College kid car questions

[Anonymous]

If your college dc has their own car:

- what model/year
- how long have they had it
- who pays (or paid)
- do they have it at school with them

[Anonymous]

Junior year only if they move off campus.

Our kids had to live in the dorms for at least two years.

Then we gave them each the oldest car we had and bought ourselves new ones. Those cars stayed with them as their first car for getting to jobs after graduation.

We paid for insurance and gas til they graduated and got their first jobs.

Mine all worked in college as well and paid all their own fun expenses all four years with money they earned from part time summer jobs.

Car types
Rav 4
Honda Accord
Honda Civic (went through all of our kids whether they used it in college or HS) best car ever.
Honda CRV
Toyota Tacoma small one never ever again. DH thought this was a good idea. No it is not. Rear wheel drive no.

[Anonymous]

Well my twins share but they go to the same college. It’s a 2014 RAV4 and they have had it since they got their license. It is at college now (sophomores). We bought it used, I paid for it and pay all the expenses as well as gas.

[Anonymous]

2018 Honda Civic
They got it in HS Junior year, so 2019
We paid for it. We pay insurance and gas to and from school
Yes, they've had it at school since Freshman year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your college dc has their own car:

- what model/year
- how long have they had it
- who pays (or paid)
- do they have it at school with them

We gifted brand new economy cars, insurance and repairs paid by us, until second year of their jobs.

[Anonymous]

We gave them cars but didn't have to. In all honesty, i think undergrads should live in dorms and have no cars.

[Anonymous]

2013 Audi
It was my commuter car, but they drove it in HS after I quit commuting. Parents pay insurance.
Took it to college their freshman year. They actually don’t drive much, but DC is in a very car-centric city, so I’m glad they have a way to get around when needed.

[Anonymous]

"Their car" was one of the family cars which was theirs to use in high school But not theirs to make all decisions about ... as parents we did not think it was necessary to have a car at college. A perk we weren't willing to provide. One received the car back for awhile when they needed it for an internship away from campus.

[Anonymous]

He doesn't have *his* own car, it's my car that I let him use.

It's a 14 year old car that was mine before I bought a new one. It's long paid off.

We allowed him to have it at college starting his sophomore year, since he's at a school in a city that doesn't have very good public transportation. He's in a college apartment now with a kitchen and not on a meal plan, so he needs to shop for groceries. It also has made getting him to and from school on breaks a lot easier than me having to take two days to go out and back each time.

[Anonymous]

My son got a beater from his father and I when he turned 16. We're divorced and it made it so he could get himself back and forth between houses, and to school when he was staying with the parent who lived outside the school boundary.

He is a junior in college now and has had a car with him since freshman year. It allows him to come home from school on breaks without us having to fly him or drive to get him. His dad pays insurance.

[Anonymous]

Gifted them cars in high school (economy cars that would cost about $25k today) and paid for insurance through college, then officially handed over title and the insurance obligation when they graduated college. One kid got a nicer SUV because she went to a state school that cost more than a $100,000 less than her siblings, and she's still driving that SUV today in her late twenties.

[Anonymous]

Both my kids had cars in high school (which we owned). They both ended up taking them to college sophomore year. However one kid went to school in a city where it was very hard to park and he ended up leaving his car at home for a good portion of senior year because it was a hassle to have it.

We paid for the cars and the insurance, kids paid for gas.

[Anonymous]

My DD got a brand new 2018 Lexus IS350 on her 2018 HS graduation.  She took the car to college with her and she is still driving it after '22 college graduation.  Got my DS a brand new 2019 Lexus RX350 for his 2019 HS graduation.  He also took the car to college, and will be graduating college in less than four months.  When it comes to cars, I want my kids to have the latest technologies in car to keep them safe.

[Anonymous]

An old car is a terrible idea for a young driver. They are at much higher risk for a crash than you are. Newer cars are much safer (=more survivable in a crash).

See iihs.org for good cars (including used cars) for beginner drivers

(This from a safety researcher)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your college dc has their own car:

- what model/year
- how long have they had it
- who pays (or paid)
- do they have it at school with them

Elder child was a rising junior in college and needed one for summer internship/co-op. We bought a three year old basic CRV. We paid for the car and insurance, they paid for gas and general upkeep.When elder child was in last semester, they did not need the car and younger child needed a car for their internship. So younger child drove CRV that semester.

Once elder graduated and started job, we transferred car to their name and they took over insurance and all costs.

When younger still needed a car, we bought a new car and gave younger our four year old RAV-4 to use. They are still in school so we have not yet transferred ownership to them. They pay for gas and up keep, we still pay for insurance.