DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Calvin At Schoolcraft's VisTaTech Center

Q: All right, the basics. What year is your car and when did you get it?

A: It's a 2009 and I got it late in the year, like October 2009. It's got about 32,000 miles on it now. I actually got it through that "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Q: So what did you trade in to get it?

A: My old car was a Winstar van. Ew, I know right? Everybody was obsessed with key scratching it. I guess they thought it was a soccer mom van or something. A car is a car.

Q: OK, moving forward, have you taken any road trips in your Focus?

A: Oh yeah, I've done a few seven to 15 hour drives in it. I've taken it all the way to Pennsylvania and South Carolina there.

Q: Sounds like it's had a few adventures before. How did it do?

A: Oh yeah, definitely. It's good, you know, because you don't have to stop for gas so much. Maybe on a 500-mile trip you only have to stop once or twice for gas, depending on how you drive.

Q: So are you the only one who drives this car?

A: Yeah, it's specifically my car. Gotta give credit where credit is due though, my parents do help me out a little with insurance.

Q: What do you like most about it?

A: As I said, I like the mileage it gets, and I like that I don't have to fill up each week like I did with my old car just to run some errands. I like it. It works for my needs. I don't need anything too fancy. It gets me from point A to point B.

Q: Anything else?

A: It has a good amount of trunk space. And it's low maintenance.

Q: Do you have any rules for your passengers?

A: I've really only got two rules. Don't pig up my car and pay for your share of the gas if we go somewhere.

Q: Fair enough, so what do you think your next car will be?

A: I've never put much thought into that. For my needs, probably an SUV, maybe a Ford Ranger. I'm going to go into civil engineering and that may require me to have a more work-oriented vehicle. This thing is still practically brand new though and I take care of my things, so this should last!