When looking for that inexpensive car, the one with great gas mileage, that will safely get you, and everything you own, to and from college on a credit card studded budget for the next four years, there are a few things to consider.

Do some research.  There are long standing economy cars that are just known to hold up forever and college parking lots are full of them.  These can usually be purchased used for a fair price, but will not be the cheapest thing you will find in the used car market simply because of their reputation for reliability.  Spend some time researching your options for a used car, including checking consumers reports and carfax reports, to determine the most reliable transportation available.  Also be sure to consider insurance rates when selecting a car.  The vehicle make, model and year will have an impact on the cost of insurance; just be sure to check with your agent for the monthly premium amount before purchasing the car.

Change the oil.  Your Dad is right.  The best thing you can do to extend the life of your car, and keep it as problem free as possible is to change the oil every 3,000 miles.  Check the oil even more often than that, perhaps once every couple weeks, just to be sure you are not running low.  Older cars tend to burn oil; not leak oil, so there will be no evidence by a puddle under the car, but rather the engine will burn up some of the oil.  You must be sure to keep the oil level at the full level at all times, or you run the risk of damaging the internal engine components.

Keep the tires inflated.  New tires are expensive, and keeping them properly inflated and rotated will reduce wear and the necessity to replace them before their expected life span.  Keeping the tires properly inflated will also improve your gas mileage by reducing the amount of dragging friction on the tires, as can happen when the tires are low.  Think about how much more energy it takes you to ride a bike on low tires; same idea.

Speaking of gas mileage, the more highway miles you drive, the better the gas mileage.  So when faced with the options of driving to 6 different local parties on the weekend, or heading home to see your parents, go home to Mom !  It’ll save you gas, and you’ll likely get a few free meals out of the deal !