DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Josh At McCormick Tribune Campus Center

Q: Do you have a nickname for your car?

A: We call it The Rabbit because it's the model of the car.

Q: What's its main use?

A: Commuting. I use it to get back and forth from home and IIT, and shuttling stuff around campus. Because it's a diesel, it gets really good fuel economy. It's so small I can park it anywhere. For my fraternity, I use it to run errands and go grocery shopping. It makes for the perfect college car.

Q: Do other people use the car beside you?

A: No, I'm the only one who uses it, but I do drive a lot of people around in it.

Q: How much time do you spend in The Rabbit?

A: During the school year about 30 to 45 minutes in the car a day. On weekends, if I'm going back home, I will spend three hours a day in the car.

Q: Why did you pick this car?

A: It's really reliable. We got it because it's a diesel. There is nothing that can really go wrong with them. If there is something that goes wrong with them, you can easily fix it with a basic set of wrenches and hammers.

Q: Do you ever work on the car yourself?

A: Yep. I do all the work on the car myself.

Q: What does this car say about you?

A: I would like to think it says that I am self-sufficient, reliable, and like to fix things myself. It shows I don't need anything flashy. It's very utilitarian and basic, but it does everything I need it to do and more.

Q: How much longer do you expect to have this car?

A: I expect to run it into the ground, so maybe another five to 10 years.

Q: What will your next car realistically be?

A: Hopefully by the time I need another car, I will have been working long enough that I can afford a Nissan GTR or a Porsche 911. I would probably like to have a more fun vehicle the next time around.

Q: If your car had a human emotion, what would it be?

A: I would probably describe it as grumpy. It's a diesel, so it's loud. It shakes and it smells a little bit like a tractor. It has about 40 horsepower, so it doesn't move that fast. The whole car is like a crotchety old man.

Q: Do you ever get on the highway with The Rabbit?

A: Oh yeah. It will do zero to sixty, eventually.

Q: What was your favorite trip from home in this car?

A: I was moving to an off campus apartment with my roommate. We were able to move everything we owned in this tiny little hatchback. The entire back of the car was filled with clothes, boxes, and TVs. We also had mattresses and couches. Since those didn't fit inside, we started strapping everything to the roof. We tied about 10 feet worth of stuff to the top, and drove about six blocks north. We were able to move everything in one trip. It was hilarious to see people point and laugh at this tiny little car piled high with stuff.

Q: Do you have any rules for your car?

A: No smoking because I don't like the smell, but other than that, nothing really.

Q: Where did you get your car?

A: I got my car from Wisconsin. My father and brother went up there to pick it up. We got it up there because Rabbits are really hard to find in Illinois. Most of them are in California or on the East Coast.

Q: You said earlier your family owned a lot of older vehicles. Do you all collect antiques?

A: My brother is currently going to school to be an automotive technician, so we have an in-house mechanic. My dad has always loved older cars. He has a 1977 pickup truck because we know how to work on them. It's way cheaper for us to drive older ones and fix them ourselves. You do have to fix them a lot more often than newer cars. They break down a lot, but in the end it is cheaper because we know how to do it. Plus, we really enjoy working on cars. It's like a hobby to us.