Best Car for a new teenage driver

1racefan

Sounds like you are all over it. Would make good sense to pass down a "known" vehicle to her. Secondly, if she is planning to go off to college in a couple of years, this is a good vehicle for hauling her stuff in. You would of course want to explain the whole "higher center of gravity" thing to her about SUVs when taking curves / turns. The only down side I see is gas mileage, but she is a new driver, and shouldn't be taking a lot of trips anyways.

jlawrence01

The devil that you know is better than the one that you don't. Personally, I prefer beaters that *I* have made beaters as I know how I have taken care of it.

user777

what defines a "beater"? is it age? condition? value? i mean, you took good care of the car... i had a 10yr old accord 2dr with 150K and it wasn't what i would call a beater.

just wondering what people in the biz mean by the term.

qbrozen

I'm not in the biz, but I think it is any combination of all of the above. For instance, let's take a crazy made-up example like a 200k miles Shelby Cobra that went into a brick wall at 90 mph. Condition? horrible. Age? 40 years. Is it a beater? nope. The value is still way too great. Another example, maybe not so made up ... '04 Hyundai Accent. Young and in perfect shape. Is it a beater? yup!

jlawrence01

what defines a "beater"? is it age? condition? value? i mean, you took good care of the car... i had a 10yr old accord 2dr with 150K and it wasn't what i would call a beater.

A "beater" is an older, high mileage car generally used for commuting. In the words of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it." Personally, I interpret "beater" as "sure beats walking."

From a 16yo kids point of view, a 10 year old Accord with 150k is a beater. It is the type of car that when you point to it, the kids says "I wouldn't be caught DEAD in that."

For us thrifty types, we see it as a badge of courage against a society that views a new vehicle as a status symbol. The FIRST time that I ever heard the term "beater" came from a women who I was counseling as she was considering bankruptcy. (She had a $30k T&C minivan on a $35k income.)

For the record, my current ride is an '89 Olds Ciera (replaced my now dead and salvaged '96 Ciera) with all the battle scars. It should get me through until April when I pick up an '04 Impala LS off-lease.

explorerx4

my kid drives my '02 explorer. it has very good tires, new brakes, and a new battery. it is not a 'beater'.
i am kind of jealous, compared to what i drive.

user777

i'm currently driving an '02 accord, but my '94 accord with 150k felt like a more solid vehicle, and since the '94 was a stick - a heck of a lot more fun to drive. i considered it a "classic" in it's own way...

when i see the kids lowering these vehicles and all their battle scars from street racing (? maybe they have a track and driving programs somewhere to help them with their hobby of racing and modding), i think beater. :sick:

tidester

When I hear "beater" I think "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!"

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

qbrozen

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so so much for putting that song in my head!

let me know if there is anything i can ever do for you ... like maybe run my fingernails down a blackboard or something.

joel0622

Found a 2001 Explorer today with 155k on it. Exactly what I was looking for. She gets her learners permit in May so we will start now slowly driving in the sub division, and stretch it as her confidence grows. I will probably also pay a couple hundred bucks and send her to drivers-ed also. She has to log I think 25 hours day and ten hours night before she can test. I also have a grades rule tied to it to. If her grades are not good enough to qualify for the insurance discount then she is SOL

user777

if she were my daughter, and that was the ride, i'd give her a couple hundred hours of experience with me and the wife giving her more and more responsibility in increasingly diverse and challenging conditions. ice/sleet, rain, night, heavy fog, highway, country road, etc.

a couple of hundred hours may seem ludicrous, but i think 35hours is absurd.

i'd have her learn to appreciate and be cognizant of the vastly different driving dynamics of the explorer vs. your other car.

i'd personally teach my child to drive a manual.

good luck.

explorerx4

i would make sure the shocks are good. my pre '02 explorers used to wear them out pretty quickly. one of the kids in the neighborhood drives a pre '02 eb, light green.

jmonroe

let me know if there is anything i can ever do for you ... like maybe run my fingernails down a blackboard or something.

gbozen,

Now you went and done it to me. I can't get that sound out of my head now. Thanks for nothin.

'tiedster', are posters allowed to do this kind of stuff here? :confuse:

jmonroe

tidester

are posters allowed to do this kind of stuff here?

No way! We thought about redirecting all his logins to this but decided to cut him slack this one time.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

jmonroe

We thought about redirecting all his logins to ...

Thanks, that ought to keep him in line now.

jmonroe

qbrozen

and to think ... i knew what it would be, yet i clicked on it anyway. its that whole horror movie mentality. ya just can't take yer eyes off it.

explorerx4

ditsyquoin

Shopping for a first car for my 16 year old godson. Our budget is in the $1000 range. His driving will be back and forth to school and to his evening job -- about 20 miles/day.

I've found a 1994 Chevy Lumina with 77,000 miles and a 1996 Buick LeSabre with 129,000 but with a rebuilt engine with 26,000. Both are from known private parties whom I trust and both are priced at $1095.00.

Is there a good reason to pick one over the other? I like the interior of the Buick much more than the Chevy but he likes the Chevy because the sound system is better. Neither of these are really good reasons.

Is there a decisive answer other than cosmetics?

jlawrence01

Is there a decisive answer other than cosmetics?

Gotta love it. Someone buying a kid an older car as opposed to spending $10k.

The BEST reason to pick one over the other is the CONDITION of the vehicle.

Mileage and age are TWO factors which affect the deterioration of the vehicle. A Buick LaSabre could easily make 200k if taken car of it. That model has a great reputation for good engines and transmissions.

The Lumina is a decent model and will generally get slightly better mileage.

Without seeing both, to me, it is a draw. JUST MAKE SURE that whichever one you buy, that you have a GOOD mechanic look at the belts, hoses and tires and the safety equipment.
The thing to look for in older used cars is the condition of the tires.

In fact, unless the tires are almost new, I would run the car over to Pep Boys and replace them. For $200, you can have all new tires on the vehicle. Make sure that you look for dry rot on the sidewalls on the tires. Wit an inexperienced driver, good tires are critical.

For the record, I am currently driving a 1989 Olds Cutlass Ciera with 134k miles that I bought off my mechanic for $600. I replaced the spark plug wires and the radiator for $400 and have a decent ride until I buy something in April or May.

ditsyquoin

Thanks, I'm taking both cars over to my GOOD mechanic to have him look over the belts and hoses and any other thing that he sees is wrong. The tires are almost new on the Buick so that is a big plus for that car. Sadly, we don't have a Pep Boys around here but I know what you are saying.

For the record, my first car was a 63 Falcon, which I bought for $25.00 The motor mounts had broken and slid into the radiator and fan. I took the bus to get a new radiator and borrowed tools to fix it. It was the most useful lesson I ever learned and that was in 1969. I now drive a 1994 Toyota P/U with 250 K on it.

I think kids should work towards getting nicer cars and learn how to fix what they have when possible.

Old Fogie

user777

condition of brake lines, muffler / cat, CV joints, gas tank and hoses, etc. lots of stuff someone can't visually check unless it's up on a lift.

jipster

I'd go with the LeSabre, which I think would be safer and offer more protection.

imidazol97

I'd go with the LeSabre because the chassis parts like brakes will be larger and better built. Change tranmission fluid every 30K by drop and drain and change the oil at 3000-4000 maximum and it will love you forever. It may have some things go bad but there are lots of interchangeable parts in the recycling yards as well.

jmonroe

I've found a 1994 Chevy Lumina with 77,000 miles and a 1996 Buick LeSabre with 129,000 but with a rebuilt engine with 26,000.

I had a 95’ Monte Carlo that I bought used in 1977 with 26K miles. I did everything a person could do for that car in the way of maintenance and it died with 67K miles (started to drink water and was going to cost about $1100 to repair). Since it wasn’t worth the repair bill, it went to the Goodwill. Before that it had problems with A/C, rusted gas tank, alternator, and I could go on and on but what’s the purpose of that.

I had a 95’ Bonneville with the 3800 V6 engine and while I wasn’t thrilled with this car either, it was far better than the Monte Carlo which had a smaller V6. At least the Bonneville is still on the road with a little over 100K miles (son #1 now has it and is using it as a beater).

Since you’re asking, I’d go for the Buick because it has the 3800 V6 with a lot less miles. That 3800 V6 is hard to beat.

I like the interior of the Buick much more than the Chevy but he likes the Chevy because the sound system is better.

All radios have a volume control and when you turn them up like the kids do what difference does it really make? Besides that, you’re the buyer and he’s the recipient. On top of that he’s going to put a bigger noise maker in it after a while anyway.

Go with the Buick and do what the other posters said about taking it to a trusted mechanic and definitely check out those tires.

You asked,

jmonroe

fezo

and AGAINST Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That was just cruel. May you be stuck in some dive playing Gilbert O'Sullivan's Greatest Hit.

Now we just got my daughter her first car. I let her pick within cars that I would accept (we're splitting costs here so this seemed right). She was initially looking really low market, like that Le Sabre but smaller. I wanted to bring it more recent so that she would definitely have two air bags and anti-lock brakes. Came down to a 97 Accord with only 57K on it and a 99 Camry with 91K. I was OK with either one but would have picked the Accord. She picked the Camry. Must be that we have two Hondas. Only my daughter could rebel by buying a Camry!

Had the mechanic check it out and three tires and a little of this and a little of that later we had a deal. Good choice in my book and it ought to hold her into her twenties if all she wants is a dependable car.

She learned how to drive on our Odyssey so the Camry feels like a Mini Cooper to her!

user777

She learned how to drive on our Odyssey so the Camry feels like a Mini Cooper to her!

fezo: what's your other honda? i think the camry's a fine choice but i personally find it hard to believe you'd get more road feedback from the camry than the ody.

fezo

I'm just referring to sheer bulk. You do indeed get better road feel on the Ody.

My other Honda is an 00 Accord. She's never driven it because she hasn't learned a stick yet. Silly kid.

user777

gotcha. she's gonna have better visability in the camry.

now why didn't she learn on the stick and take the '00 off your hands or are you just partial to the car?

fezo

On the first note - she noticed right away about the visibility. Didn't notice it was better - just that it was different.

When she was on her permit our insurance company said we'd save a bundle by having her just insured on teh one vehicle. Now she's insured on all three so I'll see if I can convert her!

It's a shame but these days I'm in the Ody. That's because I have almost no commute and my wife drives around on her job (she's a home care hospice nurse). If this is going to be the way it is I at least have to change out the speakers in the stereo and maybe toss in a little sub woofer.

user777

at least she noticed it. :shades:

i think one thing i'm definitely going to cover with my kids when the time comes is the proper adjustment of the side-view mirrors. somewhere here a number of years ago, i read a post suggesting to adjust the mirrors:

driver's side with your head against the window glass, and

passenger side, with your head over the shifter between the seats.

i can't believe i was driving for 3 decades or so with an artificially large blind-spot!!! now my side-view mirrors complement the rear-view mirror's coverage and my situational awareness is sooooo much better.

if she's got the mechanics of driving down, and she's good with the monitoring task, then yeah, i think you can do her a real favor by getting her to learn how to drive the manual.

i *hope* such thing exists in the future. gosh i miss my '94 accord 5M!

fezo

"i *hope* such thing exists in the future. gosh i miss my '94 accord 5M!"

And well you should! That's actually one of a couple of generations of Accord I haven't owned but it was a sweetie!

Funny Honda stuff. When I bought the 00 Accord in December of 99 I wanted a sunroof and a stick. That meant I had to buy an EX because it was the only line that had that combination.

Now, because I was limited to an EX that limited my color options - no red for instance. Since the dealer didn't have one on the lot I gave him my color preferences in order. He got down to the last two before he hit so my choices were dark green or gold. I took the dark green which may have been a mistake. It shows dirt like mad. Hey. I'll live.

The old Ody was silver. The new(er) one is Sage Brush Pearl which in theory is deep green but looks more like very dark grey. Good combination of looking good and not being a total dirt billboard.

explorerx4

driving an suv. it has 4wd, a v8, and a big stereo. she has seen what happens to small cars in accidents. she is a very good driver on the highway, but not very efficient in town.
actually, i should say, it used to be my suv.

user777

you may remember from a previous post, our ody is also sage brush pearl. looks great when washed and waxed. does tend to show the dirt even so. an interesting color as it can look green, grey or blue depending on the time of day / sky.

at least you didn't purchase black. :shades:

fezo

Yeah, you can work that black and get it to be looking spectacular for about ten minutes when teh first piece of dirt hits it.... just what you need in a kid hauler!

I caught in one place or another that you had teh Sage Brush Pearl - great minds and all that!

tallman1

Okay, folks... I need some help and thought I'd try posting here.

My son has been driving a little less than one year. He turns 17 tomorrow. I gave him my old 95 Accord EX, 5 spd manual to drive. However, we have a bit of a problem now because he wants to buy a 98 Ford Mustang GT, 4.6 V8. His mother and stepfather seem to think this is an okay move since he really wants it and is willing to use his own money to buy and maintain it. He has a job at a car wash and detail center so he thinks he can afford all costs easily. I believe the selling price is $5000 and I think it has 66k miles.

I have huge reservations about a 17 yr. old driving a car like this. I want him to save his money for his education or at the very least find something that won't eat up gas and won't be as dangerous. From a fiscal sense, it seems like a disaster. His insurance will triple (my ins. company won't even insure him in that car until he is 25).

The kicker is that he got a speeding ticket and just was put on some sort of 6 month probation. If he doesn't get another ticket within the next 6 months, it will disappear from his record. His mom's insurance company will then insure him.... to the tune of $3000/year. So he plans on letting it sit for those 6 months. His mom thinks the car will be an investment and so will appreciate during this time. :confuse:

So.... I need some honest opinions from others out there. Am I being unreasonable about saying no to this deal?? I seem to be in a minority to the people who count in his life. :sick:

kiawah

No way would I let him buy that Mustang.

We've had nothing but a rash of youngsters killed in vehicle wrecks for the last number of years.

Tell him you'll buy him a new one when he graduates college and lands a job, so he has nice new reliable set of wheels to drive to work.

jipster

Do you think he is mature and responsible enough for a 4.6 V8? Doesn't really sound like it with the speeding ticket and 6 months probation. He must have done something a little more severe than going 10 over in a 35mph zone, to warrant a 6 month probation.

cccompson

My philosphy is that while I'm not responsible for the choices that my children make, I am responsible for making sure they understand the consequences of the choices they do make.

Let him make this choice. He might take a bath. Or he might surprise you. But it will be his doing, not yours, and he will surely learn either way.

As a bonus, you won't be the bad guy here. And, no, the Mustang will not be appreciating any time soon.

user777

i believe in letting adults make their own decisions, but this young man is not an adult. if so inclined to attend college, his priority should be that. if not college then learning a respectable trade.

you set him up in a VERY adequate car. he's showing extremely poor judgement IMHO. explain the situation and what represents good judgement. if he follows your advice he wins. if not, he'll surely loose.

sounds like his mom and her husband aren't thinking practically.

a child doesn't get to choose the ride when others are paying for the insurance.

sorry. bzzzt. he needs to wait until he's rolling in his own money, or out of college. he needs about 4-5yrs more of learning before being let loose. and then he may need some help - but hopefully he'll be smart enough to ask, and smart enough to ask the proper side of the family... :shades:

andeet

First of all; I graduated high school back in 2003. My HS had population of 2,700 ish and it was in rough part of the city. I remember some days kids when they were on lunch they would break into every students cars and take whatever they saw was worth money. I have noticed the newer cars were the ones getting breaking into the most.

When I was in college I notice cars weren't getting break into as much due to campus security would make arounds on campus' parking lots. Just as long; the cars have parking permits for parking...they didn't get break into.

I personally would say buy something that's 10k ish so if the teenager causes accident; a serious one that would claim a lost you're not going to get into huge hole. Teenagers are learning to drive and all it takes is one second to lose a car. Then if the teenager goes to college; then get that 20k car. You would want a very reliable car if the college is four hours away from home. I personally had a junker in college and I very lucky to only have exhaust pipe come off the car while I was going home for a weekend. My only choice was to keep on driving since I was two hours away from home.

Scion is good car like '08 xB and xD. Good gas mileage and stylish. Back up by Toyota. Toyota Financial has special financing program called "Scion Solutions" and they base the APR on the credit score range like if you wanted 60 month loan and your credit score is 729-690 the APR is 6.35%

I am on my second Scion...no problems what so ever. Reason why I'm on a second one is. I bought '06 xA with low paying job and always wanted tC but knew I couldn't afford it. Then when I got a better job I traded in the xA and got the tC.

fezo

With the crowd that is saying no way on the Mustang. That is a ton of car to handle and he sure hasn't proven that he is up to that yet. If he's used to driving that sort of thing (and he isn't) it could be a heap of trouble.

Answering the needing something other than a junker for college a 95 Accord is by no means a junker. It would do fine. A 9 year old Mustang on the other hand is a crap shoot. 66K might be all right but you don't know how those 66K were treated. Most folks don't buy V8 Mustangs to drive 55 on the highway or only to church on Sunday a quarter mile at a time ..... (well, maybe the last part).

tidester

It sounds like mom and step-pop are somewhat irresponsible and may be using the car as a means of buying your son's affection. You need to be the voice of reason here and educate him. Lay out your case to him as clearly, succinctly and factually as you can then let it go. Straight talk is the best approach.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

jlawrence01

Looking around my neighborhood, the kids of divorced parents tend to have more car than they car afford (or handle. It seems like it is a good way to tweak the non-custodial parent.

stubborn1

I did something somewhat similar when I was younger and foolish. I was going to college full time and HAD to have a Trans Am my 2nd year in. I put $2,000 of my own money down on the car and took a $2,000 loan at 13% interest (no cosigner, but I was 19 and able to do it myself). I was already going to school full time and working 30+ hours a week during college. It wasn't too long that I figured out that half my income was going to support my car.

Sometimes you need to learn the hard lesson yourself. I blew off all the parental advice at the time, however, the experience "woke me up" financially.

The main difference here is that your son is 17 and still a minor.

oldfarmer50

tallman1:

When faced with a decision between two paths, the hardest path is usually the right one. Say no, even if they all think you're the bad guy. Better that your son hates you than you mourn him.

jmonroe

Okay, folks... I need some help and thought I'd try posting here.

It looks like you’ve gotten quite a bit already.

I’m not a believer in majority rule when it comes to raising kids, (I was considered a dictator most of the time but it never bothered me), but maybe you should show your son the posts that have been written here since these are from independent people with no ties to you. These posts along with some additional reasoning from his father who loves him and wants only the best for him will hopefully do the trick.

Given that he no longer lives with you I don’t know what you can do legally. So, try to appeal to his senses because it doesn’t sound like his getting any sensible direction where he’s living now. As far as paying for any of this purchase (car itself, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.) I would say NO, NO, NO, and NO !!!

jmonroe

tallman1

Thanks all... I really appreciate the feedback. And for the record, we have joint custody and he is a good kid. This is just one decision that I feel pretty strongly about for all of the reasons you've mentioned. We've had these discussion but he's 17 so listening to dad isn't always foremost on his mind.

imidazol97

As one with a kid with his temps now I have to add I would say definitely "No" to the high horsepower Mustang. I've seen too many kids with fast cars, lots of testosterone, and friends in the car to distract them or a girl next to them to show off for (that old instinct) that have had awful wrecks.

Frankly I'd buy a 4-cyl sluggish medium to full-sized car if I didn't already have a LeSabre with a V6 and 9 years on it for him to start in. Your Accord was perfect.

I was passed by a kid with a black fairly recent Sonoma midsized GM pickup with temp tags this week on the way home from picking kid up at the school campus. That kid won't be around long. Double yellow lines, 45 mph speed limit, other cars a few hundred feet ahead going 35-40 to the 1-mile stop sign. When he left the stop sign he had the rear tires breaking loose and squirreling the pickup. He had a passenger to show off for.

It will happen. I just wouldn't be a party in any way to a fast, supercar at this early age. I don't know what your legal responsibilities may be in event of a judgement, since you have joint custody, I believe you said. I would make prudence my preemptive defense to any such incident.

I can recite stories of carloads of kids having accidents and fatalities. Our state just went to a limit on the passenger number when parent's not in the passenger seat until they're 18, I believe.

jkr2106

Speaking from a *much* younger perspective (i'm 18 and been driving for 2 yrs), I think it depends on your child.

I'll be honest, I got a speeding ticket before, but I wasn't showing off for friends, I was alone. It was a new car (like two weeks) and I didn't even realize I was going that fast. The older car tended to make much more noise at 74, lol. And now I'm more cognizant of my speed; some mistakes we just have to make.

But, I am a good driver. I drive my parents cars, and they're no econoboxes, without incident; never even the smallest finder-bender. It's more important that you've driven with your son to see if he's the type to take risks when driving; that's what causes accidents, not the vehicles abilities. 'Cause I can assure you, he can be driving a 5yr old 'civrolla 3' and if he wants to quickly accelerate and weave in and out of traffic he will have trouble.

So, just make sure you're sure he can handle any car, not just a Mustang; a good driver is safe in any car.

nvbanker

A Lincoln Town Car. Slow, visible, safe, totally un-cool. :P