortunately, they don't share the same reliability reputation. Unlike Audi, Porsche is notoriously unreliable, even more expensive to fix, and has no real re-sale market. They are on the opposite end of spectrum of each other. Porsche is often cited as the most unreliable car available: http://www.carsuk.net/bentley-porsche-the-most-unreliable-used-cars/. However, their cars look way cooler. I had a brother that had a Porsche, and it was the only car I know of that spent more time in the garage than my GM car.
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Ummm, You aren't buying a Porsche or Bentley for reliability! 🙂
 
DetectiveAlonzo said:
Hmmm interesting.. I thought I read somewhere that amongst the German brands, Audi and Porsche are at the top.
Click to expand...

Audi's are solid mechanically. Electronics are a completely different story.

I have also heard that fuel pumps go bad in the earlier Audi's.
 
I realize this is a small subset of Audi's out there, but no electronic problems on any of the ones that are owned in my family ranging from 1998 to 2015 models.

I should mention that the SUVs owned in my family are all diesel engines.

mathnerd88 said:
Audi's are solid mechanically. Electronics are a completely different story.

I have also heard that fuel pumps go bad in the earlier Audi's.
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Definitely Honda from your list of choice. I have a Honda 03 and it runs amazing even at 150,000k.
 
I agree with the whole reliable.. cheap.. and wallet friendly choices of transportation but what recommendations do you guys have for fun/sporty cars/trucks/suvs?
 
mspeedwagon said:
I second this. My GM car has CVT transmission. I'd never go near another car with it. My check engine light is on, the code is transmission (this go around) and no one (including the dealership) can figure out what's wrong.
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I think they know - they're just waiting for the CVT to crap out after the warranty expires so they can ask you for $4K if you want to keep the car. CVT is a scandal - it's unproven technology in terms of 100K+ miles, and it forces consumers to rely on dealerships for repairs (independent shops can't buy parts from them).
 
I have the same inclination that you do. It seems odd that the dealership wouldn't know how to properly fix a car they sell. I'm done with GM. I have no clue why they were revived. I'll be another happy Toyota Camry owner come June/July.

costales said:
I think they know - they're just waiting for the CVT to crap out after the warranty expires so they can ask you for $4K if you want to keep the car. CVT is a scandal - it's unproven technology in terms of 100K+ miles, and it forces consumers to rely on dealerships for repairs (independent shops can't buy parts from them).
Click to expand...
 
mspeedwagon said:
I have the same inclination that you do. It seems odd that the dealership wouldn't know how to properly fix a car they sell. I'm done with GM. I have no clue why they were revived. I'll be another happy Toyota Camry owner come June/July.
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Good choice. That thing will last you 15 years. (Don't buy a hybrid - it's CVT.)
 
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