Do you have dreams of driving a Ferrari? Does a Pagani tickle your fancy? Feel like cruising into school in a Porsche 911, 992 or 718? Well too bad, the reality for most people is that it isn’t going to happen.
The reality is you are going to drive a slightly older, cheaper car because you’re new to driving and don’t have enough money to spend on a luxury car.
Face it, in high school needs outweigh wants.
The main need for a car is for going from point A to point B. You need a reliable car that gets good gas mileage and is going to maintain its value for when you sell it later.
Sell it when you just bought it? Absolutely, because the first car you drive, your high school and maybe college wheels, is not going to be the car you want after college when you have real money.
Out-of-pocket costs matter to the car you get, too. Insurance, gas, repairs and cleaning all differ on which brand of car you drive. For instance, Honda, Chevy and Toyota have always had lower maintenance costs than cars like BMW, Ford and Dodge.
A Honday’s average yearly maintenance is $428 while a BMW’s is $968. That extra five hundred dollars is a big hit for a high schooler, especially if they don’t have a job.
Also, gas costs play a role in car selection. Some cars, like larger SUV’S require high octane premium gas that is far more expensive than 87 octane unleaded. People in high school are going to want a car that can take the cheapest gas so that they can keep the little money they have.
Junior Amanda Moran (‘25) said, “I didn’t realize how much all the stuff would cost, it’s a lot more than you’d think.”
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean your car can’t have some style to it though. You can always get a good-looking car within the price range that you have.
How about a Honda Civic Sport. It’s a relatively sleek design because it is designed more for performance than a normal sedan. They’ve always looked the best for a starter car and since it’s a Honda it will run and sound clean.
Now, if you work a job then you can spend a little more money on your car to make it look cooler.
The main thing people do to upgrade their car is to get it lifted or squatted. Both of these modifications add to the luck of the car without costing a ton. Highschoolers also often buy a cheap wing just to add some style.
Javier Sanchez-Watts (‘26), said, “I wanna get my car squatted and then reverse the chassis so it looks like I’m driving backward just to throw people off.”
Overall having an expense and cool car would be nice but it’s not a smart financial choice for most high schoolers. Sorry Ferrari, Pagani and Porsche, your time will come later.
