Originally Posted by kingtj

Scirocco16v is right, except I have to say this much about it:

1. If you're struggling enough that the prospects of doing an oil change with 8 quarts of synthetic Mobil 1 is a real problem for you? Then you probably don't have any business looking for a car right now at all. Heck, I remember back when I was 16 years old ... everyone wanted that first car and the drivers' license, and if they weren't lucky enough to have parents who covered their bills, they usually spent all of their paychecks trying to keep their vehicles on the road. I actually held off until I was 18 to get my license, largely for that reason. The excitement of being able to drive just wasn't worth the costs involved vs. the small amount of income I had back then.