engifineer

As a "grown up" 38 year old with an 18 year old son, I would advise to just stick to what you have. Financially you may be able to make it work, and at 19 I was more than capable of driving an S2000 (I also grew up on all RWD cars living on dirt roads, so I had more practice maybe). But consider one thing. I would MUCH rather park a focus on a college campus than my S2000. They are a much higher theft target (And this will only get worse as time goes on and they get more collectible) and the chances parking lot damage, door dings, etc is much, much higher at a college parking lot. I would not be cool parking mine on campus back when I was in college!

My S2000 gets parked in the garage all winter (this week was the first time I have driven it since October) and I take my other cars places where I need to park in large parking lots way away from where I will be going for long periods. It is much nicer to own one as a second car than as your primary.

In terms of your parents though, why is it up to them? Did they co-sign on the Focus? Otherwise it should be your decision and it sounds like you are working hard and paying your own car payment (And props to you for that!).

How close are you to paying off the Focus? If its close, pay it off and if you have enough saved, put a down payment on the S and find a safe place to store it and make it car #2 if you can afford the insurance (Which wont be as bad if it is not your primary car).

But be careful about taking on any extra debt while in school. It piles up quickly! So back to my first point, it is better to wait and save for it and buy it later.

blueprint

College was a great experience for me... I was to busy studying, partying and getting laid to worry about cars. I didnt even have a car... Didnt need it since everything was accessible on campus.

Those 4 years of your life in college are times you should cherish... There will be a stupid amount of time post college for you to afford what u want.

jkelley

I'm not going to answer your actual question: "how to convince my parents" but I will tell you this:
I was 18 when I bought my first S, with my own cash, in cash. So I get it. I understand that I do think a lot differently now than I once did.
I was of the same mindset as you. I KNEW I wasn't a kid that would go doing stupid shit on the road, because I respected all cars for what they were: 2+ ton weapons.
I was an engineering student, I knew that's what I wanted, I wanted it bad, and I was going to get it no matter what the cost. If that is your mentality and priorities then I say "maybe."

However, I would not suggest taking out a car loan on an S during school. When you get an auto loan during full time student status... it should to be a regular car.
A couple more points:
- I would not suggest owning an S right now if it has to be parked outside and especially if it will be on the street outside your dorm
- It's not a practical car for school... part of school is driving around with stuff and people if you're doing it right
- Parts are expensive
- Repairs are expensive and a lot of car should be taken on where to take your car to get fixed... because a lot of mechanics will work on these cars and make mistakes during the repair that lead to blown differentials, blown trannies, motor problems etc

I had 3 jobs at once for a time while in school, but most of the time 2 jobs, to pay for stuff. I still couldn't afford my S at the end of the day... so I had to sell it. It was the best decision I've ever made. I bought a ~$5,000 reliable car with the cash from the sale and had plenty of money to finish school without worrying about money as much.

This is the RIGHT decision, trust me. That's not to say you can't graduate healthy (big picture) if you have an S, but trust me it's just not the "right" move.

HGL1668

If your parents bought you the Focus. You cannot sell it, but you can buy another car (S2000) if you can afford it, and have the space to park it. This will most likely piss your parents off. Like other poster have said, you know your parents best and you know the reason why they don’t want to you to have a S2000. What is the reason? Safety? Street Racing? Financial burden? They dislike Hondas?

To answer your question: Sit down with them and discuss those issues. What are they worrying about? Set rules so they will not worry. Ex. If they are worrying about you coming home late, tell them you will be home by certain time if they allow you to buy the S2000. Are they worried that you will drop out of college from too into your hobby (S2000), tell them that they can co sign for the car and take the car away whenever you receive an unsatisfactory grade. That was how I get my parents to do things for me.

This is a little off topic but here is my story during my college years:

My parents gave me a MY04 Honda Pilot when I was in College. I thought to myself that I will be a good boy till after college and would suck it up while hovering in a boat. One day, I brought my Pilot to the Honda stealership for an oil change. I declined an offer from a salesman to test drive a S2000 that was on the lot, but on the third time he asked me again, I made the best mistake in my life. I cannot get the S2000 out of my head and traded my pilot for a Brand New 2007 GPW w/ red/black interior two days later. I was 20 years young.

For the next 2 years, I squeaked by every month to pay off my car payment (~$560). S2000 was a blast to drive and to admire, but was it worth it? Will I do it again if I can go back in time? No, because emptying my bank account every month is stressful, but it gave me unforgettable memories that I still talk about with friends. Do I regret it? Not a bit.

I sold the S2000 2 years later. Did I learn my lesson? Nope. I picked up a GPW NSX right after that and I still own the car now. I am now 28 years old. Car is paid off. Monthly payment was stressful too fresh out of college because I had a real job instead of just an internship. I do not regret buying the NSX and will do it again. You mentioned you admire the Engineering of the S2000. I assume you are pursuing an Engineering degree? Do it because that’s what I did.

Sometimes there is no other way than to learn it the hard way, which I did. I am now investing my money instead of buying stupid parts for my NSX. Recently, a rare set of NSX spec Prodrive GC07s was selling on NSXprime. I almost bought it but I resisted and saved myself $3,500 toward my future GT4. That $3,500 is going to be $5000 in 2-3 years if GILD keeps going up. Yes, and if I keep the money in there longer, it will triple, quadruple, etc.. Its balancing your priority. Now, I am going in a circle. What makes your happy? 1 million dollar or an Aventador? Which came first, Chicken or eggs?

Good luck in whatever you choose to do. As you can see, I have a YOLO mentality, but I also blame my parents for not educating me to better managing my money earlier. If your parents are teaching you money management, you should be grateful.

UnkieTrunkie

If you can't have a frank conversation with your parents, you've got bigger problems than car problems. Have that conversation, listen to them, comprehend what they're saying, and be prepared with a sound retort (or two. . . or many).

There have been a lot of folks offering a lot of noteworthy advice on here, but in addition to a lot of anecdotes and cost facts, I'd implore you to do one thing:

Focus (not the car. . . actually focusing).

What do you ultimately want? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? Do you have any roadblocks between you and your goals? Is the S really a part of that, or is it just some automotive placeholder for a lifestyle that's been fed to you (versus one you create)?

Don't buy an S unless it really is the car you love. If it isn't the car you love, then focus on yourself and your goals, and go there.

Seize the day indeed, but seize only what you need for where you want to go. Stay focused.

Mister Clean

Excellent words of advice. Hard to believe it, but there will be plenty of time to buy the car you want once you're done with college. You'll have more money and time to enjoy it then too. I myself used my feet in college, and took the bus and train when I needed to. I spent my days walking past the cars that I wanted, turning my neck almost 180 degrees when I saw something I really liked. I would wait at the bus stop and watch one bus driver park his STI in the lot before starting a shift, then open the trunk to place orange cones around it so no bus would come near his car.

I told myself, "don't distract yourself with a car for now, that guy works hard to own his STI and if you owned one, you'd need to work hard to maintain yours too". I also knew it was a distraction. My parents told me a car would be a distraction from studying. I didn't believe them at first, but I took their word for it. Looking back, I probably would have never made it to class if I was zipping around in a car. Maybe I would have driven to the library, only to waste my study time trying to find the perfect place to park my car.

So I went without one. Priorities first. Like my parents said, "the car you want will always be there, but the opportunity to finish your undergraduate degree won't, so prioritize and be patient".

I finished school, got a job and got what I wanted: a WRX. My dad finished paying for my school, and he got what he wanted too. He just so happened to get an S2000. We got close during school, talking about the cars we wanted, and now we're having the time of our lives after making those dreams come true. I learned not to argue with them during my college days, turns out they're alot wiser than me. So if they are opposed to letting you drive around in a sports car at 19 while you're in school, I'm sure they have good reasons.

With that said, do as you wish. We all make mistakes, as long as you learn from them it's all good!

ChaseD95

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Just an update on my current situation, I did put my focus on Craigslist to test the waters and am getting offers up to $13k for it so financiability isn't an issue at this point. The problem is the practicality behind owning an S as a daily in college, for I live in a dorm and have my car parked a lot of the times. However, I will be moving into an apartment next year so commuting will be thing. My dad doesn't trust the car because he doesn't know anything about it. The one I'm looking into is in pristine condition, low miles, and shouldn't have any mechanical issues. Once again, I feel like it's just as dependable as the focus and should last throughout college with no problems. Any opinions on an S as a daily?

SheDrivesIt

where do you live and where do you go to school?

Jarshie

I daily mine with zero problems (including grocery shopping and all that nonsense). Make sure to look into the crime in your area, as colleges can be a hub for them and convertibles/s2000's are easy money to them (def look into seat locks). but other than that, you seem like you've done the research and honestly, wish I was in your shoes at my age. Best of luck on whatever you choose to do

ChaseD95

Denton, TX. Attending UNT as a mechanical engineering major