I ' m going to assume you are over 18 years old , have a job of your own , but live with your parents . You need to remember that you are responsible for your own destiny . Other people can offer advice , and you should listen to and carefully consider that advice , but if it ' s your money and your safety , you must make that decision . In life , there WILL be situations where others don ' t approve of your decisions . This WILL happen . The key is to make responsible decisions that you yourself are happy with , that bring about the results you want . Another part of being an adult is learning to take authority for your own decisions . This is a very common issue as kids grow up parents are used to the kid being subservient , but when the kid becomes independent and can make hisher own decisions , a lot of parents don ' t instinctively let go and stop trying to be the boss of their kid . So if you are told ' it ' s not the best idea ' or ' even though everything looks perfect it can ' t happen ' ask why . Demand answers . ' Because I said so ' is no longer a good enough answer , not when you ' re an adult and your own safety and that of your kid is involved . Now as for your situation if your car is not safe , and is not likely to last through the winter , then you should probably buy another car now . I say this for financial reasons you ' ll get more for trading in your current car if it ' s in good working order , and if your car breaks you ' ll have to pay for towing and the like as well as buying a new car quickly without time to research the options , all of which will end up costing you more than if you buy a car now . So if I were in your situation , I ' d get the second job and start doing research on the cars . Find something reliable in your price range . Imported doesn ' t necessarily mean pricey parts , especially if you ' re talking something with a good reliable track record like a Toyota or Honda . Do all the research , find as much information as you can , and make sure you ' re making the decision for practical reasons rather than emotional reasons . Then just go and buy the car . If your family disagrees then tell them it ' s your money and your responsibility .