[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

Hindsight being 20/20, being a college-bound teen all over again (or the same age, regardless), I'd do exactly what I did:

Buy an inexpensive (and inexpensive to repair and fill with gas) hatchback.

The hatch is great for cramming all your era-specific goods into.

The inexpensive is because ($paycheck - $car) = $rentfunandgirls and there's not a lot of $paycheck at 17. Having a cool car that's only running half the time due to budget constraints and having to tell your buddies you can't go cos "no cash" isn't worth it.

Get a 5-speed and keep tires and brakes on it.

Naturally, YMMV, and it may seem like a drag at the time, but it's really a smart decision.

This man speaks much wisdom. A hatch in college was very convenient. Save the money by going with a less expensive car to maintain. Spend it on experiences (good times with women or friends) or invest/save it. My 13 year old son took $200 of allowance and birthday money and invested it in stocks because he had nothing he really wanted and was interested in the stock market. He turned it into $2000 in about 9 months and learned a lot.