How to get and keep a car

So you’re here, and you’re so tired of not being able to go anywhere. Ya, Princeton is pretty boring and to have any fun you’ll need to get away. The cheapest way to get away is to get a car…

Learn to drive.

But before that you must learn how to drive. I would strongly encourage people to go take a course offered by many private companies in Princeton. Their phone numbers can be found in phone books and in the Asian food markets. Even though most things they teach seems to extremely basic, like slow down when it rains, you still need someone to tell you. DO NOT learn on your own. You’ll learn incorrect things without anyone qualified to correct you.

Observation: Some people like to take a driving course in China first before coming here. I would strongly discourage that. If you have been here you’ll know what I’m talking about. In China driving is a war against pedestrians; here it’s against other unskilled drivers. The requirements for driving at these two places are different. People who’ve take driving courses or know how to drive in china seems to drive way more aggressively than people who learn here… Don’t ask me why.

Driving the car:

Be careful, be very careful. People here drive like they’re crazy and most are not good enough drivers to drive that way. Take a defensive driving course to save on insurance and be safe. Keep a following distance of 3 seconds and be careful. Check and check again. Don’t stop in the middle of the road even if you miss an exit. Don’t do crazy things don’t show off. Basically, stay alive. Never, never drive in an environment that is uncomfortable to you. Don’t think you can handle it and put down your guard, you can’t, so keep alert!!! Too many accidents around here, just ask around. Especially if you’re driving 50mph+ you’re only seconds away from thousand dollar repair costs or death. Put on seatbelts no matter where you sit. It’s not too much trouble for your life.

During rain and snow, drive slow. The roads are slippery and dangerous. Above 55mph your wheels will ride on water not on ground. You won’t be able to stop!!! Be safe.

Drive at the average speed; don’t follow the maniacs that drive at 95mph on a 45 road. They don’t care about dying. Drive about the same speed as the most of the people on the road.

Car accidents are the number one cause of death to people in our age group. To get an idea of how big this chance is, you can try kissing someone with SARS.

Accidents:

First STOP! If you drive away, it’s hit a run and that’s a felony. A big crime. These are the things you get deported for. Try to settle without getting the insurance company involved if it’s not a big problem.

Taking the test:

There are two sections, writing and road tests. For writing just read the handbook and take the sample tests. Know the questions and answers not just for the test but to drive safe as well. I’ve never went to the DMV in New Jersey so I don’t know how the driving testing are done first hand. But from what I’ve hear it’s pretty darn simple. So simple in fact that even if you get your license you’ll still has no idea how to drive. So be careful on the road. Not only you’re not an experienced driver there are other inexperienced drivers on the road.

Decide on budget.

Before you go car shopping, you should make a budget. How much are you making and how much you have left over and how much you’re going to put into your car. Remember New Jersey have THE highest insurance rates in the country. Most first year drivers are about $700-$1000/year; assume that you don’t get into an accident. If you do, expect to have tripled that number. If you want to pay all up front, then you’re looking at a used car. If you like monthly payments then a new or less than 3 year used car is what you want.

I would discourage people from getting new cars. Simply because it’s not really cost efficient. Basically expect loosing $1000 as soon as you drive out the lot. And if you get into an accident, you still have to pay for the car loans and you’ll never be able to buy insurance in New Jersey. Loan rates can run really high as well, since most first years don’t have a credit history. Please refer to the credit history section to see why this is important. Even if you can pay for a new car up front I suggest you take a 6 month loan. This will really boost your credit history. But there’s simply too much to lose with a new driver + new car. So get a used one.

Most people will get a used car. You will have to save up, since most banks don’t give loans on old cars. Instead most used car people buy are in the price range of $500-6000. I think this is the best choice for most new drivers, they will cost slightly more to maintain but you’ll be glad it’s not new when you put your first dent in it.

How to pick out a car:

Whether you’re buying new or used go here and read everything http://www.carbuyingtips.com/ they tell you everything you need to know. But for the lazy here is my version…

Lots of good articles in here too http://carguide123.com/article_directory/index.html

If you’re buying new just pick out the one you like best that fits in your budget, don’t forget tax that adds about 10% you’ll also get higher insurance.

If you’re buying pre-driven cars, then you have fewer choices. I wouldn’t go to a dealer since it simply cost way too much, you’ll be able to find a better deal if you get from Private party. Look at ads on www.nj.com or sales line at http://www.princeton.edu/usg/salesline/

After you see the ones you like make an appointment to see the car with the seller. Before seeing him/her get the private party price from www.kbb.com and http://edmund.com/ remember if they say excellent you use good, if they say good you use fair. DON’T rush to buy the first car you see, shop around a bit.

Make sure the equipments are working and heater and air are running. Test the ABS if it has it. See the tires and see if it’s worn flat or is the inside worn more than the outside, which can indicate accidents. Check under the hood and make sure the fluids are all good. Make sure no warning lights are on and ask questions. Ask about the oil change and other maintenance stuff. If they can answer right away then they know cars and the chances are that they maintained it. If they can’t answer anything except “I don’t know”, don’t walk but run away as fast as you can. Get the VIN number and check the number to see pass accidents on www.carfax.com. You’re spending a few thousand you can afford $20 to do a history check. Personally I stay away from rentals and taxies.

The car price and brand doesn’t always indicate how long it will run. I know people who bough new cars and have them break down the first week. Yuan bout an $800 Ford and the engine ran smoother than my Toyota. The main thing you want to make sure works is the engine will run fine. If everything goes well take the car to a mechanic and have them look it over before you buy.

Buy the car:

I’m not sure, but it’s strange in NJ. They take away the license and you have to get Motor vehicle commission to give you one after you get your insurance. You’ll need the title of the car, which is called a pink slip that’s actually green. Sometimes people agree with the seller to say that the car is a gift to save on Tax. However in NJ it seems people do check. So we don’t advocate it and do at your own risk.

Maintain the Car:

Change the engine oil every 5000 miles or ½ year which ever come first. Check your fluids often and keep track of your gas mileage. You keep it by seeing how many miles you drove since last fill up and divide by how many gallons of gas you need to fill the tank. For our car it’s 33mpg during the summer and about 29 during the winter. If it drops significantly then there maybe something big that’s going wrong and it’s time to visit the mechanic to avoid future major problems. Keep good care of it and you’ll be able to save on maintenance. 

Join AAA (http://www.aaa.com), get free maps and tows. ~$50/year membership.