Best 1st Car For Teen

[P7X]

Originally Posted by fravel

This is honestly the #1 reason I give when people ask me why I would recommend that they get a manual for their teen drivers.

My neighbor is a driving instructor for young drivers and i've asked him about it and he said you wouldn't believe how ADD kids are in a car. He has endless stories of kids paying attention then fading and wanting to pull out their phones and stories of kids instantly checking their phone when they get to a red light during lessons.

God I sound old.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by okusa

So my daughter is going to be getting her learner's permit soon and so I need to start shopping for a car for her. I told her whatever we get it will be used.

She really likes the compact SUV style vehicles, e.g., CX-5, Tiguan. However, I'm not sure what's the safest, most appropriate vehicle, up to the $20k or so price range.

Thoughts?

Ford Fusion. Large enough to have good structure around the driver. Small enough to nimble and not intimidate a new driver. Good maintenance record. Good fuel economy. New less than $30K and used under $20K.

My daughter had one and it was a wonderful learning experience for a new driver. She has graduated to German now but still likes to drive the Fusion when she can.

[EALm4]

20K??!! wtf Mine was 6k and I had to pay for half of it. I worked 7 days a week at circuit city @ $6 dollars an hour plus whatever shit commission they gave to pay for that damn thing.

My take:

Let her learn to drive on the family car with you present.

Then when it comes time to get her own...get her the ugliest piece of shit car that you can find. Something that's solid and built like a tank but FUGLY. Like poop brown multi color. Then make her make payments on it to you and if she misses a payment, no keys. Payments could be anything from $20 a week, doing whatever around the house, or picking up your dry cleaning. At the very least she's gotta pay for gas. Sure she'll be pissed at you but whatever. Hell find the 3 ugliest cars on craigslist and make her pick her favorite. Then buy the complete opposite.

That way she'll learn some responsibility, money/time management and humility when it comes to owning a car. Maybe even basic mechanical knowledge if that thing breaks down. No more everyone pile in your daughter's car because it's the coolest and have a rolling liability on your hands.

Have her do this for a year or so. Then surprise her with something nice like what she's wanted. I absolutely guarantee that you'll be dad of the year after she gets rid of the clunker she's been driving. haha

[EyeGuy]

Subaru crosstrek. Safe, reliable, and in the 20k range brand new.

[Mike.]

2008 m5

[silvergray545]

Originally Posted by Mike.

2008 m5

S85

[McBride]

I would highly recommend a car that is a) small and b) has a relatively small engine.

Although in her 20s My wife passed her test last year, as it happens it was the day I got my F30 so her first car was the BMW.

As I obviously use the car the vast majority of the time she has passed but never really driven much in the last year. We recently got her a Ford KA as a little run around for a year while she gets more confidence.

The difference is very clear to see. The KA is obviously a lot slower car and takes a lot more effort to get up to any considerable speed, and as a result she drives slower without particularly meaning to. This means on approach to junctions etc she is driving slower and giving herself more time to think about where she needs to be.

The other benefit of a Ford KA, it's tiny. So she can park it much easier. For some reason she struggles with making small adjustments to the wheel when doing maneouvers.

To me it seems madness to buy a new driver an expensive car. Regardless of what it is, make it cheap because they will crash it. I crashed my first car and so have many others.
As I said to my wife, get a years driving under your belt and then we will go visit a BMW dealer for something better.

[PoorLurker]

I would get her a new civic. They look much more luxurious than generations past.

If she only wants an SUV. I would purchase a used 2009ish Honda CRV. Take that $6-10k that you saved and then put it in a brokerage account to help fund a downpayment on a place during college so she can rent out the other rooms to her friends.

[Ric in RVA]

Either way run it through here....

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings

[Axius]

New-ish Honda Civic. Reliable, easy to teach basic vehicle maintenance, longevity, low insurance premiums, cheap on gas, kid like style, can get a 5 speed, basically the entire packages for a first car. No brainer.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by duck fat

I don't know... Seems kind of shady.

I don't play Minecraft but I know those two green things in the windows are bad news.

Yep , I was in shock about your green things !

[F22_Raptor]

Mazda 3?

[ASAP]

I've answered this before... and my vote still goes to a 1st gen Viper... its a great first car and super easy to drive.

[okusa]

Quite the mixed bag of responses!

Originally Posted by fravel

$20k!?!

The car will be totaled in <2 years.

I'd spend about $2k on a 5-speed Civic.

Don’t want a POS $2k Civic sitting in front of my house.

Originally Posted by duck fat

A teens first car is essentially a bumper car.

Good point.

Originally Posted by Josh (PA)

we got our girls an e46xit. It's been a really good first car for them.
Its a great 3rd car because my wife and I don't mind driving it when our cars are in the shop. Perfect beater.

Except that I have the M3 for that.

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

yeah but that mean more dudes will be attracted to her and the car...do not get her a dick magnet.

Good point.

Originally Posted by cprx7

Personally, I wouldn't let my child have a SUV as first car. Go for a used Prius and keep it under $10k

Small SUV’s are unsafe? I HATE the Prius!!!

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

unless you make them pay for it...they'll understand real quick what the value of earning a $1 means...

Bit late for that considering she lives in LA and goes to private school. She’ll pay for certain things though.

Originally Posted by PJinCA

Acccording to Top Gear, the perfect first car seems to be a Volvo stationwagon (estate). Safe, decent fuel economy, something she won't want to be seen in really late at night, and cheap to insure. Perfect

My first car was my mom’s Volvo 244 DL which turned out to be a raging POS (cost me thousands) and I will never give them another dollar.

Originally Posted by JohnnyCanuck

Something with a manual transmission.

I told her she has to learn to drive a manual, but TBH, they suck for driving around in LA traffic.

Originally Posted by EALm4

20K??!! wtf Mine was 6k and I had to pay for half of it. I worked 7 days a week at circuit city @ $6 dollars an hour plus whatever shit commission they gave to pay for that damn thing.

Me too, but my dad was a dick (still is really)!

Originally Posted by EALm4

Maybe even basic mechanical knowledge if that thing breaks down. No more everyone pile in your daughter's car because it's the coolest and have a rolling liability on your hands.

I do most of my maintenance and she will be doing the same. Definitely no issue with being the coolest based on what her friends and classmates drive. Just not comfortable with letting her drive a POS.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Either way run it through here....

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings

VERY helpful. Thanks!

[WreckerX5d]

I think you can manage a new Hyundai Tuscon for just under $20k. Seems like a lot of girls liked that car.

Safety ratings on those are above average. The turbo model comes with a 1.6t and a 7 speed DCT with a good amount of tech.

[08njSTEP]

Kia Soul. Small, low power, quirky(looks), manual, fair interior, good space, cheap. I would think a young girl might find it cool, and it's got that warranty.

[F80Dreamer]

I bought my son a new Mazda3 a few months ago for around $17k. Great little car...average around 32 mpg in mixed driving, bulletproof reliability and really fun to drive. Still wins top dog status when all the car mags pick best compact car. Plus, good peace of mind for me with blind spot monitor, back up camera, etc...my son is still learning how to be a good driver so these things help.

[bbbbmw]

Someone told me your kid will wreck their first car. They were right, from what I've seen. If you have $20k, buy one for $10k and bank the rest to see if you need to replace it within 6 months. Get her some skin in the game - have her pay something. Don't let her drive with more than one passenger at a time in the car, til she's 18 (this is law in some states).

I'd get a Honda Element or a Prius. The Prius will act as Kryptonite to the guys you want to repel.

[Naz24]

I highly recommend getting a manual car for her.

It will encourage good driving habits, she will know how to drive a manual for the rest of her life, and will discourage distracted driving. My first car was a manual, and its been huge in terms of how i learned to drive...

[UncleWede]

"My first car was my mom’s Volvo 244 DL which turned out to be a raging POS (cost me thousands) and I will never give them another dollar."

My second was the 245DL wagon, when they took away the 70 Cougar (351 Cleveland, had it painted black, was just getting the interior to match the sound system). I left that Volvo on base after work one day, after punching a side window. BUT, most everything I know about vehicle repairs started with that Volvo.

I bought my son a 77 VW, we are about a year into the restoration. Still can't get the FI to work to pass smog. He learned on my 4-banger manual truck, although he still gets to drive the 3 on occasion. Now that it's summer, I ride my motorcycle to work a lot more, so he can have the truck. He drives much less distracted when he has to concentrate on the stick in the truck.

[UncleWede]

Oh, and now that they have seen him driving stick, all his buddies want him to teach them how

The rule is they can WATCH him drive stick, but nobody else is allowed to drive my truck.

[Flying Ace]

it's too late to maker her pay for it herself? Private school in LA huh? Well, if she goes to Pomona College or USC, you'll need to at least get her a Lexus, or her social life will be over.