Mac's Moving!... and he needs your help ;(

Leave it at home. No car = saved money. Just make sure your parents or someone else drives it to keep the battery happy.

If, after a while you find your PhD is going well and the use of public transportation is working you can sell the car and then get another car later. A bird in the hand of the student loan company is worth two in the bush of unused asset.

 

Ummm, A road trip across country in a 2009 Prius???

Or, If you are going to be driving it very little to none during school breaks, just sell it, and put the excess money towards school for less student loans and buy a new prius when you graduate and manage to find a job that pertains to your degree.

 

If you don't take it with you, when would you foresee getting back to the vehicle?

And how much do you love it?

If you foresee not getting back to your Prius for a year or longer? I'd probably just sell it. As hard as that might sound.

But nobody is really getting value or use out of a vehicle simply sitting in storage.

Of course, if your Parents can actually use it? That might be different. But you know about "pesky" Parents. There might be crazy, High MPG road trips! With who knows what type of Middle Aged or Senior anctics happening...

Can you trust your parents with your Prius?

You are actually in a tough situation. Good Luck...

 

Perfect. Offer your dad the use of your car while you are at college. Try to sweeten the deal for him by suggesting that when the "lease" expires the money he'll have saved will help him buy a mid-life-crisis-mobile.

If he bites, he'll get immersion therapy for his Prius hate and in 3 years time maybe you'll come home to find that his mid-life crisis has been limited to a custom red paint job on his PiP.

 

What section of the East Coast? New England / Mid-Atlantic / South East? Unless you're in the city, and even then, the bus will probably be a big change in terms of convenience. My vote says you bring it with you.

 

if money is not the problem and you have space to park your prius then have a road trip ;-) and take it with you
how many years are you going to be there.. 4 years?

if its more then take your prius if its less then leave it at home
make sure your parents drive it.

 

This doesn't sound difficult. Your Dad needs a car, and you don't.

Plus, you don't have to really part with your prized possession, and you might make a convert out of your Dad. It might be a little too cool for him, but maybe he'll grow into it.

 

+1

 

I'm sure you'll make the best decision regarding your car, and congratulations on pursuing your PhD here on the "right" coast.

 

Having spent 5 years as a science PhD student, I can tell you that you'll never feel like you have enough money living on stipend. A good example is, if you want to move to a different place, you'll need to scrape together first, last, and deposit for the new one before you pay the last and get the deposit back on the old one. I knew lots of people that hated where they lived but were trapped there in that way. Don't waste time and energy worrying about money and managing your cash flow. Sell the car and put the money in the bank.

 

Yeah, sure leave it with your parents then.

But if you do ever get it back, realize it probably will have one of those Vanillaroma Air Freshener Pine Trees in it...

 

Hopefully someone in PA can chime in on the window tint and costs to inspect and register the car. I know that Pittsburgh itself you could probably manage with public transportation, but I'm not sure about the other cities you mentioned. I know in today's world, it's pretty difficult to go without a vehicle, and since yours is paid for I'm still leaning towards taking it with you. I also believe that unless it's your legally registered address, you shouldn't have to register the vehicle in PA if you're there for school. I may be incorrect on that, though.

I vote for taking your car, and if it turns out you don't need it then you can sell it after you get there or make a road trip back home and fly back to Pitts. Just remember, Pittsburgh is in the mountains and does get winter weather also. You'd want to invest in some snow tires if you don't already have them.

 

If you retain your domicile (parents' basement ) in CA while studying you should be able to continue to register in CA. It might require a road trip once a year for inspection. States generally grant deferrals and exemptions for residents working away.

However, the rule "operating" on a highway (that'll mean any public road , BTW) with a tint could be a problem even though you have CA plates.

List of U.S. cities with most households without a car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pittsburgh is #11 for US cities with residents not owning a car. I would expect that you'll be fine using public transportation and can forget the LA car-is-essential mindset. But, I'm sure organizations at the university can give you more information about it.

As for furnishings: this is temporary, not permanent. Bed, 2 chairs, desk, utensils. There's U-Haul and delivery services. (I figure you'll be able to carry warm clothes on the bus). I think free commuting and other local transportation plus not having to pay for shipping, insurance or parking will more than offset any first-time costs.

While "public transportation" may make you think "inconvenience" as long as you learn that you can't rush everywhere* you can find it's more relaxing and you'll get time to read or play with a gadget. Plus, you'll benefit from the extra exercise you get.

* Writes the guy who used to work a few minutes too long on something that could wait until the next day and then run to catch a train.

 

If you can afford to do it, keep it and let your parents or one of your siblings drive it (they can pay for ongoing maintenance, insurance and license fees). Driving it is the best way to keep it healthy.

If that isn't a possibility, then just sell it. They are selling like crazy right now so there will be no shortage of used Prii in the future.

I went to grad school in MA (3 years!) and, for me, keeping a car was not an option. I didn't need one, though, as public transportation was great. I had a good paying job lined up when I graduated so car dealers were eager to sell and finance anything my heart desired. I'd bet that will be your case, too.

 

As with most decisions, there are pros and cons. Having your own transportation is more convenient, but also more expensive. There's always a trade-off, you just have to decide what you can live with and what you can't.

It sounds like the communities you are considering are well-suited to not needing a car, which to me would be one of the biggest factors.

Living on your own, I would hunch you will seldom need to purchase more than you can carry. With good walking shoes, a backpack, and maybe some additional clothing more suited to the new-to-you climate, you'll likely be just fine. Even if you had to pay a delivery charge for a mattress or something, that will be a small one-time fee, and hardly justifies paying for the care and feeding of your own vehicle. Chances are good one of your new friends will have a vehicle, so it's not like you'll be house-bound. Plus, you're a student - who needs furniture? Cases of beer make wonderful building blocks for all sorts of things, and empty milk crates are great storage units.