Cars vs. Mopeds is not a debate I ever thought I would have had before moving to Hawaii. There are a lot of pros and cons to each one but I want to dive into it and see which one is actually better as a college student in Hawaii.
Pros: There are a lot of pros to having a car in Hawaii. For instance when you want to get out of town and drive to the West or North side of the island, it is a lot easier to get to with a car. You can also drive your friends to the places around the island that you want to see. You can get on the H1 and drive all the way around the island. But be careful because some of these pros might turn into cons. A car is also a lot safer than a moped and when it rains in Hawaii you will want to hop in the car and drive rather than driving a moped. And when it is night time sometimes it is hard for people to see you on your moped which is more dangerous than when you are driving in your car at night.
Mopeds are far less expensive than cars are. They only take a gallon of gas but the gallon will last you up to 60 miles on average. You also can circumvent paying for parking and can always get front row parking. All in all they are a lot cheaper of an investment than cars are. There is also more storage in a moped than you would think. I mean it is nowhere close to what a car can hold but under your seat you have a good amount of space to store stuff in. Maintenance costs for your moped are also a lot cheaper than they would be for a car. An oil change and check up only cost $40. Mopeds are also just fun to ride. They are arguably safer than a motorcycle but you can still get that thrill of the wind in your face.
Cons: Almost everywhere you go you will most likely have to pay for parking. And to park at your university it is either $3.00 for 30 minutes or $700 a semester. But with a moped you can park for free. If you have a car, you might fall under the responsibility of having to take your friends or roommates from place to place. Also, a lot of the side street roads that you would take to get to class are small and narrow and can make for uncomfortable drives. Paying for gas will also be a pain to your bank account as gas prices in Hawaii are pretty expensive due to import costs. The island of Oahu is also fairly small and you will often find yourself driving short distances more often than not, unless you decide to live outside of the city. And if you decide to ship your car from the mainland, you might find that being expensive too.
Most mopeds only go 30 miles per hour at max speed which can make driving irritable. You cannot take your moped on the highways so you can only drive on cross streets which can make your estimated time of arrival longer than what it should be. Also, everywhere you go you NEED to lock your moped. Mopeds are a high risk to be stolen if they are not locked. In just 2 years I have had my moped stolen twice and almost a third time if I wasn’t watching it happen. They are very easy to steal if you do not lock them as anyone can just roll it off and away. It is also against the law to have a passenger on your moped and although a lot of people do it anyway it is a $150 ticket if you do get pulled over with a passenger.
Both choices will come with its benefits and downsides but if you are only going to college for four years and then plan on leaving then I think it may be in your best interest to get a moped rather than a car. There are also a lot of variables that may factor in like where you are living and if you are working and what you like to do for fun. But Mopeds will benefit you financially and they are convenient.