4 Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Used Car For A Son Or Daughter In College
Having a car could really enhance your child's college experience and make it so that your child is better able to take advantage of both academic and professional opportunities as a student. However, having a car could also complicate your young college student's life if you're not careful.
The following are four common mistakes to avoid as a parent if you're on the market for the perfect used car to give as a gift to your child in college:
Buying a car that's expensive to insure
You might want to be careful about being too generous when buying a vehicle for your child. If you're expecting your child to pay for auto insurance on the vehicle in question, you should avoid getting a vehicle that's very expensive.
The more the vehicle is worth, the more expensive it will be to purchase collision coverage. Unless you'll be covering the insurance payments yourself, get some quotes on how much the insurance will cost on vehicles your considering to avoid creating an overwhelming financial burden for your child in college.
Failing to consider the student's location
Before you choose a vehicle to give as a gift to your college-age child, consider what it will be like driving that vehicle in the environment in which your child is studying.
If your child is studying in an urban environment or an environment with a lot of traffic, it's probably not a good idea to purchase a vehicle with a manual transmission. It's also important to consider weather. If your child is studying in an area with heavy snowfall in the winter months, consider a vehicle with four wheel drive and safety features that could be lifesaving in inclement weather.
Not putting enough thought into your child's preferences
Parents often make the mistake of assuming that they understand their child's tastes perfectly when they really haven't got a clue. You should make your decision on which car to purchase for your child by cleverly and surreptitiously querying your child on vehicle preferences rather than by making assumptions about his or her tastes.
Choosing an older car that turns out to be unreliable
College is a stressful time in many people's lives. Balancing school and work/internship schedules is necessary for many students. Students who need to keep up with many different commitments won't easily be able to handle a breaking down vehicle.
While you might want to be careful to avoid an excessively extravagant vehicle purchase for your college student, reliability is crucial. Shop around for a practical vehicle that is mechanically sound to make sure the vehicle you give your college student doesn't become a distraction from his or her studies. For more information, contact companies like Star Auto Mall LLC.
Share