Used car for College

bcossa2020

bcossa2020

Joined
Jul 13, 2020
Messages
201
Son is attending school in Bowling Green, Ohio this fall. Needs hatchback car to carry 2 tubas. Has a Chrysler T&C with 154k currently so vans are not a consideration....

We’ve looked at the following to be sure the tubas would fit: Ford Edge, Ford Escape, Subaru Outback, Forester (Crosstek too small), Nissan Murano, Toyota Rav 4, Honda CRV, Hyundai Tucson too small, Nissan Rogue. Budget is 20k. Lots of talk about AWD being important - I have my doubts. He really likes the Murano but I have never owned a Nissan...maybe known for tranny issues???? Also likes the Subies, Toyota with the Fords last......
Suggestions, comments welcomed. Thanks in advance.....
 
I know the early Muranos were very expensive to replace the transmission on, not sure if they've gotten better.

The Rogue is very common though, I think it's often the best selling CUV. A coworker has a first generation one that seems to have been pretty reliable, he's had it probably 10 years now.

If he doesn't like the RAV4, the CR-V is probably a good choice, but I think I'd prefer a RAV4 personally, especially the last V6 models.
 
Is the son in the marching band or orchestra? Playing an instrument is one of the things that are magic to me.
 
'18 or '19 Hyundai Accent with 6 speed auto . Has been doing well since new . Has high crash rating at iihs.org . Also , averaging 39 m.p.g. calculated since drove of the lot . '18 and '19 Kia Rio sedan and hatch are same powertrain as the Accent . Oil changes are easy as well .
 
Why aren’t vans in consideration? Realistically, all of those crossovers are too small to carry two tubas at once.
 
odie said:
'18 or '19 Hyundai Accent with 6 speed auto . Has been doing well since new . Has high crash rating at iihs.org . Also , averaging 39 m.p.g. calculated since drove of the lot . '18 and '19 Kia Rio sedan and hatch are same powertrain as the Accent . Oil changes are easy as well .
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Neither one of these vehicles are a practical vehicle to shuttle around two tubas.
 
stower17 said:
Why aren’t vans in consideration? Realistically, all of those crossovers are too small to carry two tubas at once.
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Was thinking the same.

What’s the matter with living in the dorms and walking? One of my best friends did stand up bass and engineering. He used to carry the instrument around on campus. Annoying? Perhaps. But he never had a car until senior year when he needed it for summer technical jobs and internships..

Whats the college/university policy for vehicles, especially for first years?

what’s the matter with a van? Seems like best value option, MPGs aside, if that much space is needed.
 
bcossa2020 said:
Lots of talk about AWD being important
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It does snow in BG but not enough or often enough that AWD is that important. Is it nice to have ? Sure.... But no need to only consider AWD (which I know you're not).

When and where does he need to haul his tubas, just between home and school, twice a year ? Since you say he's going "this fall", that sounds like he's an incoming freshman so he has to live on campus the first (2) years (unless you live very close, as I recall). Our daughter attends there, FWIW.
 
Hall said:
It does snow in BG but not enough or often enough that AWD is that important. Is it nice to have ? Sure.... But no need to only consider AWD (which I know you're not).

When and where does he need to haul his tubas, just between home and school, twice a year ? Since you say he's going "this fall", that sounds like he's an incoming freshman so he has to live on campus the first (2) years (unless you live very close, as I recall). Our daughter attends there, FWIW.
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Exactly. A beyond huge number of kids attend college without a car. Is it nice to have one? Sometimes.

I had one on campus some semesters, didn’t others. It was very helpful, because I did a sport that was a good ten mile or more off campus. But even then I didn’t have one most semesters.
 
JHZR2 said:
Exactly. A beyond huge number of kids attend college without a car. Is it nice to have one? Sometimes.
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One reason schools discourage freshman having a car (although BGSU does not), is kids often want to "go home" too often. They claim they have data / studies showing kids that go home all the time are actually likely to drop out...
JHZR2 said:
I did a sport that was a good ten mile or more off campus. But even then I didn’t have one most semesters.
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Didn't the school provide a bus or van to get there ? Most kids won't have a car to use (to get there).
 
Saturn Vue. You could get all your instruments in there. The Honda powertrain and rustproof body is a bonus.

124.JPG
 
JHZR2 said:
Exactly. A beyond huge number of kids attend college without a car. Is it nice to have one? Sometimes.

I had one on campus some semesters, didn’t others. It was very helpful, because I did a sport that was a good ten mile or more off campus. But even then I didn’t have one most semesters.
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Who wants to not have a car? Aside from extremely urban areas it's almost always a benefit.

When I was in college I managed to get banned from driving or parking on campus for one year. Bought a different vehicle they didn't have any record of and parked it in guest spots.

Not having a car sucks. I wouldn't do that if I had the means to have one.
 
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