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I am moving to Pittsburgh for 5 years. As a student, all public transportation in the entire city (+ shuttles and escorts from any university) are free for me. I also plan to live near the university (short bus ride).

Is it worth it to a buy a car in my situation? I've never lived in the US before and not sure if transportation will be a huge pain? Doing some calculations, the estimate cost for buying and using/maintaining the car for the 5 years are gonna be 15k. This is something I can afford, but would gladly save if it's not gonna massively affect my life quality.

Do you think it's worth it to buy a car in my situation, for non-work/study purposes? I know this will differ from person to another but think of me as the average person in terms of how many events I like to go to etc. Or would using Uber and relying on busses for work a cheaper and still convenient?

JoeTaxpayer
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guesthmmm
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9 Answers9

79

I recommend you wait until you get to Pittsburgh before you decide. Start without a car, and then you can take some time to decide if not having a car is too inconvenient.

In addition to buying and maintaining the car, you might have additional expenses and hassles such as parking. You won't know until you get to Pittsburgh how bad the parking situation is where you live and where you want to drive to.

You can always buy a car later. But if you rush out to buy a car and then decide that you don't need it, you'll have to go through the hassle of selling it.

Ben Miller
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Having lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years as a college student, I can say that having a car isn't totally necessary. The public transportation is good (but not great), and there is a lot relatively close to the university area. The city's not very large, so taking a taxi / Uber / jitney almost anywhere won't cost much unless you get stuck in rush hour or stadium traffic. The bike infrastructure is also very good, so I highly recommend getting around by bike so long as the weather allows it. In summary, hold off getting a car until after you get there, you may very well find that you're getting along fine without it.

Nuclear Hoagie
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If you do not know that you need/want the car for specific reasons, you should not be buying it. This applies to all purchases, actually.

keshlam
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A car is a significant investment, and since you are asking here, I'm going to assume money IS an object... So...

Before jumping the gun, move up the transportation ladder logically.

  • If walking doesn't suffice, try biking.

  • If biking doesn't suffice, try public transit. There will be rainy days anyhow, so you will probably use a combination of both.

  • If public transit doesn't suffice, perhaps a scooter will suffice during the warmer months.

  • Lastly, if you consistently need more room than a scooter can offer, consider a small used vehicle.

If you are not handy or familiar with cars, consider a pre-owned vehicle from a reputable dealer with a good warranty. City driving + extreme temperatures in Pittsburgh + salted roads leads to wear and tear.

Good luck!

Community
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cptstubing
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If you plan to use your car once or twice per month (for example only during the weekend), you should also consider car rental. It may cost you less money to rent a car when needed than paying for your own vehicle. Even if you don't use your own vehicle, you'll have to pay insurance, parking, technical maintenance and if you're unlucky, breakdowns. These costs are included when renting a car. Fuel and tolls can be omitted because you have no choice than to pay them, with a rented or personal car.

A.L
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Of course you should wait until you get there and try out the city before making a choice.

However I want to note that having a car while in college also has more costs associated.

  • friends will want to borrow car. If they do, college kids driving cars they don't own are the worst drivers.

  • friends will ask you to drive them places. This means not only you lose out on gas and general running depreciation but you will also lose out on time.

  • by driving a car all the time you will meet less people and lose the campus experience.

  • when you do meet a girl/guy, there may be an expectation that you will pick them up for outings. Sometimes this is good but more often a general pain.

blankip
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Another factor to consider is the significant regulatory burden in Pennsylvania, which includes at least car insurance, titling, registration which must be "renewed" every year, and "safety" and emissions inspections every year. Both the initial and annual activities require fees. Even if you can afford all these items, they still entail a lot of work and the threat of penalties if not completed to the DMV's liking. Of course there will also be an initial sales tax if you buy the car in PA, and PA currently has the highest gasoline tax of any US state. Warrantless car searches have been authorized in PA since 2014.

unforgettableidSupportsMonica
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user9023
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What most people don't realize, is that While buying a car is an investment, owning a car is expensive. The average commuter pays 50$-100$ a month on a car, and that's not including preventitive maintence, cleaning, and even if they can fix the car themselves.

Then you'll also probably have to get tools, a first aid kit, tire patch kits, a pump, fire starters, etc. for emergency situations. These tools wouldn't be optional, if you've got a blown tire, you NEED to have the means to patch it, or replace it, and be on your way. They're simply part of commuting by car.

And while a bus&sub pass may cost you up to 20$ a month, the car will cost you many times more.

So, for the leisure of anywhere you want to go, is it worth the extra ~50$ a month + startup?

tuskiomi
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As a grad student who lived in Pittsburgh, if you're living close to Pitt or CMU, don't buy a car. Parking is a pain on-campus and downtown. About the only place where it made sense to drive to go out on the weekends was the Southside or Mt Washington and that only trumped taking public transit because I could stay out as late as I wanted. Even with my car, living in the Northside, I still took the bus most of the time to campus due to the headache (and cost) of parking. I only drove if I were planning to go outside the city directly from class.

Given your particular situation, it seems you have less reason to need a vehicle to travel much. And likely, for instances that you would need to get out somewhere, you either could get a rental or ride with a friend who has a car.

iheanyi
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