Postgraduation car choice not as difficult as it seems
By Molly Bukaty Special to the Kansan
KU students who have been wishing that mom or dad would make their graduation present one of those new cute little Dodge Neons, the car designed for the twenty-something generation, might have to make another wish. Neons are hard to get and in short supply, but dealers and experts say there are many other cars that make viable options.
Larry Walburn, employee at Jim Clark Motors Inc., 2121 E. 29th Terrace, said the Neon was a popular young person's car and a good buy because of its equipment and safety features.
"The Neon is marketed toward that age group," Walburn said. "But right now there is a problem with availability."
When getting into the job market, students say they want a car, such as the Neon, that portrays a certain image.
"It needs to be a well-taken-care-of car that portrays maturity and professionalism," said Heather Houser, Quinter senior.
Of course, the big problem for many students is money.
"I would stay in a certain price range," Houser said. "I don't want to get myself in debt and into something I couldn't get out of."
According to Consumer Reports magazine, there are many high-quality cars in the price range from $8,000 to $15,000. The following are the top-five small cars in overall quality in this price range as ranked by the April 1994 issue of Consumer Reports:
GEO Prizm — The GEO Prizm is a fourdoor that ranges in price from $10,730 to $11,500. The Prizm has a high predicted-reliability rating and gets 33 miles a gallon, meaning that average fuel costs for one year would be $550.
Saturn — The Saturn comes in four-door and four-door wagon models and the price ranges from $9,995 to $13,395. The Saturn has a high predicted-reliability rating and gets 27 miles a gallon, meaning that average fuel costs would be about $670.
■ Honda Civic — The Honda Civic comes in two-door and two-door hatchback, and the price ranges from $9,400 to $16,940. The Civic has a high predicted-reliability rating and gets 27 miles a gallon, meaning that an average year's fuel would cost $620.
Eagle Summit Wagon/Mitsubishi Expo LRV/Plymouth Colt Vista Wagon — These three come as a cross between a small wagon and a small van. Their prices range from $13,000 to $17,000 and they have an average predicted-reliability rating. They get 24 miles a gallon, which means that average fuel costs would be about $740.
Toyota Corolla — The Toyota Corolla comes in four-door and four-door wagon, and the price ranges from $12,098 to $16,328. The Corolla has a high predicted-reliability rating and gets 30 miles a gallon, meaning that the average fuel costs for one year would be $610.
Because the Neon is so new and information on reliability and customer satisfaction was not available, it was not ranked in the "Consumer Reports" survey.
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May 2,1994 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN · GRADUATION
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