Best Car for a new teenage driver

ilaveo · May 2007

IMHO a new driver needs to learn to drive before they learn to drive in snow/off road, so no SUV. It is also good to have a vehicle that is forgiving about rolling if it is skidding sideways, so you want a stable, low center of gravity to let a beginner have a better chance to regain control of a skid. It is a good safety feature to have a car that has better stopping traction than starting traction (if the traction isn't good enough for 2WD, you don't want a beginner out there, remember 4WD doesn't stop any better than 2WD.) I would recommend a mid/full size 2WD car with ABS. My 16 year old is driving a '96 Taurus (we aren't rich).

explorerx4 · May 2007

a mustang v8 always presents the temptation to rev up the engine, just because of the sound. a '98 mustang probably won't be an investment. it is not one of the more desireable years to own, but can still provide a lot of enjoyment. the engine was somewhat underpowered, but not underpowered for getting into trouble.
in 6 months, it will be approaching december. a mustang is not a great car to drive if you have below freezing conditions. the condition of the brakes/tires are pretty important.
maybe you could try to talk him into making some performance(handling) upgrades to the honda.
btw, my kid drives an 4x4 suv with a 239 hp 4.6 v8. :surprise:

fezo · May 2007

Your description of that speeding ticket sounds a lot like my first one except for the fact that I was 24 at the time.

Normally I has my car - a 69 Volvo 142. These cars would lose to Volkswagens off the line. Really slow. You could get it up there but it would make enough noise taht you would be aware of it.

My brother lived a couple hours south of us at the time and had a 72 Vega at the time (we got smarter as we got older). The head gasket had blown and if he could get it up to where his father-in-law was a service manager at a Chevy dealership he could get it fixed for free.

Well, my Volvo isn't towing a Vega, so I borrow my dad's 72 Impala. Oops! I'm driving down the Garden State Parkway quiet as can be until I see the flashing lights behind me. Then I look at the speedo - 80. Busted. He must have had a dozen of us suckers there and no way could I talk him out of it.

Only relevance here other than the fact that lots of us have had such a thing happen is that a V-8 Mustang is an invitation to teh same experience.

tallman1 - hold your ground as much as you can!

joel0622 · May 2007

It depends if you as his father think he is responsible enough. If a kid is irresponsible then it does not matter what car they are in.

There is just more temptation with the Stang

michaellno · May 2007

I've been through this several times .. my stepkids are now 20 (boy) and 18 (girl) and my son will turn 18 next month.

The oldest got his license at 16. We found what we thought was a good first car for him .. 1998 Chevy Tracker, 60K, one owner (ex GM exec, at that). Slow, boring, you name it.

He had done most of his permit driving in our '02 Explorer, so he was aware of the handling tendancies of an SUV. However, that didn't stop him from rolling his car 5 weeks after acquiring his license, sending his younger sister to the hospital for 4 days with a moderate concussion. She had to be cut out of the car, which ended up being a total loss.

This kid now drives a 2001 Saturn L200, which he bought 2 1/2 years ago. He pays for everything, since he no longer lives at home. He's had a couple of speeding tickets, but he's learning .. albeit slowly.

The step-daughter, OTOH, had to be forced into getting her license at 16 1/2. She started out driving my '03 Saturn L300, but is now driving an '06 ION back and forth to college. She pays for the insurance; we pick up the tab on everything else.

My son, who will turn 18 and graduate HS next month, does not have a license or a car at the moment. I do, however, have a graduation gift for him -- a '92 Subaru Legacy wagon, which my wife and I inherited when her dad passed away. 140K, but runs strong. I'll drive it to CA from CO next month and sign it over to him .. providing he graduates.

Bottom line .. the kids need to have some skin in the game. They were always responsible for gas and insurance costs on whatever they drove, plus we always had them keep an amount in the bank equal to the deductible, should they get involved in an accident.

As far as what they should drive, I don't have too much of an opinion, other than to agree with what others have said above regarding the Mustang.

Good luck!

fezo · May 2007

You're thinking way too far ahead of me. When I saw you were giving him the Subaru as a graduation present I was going to ask if I could have it if he didn't graduate.....

Nice plan you've got.

tallman1 · May 2007

Thanks for all who took the time to give feedback. My son is pretty ticked at me but he won't be buying the car. No one ever said that parenting would be easy.

fezo · May 2007

Way to go! He'll get over it and perhaps even one day appreciate what you did.

jmonroe · May 2007

No one ever said that parenting would be easy.

That's what I said earlier. It's not a popularity contest, it's a right vs. wrong thing.

You won't be sorry.

jmonroe

jmonroe · May 2007

Was very satisfied with this..Hope you enjoy..

I can tell how much you liked these. Being a newbie you did your best to make sure everyone here at Edmunds knows just how much.

Don't worry, it's going to be very difficult for people to miss these.

My guess is this is an offer to sell. Don't be too surprised when this post turns up missing :surprise:

jmonroe

error438 · September 2007

In Illinois, a new teen driver can only have one non-relative in their car under 20 for the first six months of their licensing period. Does anyone know what the penalty would be for a new teenage driver that got caught with more than one teen in their car? Like is it a moving violation and will it make insurance go up when they were caught?

kiawah · September 2007

If nobody knows and answers you, you might be able to find an answer on your states' DMV site.

error438 · September 2007

I've already looked there, but it doesn't seem to say the consequences anywhere on the website.

carlover20 · October 2007

I am in High school and looking for my first car. I live in upstate New York so the winters are terrible so i am looking at AWD and 4WD vehicles. I a have been looking at the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Kia Sorento. I am open to any suggestions on what to get.

cccompson · October 2007

What's your budget?

carlover20 · October 2007

My budget is under $14,000

qbrozen · October 2007

have you even found a highlander or Pilot for under $14k? If so, I would imagine they have a ton of miles.

If you really insist on AWD, look for a subaru.

british_rover · October 2007

Yup assuming you fit in one anyway. Certain body types don't fit well in a subbie.

carlover20 · October 2007

I have found the Pilot and Highlander under 14 grand with around 80,000 miles. I dont like the subarus that much. Kind of want an SUV.

qbrozen · October 2007

and $14k is a helluva lot to spend on a car fast approaching 100k miles, which was pretty much my point. I would never suggest such a purchase for a first vehicle.

carlover20 · October 2007

My mother had a 2002 Altima and had to replace the engine. I would avoid first year Nissan's at all costs

carlover20 · October 2007

I know but for a Pilot or a Highlander it is just getting broken in. I thinking on maybe getting a new santa fe they are cheap enough and have one of the best warrantys

qbrozen · October 2007

I know but for a Pilot or a Highlander it is just getting broken in.

why? just because of the badge?? Both vehicles are way too new to the marketplace to make that kind of statement.

Even if we could assume such a thing, are you prepared, as a new teenage driver, to spend $14k on a vehicle and immediately follow that up with the maintenance and repairs required of a miled-up car? We're talking a very good chance of needing brakes, tires, timing belt, full tune-up, and all fluids ... and that's JUST maintenance. I would say, in my experience, between 80k-120k miles is when cars need the most care if you want to get anywhere near 200k on them.

british_rover · October 2007

Yup and then you have the added AWD complexity that the simpler little cars Toyota and Honda built their reputation on simply don't have.

My MIL had to replace the transmission in her RX300 at around 140,000 miles which is only a few years of driving if you already have 80,000 miles on the vehicle.

Granted she did almost no maintenance on it but you don't know if the previous owner maintained the car at top notch levels either.

cccompson · October 2007

The arguments against your idea could be applied to any vehicle that has some miles - they all need repairs and maintenance. Those you've specified usually do better than others.

If you buy a Pilot for less than 14K, I'd say go for it (except see below). 80K on a 5 year old vehicle (assuming an '03 model) is high but not way out of line. The value on a Highlander (since they were built in many different configurations) is a tougher call.

However, I can tell you from personal experience that the gas mileage of a Pilot will suck. Suggest a CR-V or RAV4 instead.

carlover20 · October 2007

i also have been thinking about a Kia sorento. The 2004 model because it had above average reliability for that year. What do you think about a new Hyundai Santa Fe. I also like the newer Jetta and Passats.

carlover20 · October 2007

Way to new the highlander is 6 yers old and the Pilot's 4 years old you can tell if they are going to be reliable.

qbrozen · October 2007

ummm... was that a statement or a question?

fezo · October 2007

I'm wondering that myself.

In addition to the maintenance issue (though actually still a maintenance issue), if the thing has 80K on it you are looking at a timing belt in 20K. That's a pretty good hit on a car you've only bought within the year and if you don't do it you will regret it.

carlover20 · October 2007

While looking at cars yesterday I saw a Lincoln Aviator. i have done some research on them and besides the bad fuel economy and reliability it is a great car. I picked it up last week I love it. I am just glad i dont have to search for cars anymore.

P.S. Paid $14,000 with 65,000 miles.

kiawah · October 2007

i have done some research on them and besides the bad fuel economy and reliability it is a great car

So what is it that made it worth it to you that you wanted to buy, if the FE and reliability are poor?

user777 · October 2007

i'm wondering the same exact thing. :confuse:

tw_cars · October 2007

Our neighbor is really strapped financially and cannot help her 16 year old daughter get into a car. Since it's a semi-rural area there's not much around their house, and right now the daughter cannot even get to a job to pay for a car.

Some friends and family are prepared to agree to the following deal. The daughter will get a job next summer and we will make sure she has transportation. When she has saved "enough" money, we will match her dollar for dollar to pay cash down for an inexpensive used car - no payments allowed. We will also pay half of each month's insurance. That means she's got to earn enough over the summer to pay for half the car and half a year's worth of insurance, since her mom won't let her work during the school year.

We're trying to figure out if it's even possible for her to earn that much. We suspect she'll have to earn the car next summer and work for insurance the year after.

What I hope to get from the forum is advice on what we should expect to pay for the car. We're looking for the cheapest thing we can get away with, that won't absolutely bankrupt us for repairs and isn't a deathtrap. Any advice on what years/models we should look at would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!!

suydam · October 2007

My 3 children each earned enough from summer jobs to buy a car (couldn't swing the insurance though). If she can earn about $1500 she can buy a half of a 10-year old Buick that will be reliable and safe. They aren't deathtraps, they are easy and cheap to maintain, and most garages in rural areas have experience working on them. That would be my suggestion.

Another suggestion is to find out if the local high school has an automotive shop. They often get donated cars to work on and then fix them up and sell them.

PS: You are really good neighbors!

jipster · October 2007

Agree about a Buick... a 1999 Buick Century should be a safe affordable bet. The main thing is make sure the car in question has been taken good care of and maintained properly. I sold my 1994 Buick Century Wagon about 4 years ago for $1,300, and it was in very good shape with around 97k miles.

qbrozen · October 2007

won't ya be my neighbor? ;b

There are plenty of decent enough $3k cars out there. Personally, I'd probably look for a Volvo 240 or 740. I bought one for my brother with 99k miles for $1100. Another option is a bimmer 325. Got a convertible just a few months back for $3300. Take out the convertible factor and you could find a nice one for $2k-$2500.

And my always stand-by suggestion is a Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Towncar. Plentiful, cheap, bulletproof, and easy and inexpensive to repair.

suydam · October 2007

No way! You want something big, safe, and slow! Cars for teens are not the cars you yourself (or them!) might wish to drive.
My friends who have Volvos love them but say they are expensive to repair, and mechanics to work on them in rural areas might be few and far between.

british_rover · October 2007

An early 90s 325 is not very fast at all. Nimble though and that is important.

qbrozen · October 2007

i'm talking about real old cars here. Our '87 bimmer 325 is not fast. My Accord blows its doors off. My wife's SUV would give it a run for its money in a straight line.

Your friends are probably referring to newer volvos. The old 240s and 740s are very simple designs and pretty darned reliable. The 240 is lengendary for it, as a matter of fact.

british_rover · October 2007

Yeah 0-60 for that car with an automatic is probably close to 9 seconds or so. That inline six is pretty hard to kill and they do well in accident for their age. The 325 would actually have a chance of avoiding an accident which most 240s aren't going to be able to do.

kyfdx · October 2007

If it's going to take all she can make over the summer to buy a car.. .. and, the neighbors still have to help with the expenses... Then, don't get a car..

The semi-rural part is a pain.. but, if you can survive until you are sixteen, you can make it a couple more years.

tw_cars · October 2007

Thank you everyone for your great advice! I'd never buy a Buick myself, but I had one for my own first car, and it sounds like a really good idea. Never even considered a BMW or Volvo. In my head, even 20 year old cars like that are still "fancy".

kyfdx, we have a number of ulterior motives to get her a car. Chiefly, her mom is not only broke, but also a little strange. She won't let her daughter get a job unless it's to pay for car, and the daughter got into some real trouble with boys last summer. We're looking for anything and everything next year to reduce the amount of time on her hands.

user777 · October 2007

you know the situation better than i, but i wager purchasing a vehicle for a person prone to making bad decisions under the influence of a parent who's "strange" is potentially a precription for more or a different sort of "trouble".

i don't doubt earning some money could be useful, but it sounds like there could be a bit of an esteem issue and environmental factors beyond your collective control; i don't see how the car is going to solve that one.

perhaps she could get a job working at a store that some nearby neighbor also works, and she could get a ride?

tw_cars · October 2007

You're very right that the situation is complicated. The girl's family is fully involved and has asked for our help. The car is almost entirely an excuse to get her doing something productive and responsible, that she can be really proud of, and it's the only thing she's motivated enough about to stick with a job for over a whole summer.

user777 · October 2007

well, i wish you luck. i'm almost certain the car isn't the answer. infact it may be a re-enforcer for manipulative and immature behavior.

raybrown28 · March 2008

Having a BMW is fine as long as your not buying it out of a college loan. For a tean, e30 may be good. Then you can go customize it with high-quality, affordable Canada auto parts.

explorerx4 · March 2008

just learning to drive?
picked up my daughter after school and let her drive home in the explorer.
drove out of the high school parking lot, pulled into the gas station to fill up, drove down a street with some traffic calming(speed humps).
everything was going ok until we turned onto main street.
it is one lane in each direction.
turn taken too wide into oncoming traffic, overcompensation over the curb on the right just touching a road sign and ended up stopped in the grassy area(sunk in about 4 inches due to a lot of rain lately) completely off the pavement.
luckily only the antenna hit the sign with no damage to either, drove out of the grass/mud with no other obvious telltales other than the marks on the tire sidewalls.
i took over driving for a mile or so while we talked about what happened, then switched back. i had her pull into the garage, too.
suv works for us!

kmurp · March 2008

Do you folks think that either of these cars would be a decent choice as a first car for my 17 year old daughter? 2003 Saturn Ion 3 with 75000 miles for $5900 or a 1999 Olds Intrigue with 44000 miles for $5900. FWIW, I found an old ad for the same Olds asking $8500.

kyfdx · March 2008

Without commenting on the prices... I'd rather have my 17-yr-old in that slow Saturn 4-cylinder vs. the V-6 of the Intrigue.... Though, I must admit the Intrigue is a nicer car..

jipster · March 2008

The Saturn is a smaller car. The Olds is probably safer, hardly a muscle car, so wouldn't worry so much about 4 cylinder vs six. Your daughter probably wants the Saturn, so I'd go with the Olds. The Olds will probably be more reliable despite the years.

Best Car for a new teenage driver

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