Now that you are in college, you might be looking for a car that you can rely on. Although you might have your eye on the shiny cars in the parking lot at the local dealership, however, you should be mindful of a few things when you're buying a car in school. Luckily, following these tips can help you make the right decision.

Make Sure It's Reliable 

Rather than focusing on the appearance of the cars that you're looking at, make sure that you pay attention to reliability. That convertible might be beautiful, but is it in good mechanical condition? You don't want to get stranded when you're on your way to class (especially in a strange city!), and you also want a car that you can reliably drive back and forth to your hometown during school breaks. Consider having a mechanic check out any car that you are thinking about buying; a good mechanic should be able to find any potential problems and shouldn't charge you much just for looking over the car.

Look at the Price Tag

While you're in school, be honest with yourself about your finances, and consider choosing a more affordable car until after you graduate and are in your new job. You don't want to rely on student loan payments to try to cover your car payment; this can put you in a lot of added debt when you graduate and can leave you paying interest on your car twice. You also have to think of the possibility that you might not get a good job as soon as you graduate. Consider buying cheap now and saving the fancy car for when you've snagged your dream job.

Think about Fuel Efficiency

As a college student, you probably won't have a bank account full of cash for filling up your car all the time. This means that you'll want to look for a car that gets good fuel efficiency; otherwise, you could find yourself spending all of your fun money on gas, or you might not be able to swing that fun impromptu road trip that you and your roommate have been talking about.

Consider the Cost of Insurance

Even if you're a good, responsible driver who has had your license since high school, you can still expect to pay higher rates than your parents. Some cars are more expensive to insure than others, so consider getting insurance quotes on all of the vehicles that you are interested in. This can help you make the right decision in terms of affordability.

As you can see, there are a few things that you should think about when shopping for a car in college. Following these tips can help you make a car buying decision that you won't regret. For assistance with auto financing, talk to a professional like Leopardi Auto Sales.

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