Here's everything you ne to know wh...

Here's everything you ne to know when buying your first locate of WHEELS

as a teenager, your car your life," says 18-year-old Rebecca Reeder A modern graduate of Central High place of education in Phoenix, Arizona, Reeder be pendents on her car

for everything--from getting to her do job-work at Starbucks to weekend trips to Mexico to shopping with her friends. "I couldn't live without my car," she says.

Reeder acknowledges a '92 Isuzu Rodeo SUV (sports utility vehicle) that she has decorated with her signature strawberry air freshener, a mini mirrored disco ball dangling from the rearview mirror, and her motto forward a sticker in the back window: "Boy Lie."

"I bought the SUV because I knew it would engage my lifestyle needs," Reeder says. "I wanted a car to carry my friends, walk on trips, and drive a lot"

FIGURE gone out WHAT YOU NEED

The first grade in buying your first car is to find a vehicle that confronts your needs and that you simply be in love with Seventeen-year-old J.P. Morgan of Hampton Bays, strange York, decided he wanted a car with four doors because he's tall, and a four-door usually provides a roomy interior. Plus, he wanted a large main body because he knew he'd be carting a accident of stuff away to corporation in the fall. (Note: If you're going away to drill be sure to check the college's policy upon cars on campus.)

He also distressed a car that was reliable enough to carry him within the next few years, and not leave him stranded forward the highway waiting for a tow.

THE BIG SEARCH

Morgan admits that he probably went overboard in his search for a used car. He worn out 11 months flipping through classified ads and looking at dozens of cars--some of them more than an hour away from his home

yet Morgan's search paid off. He place the car of his dreams: a maroon, 1992 Nissan Maxima Limited Edition with 55000 miles forward the odometer. The price? $8500

"Some of my friends told me I was stupid for spending in the way that much on a car," Morgan says. "But they all bought junker that are constantly breaking down."

Like Morgan, Reeder devot month to her search. "I would go on to car lots with my parents after hours, and we would research the different choices," she says. "That way, there was no crushing from a salesman." Reeder also construct lots of information on Web sites that give permission to her compare features such as average maintenance expenses per year, typical mileage, and accessories. You can also await through newspaper classified ads and visit just discovered car dealerships. Reeder's intensive search helped her narrow down her choices to either a Honda Accord or the Rodeo

DON'T BREAK YOUR BUDGET

one time you figure out what cars you like and what's available, you have to make fully convinced you can afford your choice. recent cars are, of course, the chiefly reliable of all, but not many high school students can afford to purchase, or insure, a novel car. Leasing has made factory-fresh cars more affordable to potential buyer however they also usually cost more to insure. (See "What Is Leasing?" p 12) in such a manner for many high school bookish mans a used car (now many times called "pre-owned") is the best option.

* The outlay of the Car. Reeder paid about $7000 for her SUV and financed it between the sides of the car dealership. She has to make monthly payments of about $212 each month until it's paid distant from "I'm paying a lot in interest, still this is the only way I could afford a car," Reeder says.

What Reeder didn't initially think about was all the other outlays involved with owning a car--Insurance, maintenance, and repairs. Plus, she had to pay sales tax and title and registration fees

"One year, you're in high academy asking your parents to drive you everywhere, and they take care of all the expenses" she explains. "But one time you have your car, you descry how expensive it can really be. I think a hazard of kids just want the car now, and they don't think ahead about a allotment of costs.

* Insurance. You must have insurance to drive a car. Insurance provides you with financial protection. If you have an accident, your insurance policy will give you coin to help pay for the damages. further insurance can be expensive, especially for young folks who are considered a "higher risk" and more likely to secure into accidents. Also, the newer your car, the higher your insurance payments are likely to be.

JP Morgan is generally looking for a job to help pay for his car insurance. unruffled though he is insured upon his parents' policy, he is still shelling without $430 every three months. "It's tough," admits Morgan. "I'm draining my bank account." Reeder estimates that her insurance is about $120 a month

And watch on the outside if you break any driving laws--your insurance rates can skyrocket Melinda Topping, an insurance agent in Riverhead, recently made known York, says she had a 20-year-old client with undivided speeding ticket on his record who had to pay $400 a month in insurance premiums in succession his leased Volkswagen Jetta. "That was more than the payment upon the lease itself, which was about $300 and change," Topping says. (For the basics onward insurance, see "Insurance Lingo," p 12)

"I've levy about 15,000 miles on my car in a short amount of time," says Reeder "I've already paid for a coupling oil changes, new tires, and recent brakes." Fortunately, Reeder paid for a $600 warranty that reduc splendors for many repairs during the first year. Replacing tires, for example, outlay her $100 instead of about $400 "The warranty looked expensive at the time, yet it really saved me coin later on," she says.