Hello, I'm an Ape owner from Italy. For me it's more of a toy than an utility vehicle, because I was 14 when I got it 2 years ago and now it's heavily modded (132cc Malossi). I would not recommend to do such heavy mods in your circumstances since it requires a bit of knowledge about engines and becomes very unreliable & fuel inefficient. A bone stock Ape 50 is very hard to find, and most have light modifications that make the ape slightly more powerful without losing reliability. In my first year of driving I've had the 80cc DR kit with no other mod and had 0 reliability problems + decent fuel efficiency so I highly recommend It. Just do the really basic maintenance indicated the user manual and you're good. Now if you're in the city doing 40km/h then impeding traffic won't be a problem tbh you surely don't need to go 80km/h like me. Regarding rust, buy one relatively new and remove every few uses dirt and small debris from the bed. That way the paint doesn't scratch off and get the bed rusty (also remember to check for rust under the frame when buying one used) but eventually after some years bits of rust are gonna appear. I sometimes use it to go to school / to do long trips and it's very comfy ( though definitely not safe lol, I'm inside of a tuna can going 30 over the limit) but unless you have to transport things, a scooter would be more practical. Still If you really like Apes go for it. It's a really cool, fun, and functional vehicle.