If you own a car and are headed to uni, it may seem like a no-brainer to take your wheels with you. After all, a car is the ultimate tool for independence. And who doesn’t want the ability to drive yourself to class, home on breaks, or away on weekends at the drop of a hat?
Having a car while attending university definitely has some upsides. However, before you pack up your hatchback and hit the road, there are some logistical things you should consider, like where to park, not to mention whether or not you’ll use your car as much as you think.
Our guide explores everything you should consider before taking your car with you to university in New Zealand.
Whether or not you ‘need’ a car will largely depend on which university you’re attending. While many of our cities aren’t exactly pedestrian-friendly, many universities operate within their own little ecosystems with off-campus and on-campus life largely intertwined.
Since parking and travel distances vary wildly, we’ve ranked each of New Zealand’s major universities on how necessary a car is for student life.
| Rank | University | Car necessity | The reality |
| 1 | Massey University (Palmerston North) | High | Massey University campus is located across the river from the main city of Palmerston North. While there are buses, the regional layout makes a car far more practical than taking public transport. |
| 2 | University of Waikato | High | Hamilton as a whole is very spread out, and owning a car can make it a lot easier to get from campus to your job and home again, as each location may well be in a different direction. |
| 3 | Lincoln University | Moderate | Lincoln University is situated 20 km from Christchurch. Although the campus is linked by regular buses from Riccarton, with free parking at the University and lots of on-street parking in Christchurch, owning a car adds a lot of pros and very few cons to your life. |
| 4 | University of Canterbury | Moderate | Christchurch is flat and bikeable, but the city is sprawling. While you’ll likely live close to campus, the university-adjacent neighbourhoods have free on-street parking. A car is definitely a nice-to-have for supermarket trips or driving home for the break. |
| 5 | University of Otago | Low | North Dunedin and the University of Otago are so intertwined that it's hard to know where the campus ends and the neighbourhoods begin. Unless you choose to live further afield, having a car is more of a luxury than a necessity. |
| 6 | Victoria University (Wellington) | Very low | With steep hills and compact suburbs, a car in central Wellington is usually more of a parking headache than a help. |
| 7 | University of Auckland | Very low | Auckland has the highest parking costs of any of the universities. It’s also located near the CBD and has good transport links to the suburbs you’ll most likely be living in. Given that Auckland is generally quite expensive, not owning a car can save you a lot of money. |
You have a car, so why not use it? Having a car at university can open up new doors for work, internships, and even when and where to go on holiday.
If you’re one of the many students opting to study just a few hours from home (or at least on the same island), taking your car makes travelling home for weekends and semester breaks a breeze. Not only can you start your university years off with a road trip, but you’ll have the freedom to decide when to go home throughout the year.
A car will also make the initial move to student accommodation, and any subsequent student moves, much easier. It means you can stuff your car with the small things and save the big stuff for the professionals (reducing your load and saving money).
Check out our complete student moving guide for everything you need to know for a smooth student move.
Let’s be frank. A part-time job makes your student allowance go a lot further. Having a car opens up a lot more options when it comes to where you want to work. You’re no longer confined to part-time jobs on your bus routes, near uni, or within walking distance of your flat.
When it comes to an internship, a car can save you time on your commute. It can make you an invaluable employee, allowing you to opt in to additional tasks that require a set of wheels.
Not all tertiary institutions in New Zealand are close to affordable suburbs or transport links. If you are studying at a trade school or a polytech, your campus might be in the CBD or even a different town from where you live.
A car allows you the freedom to live wherever you want. It can even free up your time, especially if you live in a small town where buses run infrequently throughout the day.
Having a car while at university does have some downsides, particularly when it comes to parking and the cost of overall maintenance.
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Parking is your biggest hassle if you are taking your car to university in New Zealand. Many of our universities are older institutions and don’t have a wide range of parking nearby. We’ve ranked our universities by access to parking and price so you can see for yourself:
| Rank | University | Ease of parking | Why? |
| 1 | Lincoln University (Lincoln) |
Very high | Semi-rural location with extensive free and low-cost parking. Registration and a parking permit sticker are required to park for free. |
| 2 | University of Waikato | High | There is ample parking for the Waikato University campus, and prices for students start from NZ$3/day or NZ$9/week. |
| 3 | University of Canterbury (Christchurch) |
High | Flat campus with several large surface lots. Parking is around NZ$5.38/day. There’s free on-street parking in the suburbs around Ilam, too. |
| 4 | Massey University (Palmerston North) |
High | Massey has a sprawling regional campus with large dedicated student lots and relatively low day rates (NZ$4.50). |
| 5 | University of Otago (Dunedin) |
Low | Situated in North Dunedin, there are a few dedicated uni parking lots. Although rates are affordable (NZ$6.50 with a student ID) near Albany St, it’s the lack of parking that becomes a problem. |
| 6 | University of Auckland (Auckland CBD) |
Low | While there is on-campus parking near the campus, it’s NZ$25/day or NZ$5/hour. And even with 1 000 spaces, there’s high demand, so you may need to factor in an extra 15 minutes to find a free spot. |
| 7 | Victoria University (Wellington) | Low | Most students rely entirely on cable cars, buses, or walking. Students can park on-street, but it comes at a price (NZ$3/hour to NZ$11/hour) |
Your car may end up being the ‘go-to’ for any and all road trips, weekend adventures, or rides to and from the supermarket. It can pay to set boundaries or expectations early on so that your friends and flatmates know which trips are ‘on the house’ and which trips they should contribute petrol money towards.
There’s no doubt that owning a car will add expenses to your student budget.
| Expense type | Bringing a car (estimated) | Going car-free (estimated) |
| Warrant of fitness | Around NZ$89 | NZ$0 |
| Annual registration | NZ$172.97/year | NZ$0 |
| Monthly transport | NZ$400 – NZ$600 (fuel, insurance, parking) | NZ$80 – NZ$100/month (bus/train) |
| Hidden costs | NZ$500/year (should be budgeted for maintenance and repairs) | NZ$50/month (should be budgeted for occasional Ubers or hiring a Mevo/car share) |
If you’re not taking your car to university, you’ll still need to think about where to store it in the meantime. Make sure you:
Not sure what to do? Why not do both?
If you’re living in halls for first year, you may find you don’t need your car straight away. Campus life is usually built to keep everything close, and walking, buses, bikes and the occasional Uber can often cover the basics. But once you move into a flat, start working part-time, live further from campus or become the designated grocery-run driver, having your car nearby can make student life a lot easier.
If you decide to leave your car at home for now and bring it later, Wise Move can help you get it there without the long road trip. There’s no easier way to book a trusted and affordable car transport service, allowing you to compare quotes and reviews and choose the one best for you and your student budget.
So, take your car when it makes sense – not just because it’s sitting in the driveway. And when the time is right, Wise Move makes getting it there simple.
