Suggestions on a first car for my 16 year old daughter

[skidoolis]

She found a 1999 sonoma 4 cylinder auto.her mother wants her to get a 4 door for insurance purposes ?? not sure on that.If so i would like the price to be right around $2500.thanks greg in south east Michigan

[stormbringr1]

In that class of car...2 door or 4 door is not going to matter on insurance...

Honestly--I'd go with whatever is out there that you can afford with the best reliability ratings...

For example a 10 year old Honda Civic or Accord is still more reliable than a 3 year old Chevy Lumina or other POS like that. An older Camry would also be a great choice. Because of the reliability factor primarily--these cars retain their value much better--so they cost a bit more--but you get it back again for the same reasons when you sell...

[ripp6957]

Honda,Honda, Honda. As a fireman I've been to lots of wrecks and it seems each time we pull up on a 'bad one' and it's a Honda, the occupants are always out, walking around. I don't have any data to back this up, just the experience of seeing it firsthand, but I think the Hondas have good 'crumple zones' and absorb the impact, thus protecting the occupants. Plus I've owned 3, and the current Civic has 225,000 miles, still get 34 mpg and has been very little problem. Safe, reliable and fairly cheap.

[booondocker]

When I put my daughters in cars, I NEVER considered a two door because of the safety factor with having a pillar in the middle of the car or not having one. They ALWAYS wanted the two door cars because they thought that they looked "cool".

I told them when they could afford to buy and maintain the car themselves they could buy what they wanted...but for now, I buy what I think is safe and reliable and they either live with it or they can go without. One took my advice and one kicked up a storm and would NOT drive what I brought home...so the NEXT car was a definite junker and she LEARNED to listen to dad.

I also believed that a few dollars saved on gas was NOT worth the safety of a bigger piece of iron around them. Anti lock brakes, air bags including side curtain are things I would have high on my list, because statistics say she WILL likely get into an accident and when that happens you can't be in a big enough machine.

Other than that....you can buy what you find to be decent and go from there. There are tons of good deals out there all over s/e michigan and a few weekends hunting around should do the trick.

Whatever you do...make sure those keys, have strings attached to them so that if she does do what she is supposed to do...the string can be pulled and it is an effective tool to get where "you" are going....cupppish?? But the time to lay down the rules, is before the keys are handed out.

[hotwire]

Get her a bus pass. Problem solved.

[ezra]

76 ford f 350 with a 460 stick with buckets.1 bad millage cant go to far from home. 2big safe you know deep down she will smack up that 1st car. 3 bucket seats with stick shift we all know what can happen with a teen and a big seat.ps no topper no van no suv.3you dont need air bags with all that steel.4 can be had cheep so you dont feel so bad after she smacks it up.4 she will hate it and want a fancy car so it will give her a reason to get and keep a job to save money for the car she wants.5 when it breaks down you can make her go to the junk yard with you bitching all the way and show her how to fix it so she is not helpless little girl on the side of the road with no clue what the prob is latter in life and knows how to chaneg a tire or jump a car.I bet most kids now days could not open the hood.

[mikeh906]

We had a rule that worked so well, No B's No KEYS!! Both kids some how managed to get B's on thier report cards

[kevisip]

Every woman deserves to drive a nice car. Get her a Mercedes 500 Sel. She will thank you. 4 door might be cheaper on insurance, but atleast all her friends can pile in there.

[mrs_bob]

Mikeh906, that's what we did with our daughter. She maintained a 3.8 grade point and she had her driving privilage. The insurance cost had a huge break with her grade point at that too.

[slimcake]

Always wreck the first one just remember that....
I do also agree with the Honda comment. My women drives 150 miles round trip to work daily in a Honda Accord and in 300k miles I have replaced one wheel bearing and an alternator. Pretty incredible I might say.

[mezz]

2 dr, 4 dr, not really a huge impact on the insurance. The fact that the driver is 16 is the big issue as far as the insurance rate is concerned. The other factor to consider is with smaller cars, injurability to the occupants increases. Keep in mind, the big difference in foreign & domestic auto's are the price of parts, cost to repair should be a consideration. My advise to you would be to check the rate on the vehicle(s) you are considering & make your decision from there. Too often I come across the scenerio of premium shock when a customer goes out & picks up "a real great deal" & finds out later the insurance is going to set them back. This is especially true when your talking about a youthful driver. Shop the car & check the premium before you decide.-Mezz

[famousguy]

Right, you will get ripped on insurance no matter what kind of car she drives. They really get you on the young drivers. Age discrimination at it's best......

[choc_lab]

what ever you get her keep it yours and let her use it . It will be the best bargaining chip you have with a teen I know I have a 16 and a 17 year old.

[acatzl550]

i would get her a Saturn of some sort. they are good on gas and cheap

[jakester]

When my oldest son turned 16 we found a used S-10 pickup. Small 4 banger,worked out great.The good thing about it was he was only able to have one other passenger. It lasted thru H.S. and college. Insurance wasn"t bad either. He took pretty good care of it.

[pat92900]

Here's the thing with insurance, don't do anything. Don't add her to your policy and don't have her get insurance in her own name. Get her a car and insure it under your policy. If she's a licensed driver, driving your insured car then she's fine. Here's an example, if you let your friend borrow your car and he smashes it, is your insurance company going to cover it? Yes, because you're insuring the car and not the driver. So the same would apply with your daughter. I've got a 15 year old with a permit and 2 neighbors (both police officers) gave me this advice.

[maddogg]

Pat,

While that is perfectly legal, the insurance company isn't getting their premium for the exposure. In the event of an accident there will be a lot of red flags with an unlisted driver. the policy will probably be non-renewed and the person will have a hard time findig insurance at a reasonable rate in the future for some time.

[xcr440]

That's the way to do it, but they still count on a "family" plan once they turn 16. At least that's the way it used to work. I've got one of those 15 year olds with a permit too.

[maddogg]

XCR,

It depends on the insurer.

[mezz]

pat, being in the business of insurance, it is too risky to take that chance, especially in today's enviroment. Furthermore, you are incorrect in the statement "your insuring the car and not the driver". In Michigan, the No-Fault law covers the the driver as well under the PIP (personal injury protection) coverage which is your medical coverage. This coverage is unlimited in medical expense thanks to the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Assessment fee that is charged on all policies in the state of Michigan. If the insured has a Primary Medical Policy i.e. Blue Cross Blue Shield, it will coordinate benefits as well as take care of Co-pay's & Deductibles. If the primary medical coverage does not pay for auto related accidents, if coverage were to be denied, you could find yourself in a world of hurt with a life-time injury. With technology utilized today, most companies will find out about the youthful operator, and if they don't, is it really worth taking the risk of possibly having coverage denied in the event of an accident? Are your neighbor Police Officers professional insurance agents? Because they are Police & giving this advise, does it make it right? Will that change the insuring companies mind in the event of an accident resulting in bodily injury, property damage &/or a lawsuit? Not good advise to follow.-Mezz

[peter]

Any big old, full frame car is good for any young kid. Its safe and kids become better drivers. They are paying more attention while driving that big boat. Just my opinion

[chords]

I only wish ins was based on the car and not the driver. Though at the ripe old age of 50 plus I have paid a lifetime of dues and now get the "Sen~or Discount. I agree with Mezz - be upfront with an ins agent and make a decision on what would work best for your household. Comparing a friend borrowing your car and a licensed driver under your roof "borrowing" one aint the same.
Any old car at $2500 will work. Now if you could find one lead lined to prevent texting while driving that would be a huge plus.

[skidoolis]

Well thanks for all the input we went out looking today she fell in love with the ford rangers they sit up higher and she likes that.She is wanting a regular cab i myself is trying to talk her into extended cab we have a couple of months ahead of us and about $2500.00 saved up.I like the accord idea also those are some nice cars and they hold their value quite well.I will need to do some research on the crash testing on these littler trucks thanks again greg

[booondocker]

I'm not absolutely positive, but I think you will be unhappy with the "crash tests" on this cheap light pickups.

[phazerpilot]

I'm with storm, being in the body shop as much as i am the civic ,accord and camry any day will out perform a light truck in a crash, from any angle better than a light truck. extended cabs are slightly better than std. cad ,no window behind head to make contact with. downside to a car = can't haul sled in back.

[jroz]

Whatever your kid can afford, by themself, is a great first car. Growing up in the mid 80's, I never bought my first car until I had a fulltime job, after high school. Yeah, I was able to borrow the family vehicles, but that was only for short trips and to and from work. I just feel it is ridiculous for a 16 year old kid to EXPECT and RECEIVE a car, just because the other kids have them. My answer, get a ride from a friend with a car!!

[jakester]

I agree with Mezz on the insurance. I can't believe some police would give you such stupid advice. They would most likely be the first ones to write you up for no insurance.I'm not saying that just because I work for a insurance company either. You can't put a high enough price on protecting your kids. That's why they call it insurance. Good luck.

[rev500]

I just finished finding a car for my daughter. The two best for front and side crash ratings are the Taurus and Intrepid. The Intrepid is larger that the Taurus. I was looking at 1999 and 2000 vehicles. If you decide on an Intrepid make sure you confirm the maintenance history. The 2.7 liter engines did not hold up if the oil was not changed evey 3000 miles (not 5000 like the owners manual states). The cats are up under the hood and can cause the oil to cook if not changed often.

Check out the NHTSA site for the crash ratngs of what ever vehicl you are looking into.

Be wary of the rollover risk on small pickups that sit high.

Good Luck

[wags]

Well my oldest is just about to get her drivers Lic in a few weeks and she is getting my 1999 Chevy Suburan 2500 4X4 to go to and from school and soccer practice.
Like someone said earlier you get what you get and be happy you get it thats how it went for me and my wife growing up. My parents gave me gramps 1963 Ford Galixie 500 and I was happy as a lark just to be able to get out and drive.

[lenny]

we picked up a nice ford taurus 2002 for 2500 bucks, good gas milage, larger car with room.

[skidoolis]

rev thanks for the NHTSA site.I remember my first car a 66 Galixie 500 dad said here you go at 15 you have a whole year to get it running and its your.352 truck engine thing would fly for a heavy boat. new cam and lifters and broken thermostat housing.That's what did it the beginning of my wrenching career wish i would of fixed something else.now i deal with a bad back and knuckles skinned and stitches but hey got my first car running its all good

[skylar]

1974 Mustang II was my first car. 4 cylinder, 4 speed. Burned off most of the right rear tire the first night I had it. LOL.

We have two more years before we need to buy a car for our daughter, but we are already thinking about it.

[skidoolis]

skylar like this one http://www.johndee.com/discuss/messages/9/113095.jpg well mine is a 78 king cobra thats funny you mention those we sold a 74 mach this past summer.yea my kid wants this one they are small and with a built up small block 302 trouble there see ya greg

[skylar]

Not quite as cool as the King Cobra!LOL. Mine was dark green, tan interior. It looked like this one, but no sunroof, and it didn't come with the hot check in the red dress either.

http://www.johndee.com/discuss/messages/9/113102.jpg

[rev500]

First vehicle was a Chevy suburbaon with a 350, headers, side pipes, and full moon chrome wheels. It also had a four speed manual trans with a granny gear. I got a screaming average of 8 miles to the gallon. What a ride. My second was a Pontiac Catalina with a small block 400. Had to do some work to get that one going but boy could that small block move that massive vehicle. Will never have another cruiser like it. It is fun to think back on the vehicles you have had and all the busted open knuckles that you had working on them. I made sure both my Son and my Daughter spent time with me wrenching on their cars. There are way to many people that know absolutely nothing about how a car works these days.

[rev500]

skidoolis, no problem. The NHTSA site is a great source of information. Hope it helped.

[mark_e_hastings]

Other than safty, I would find something they made a lot of and ran for a lot of years, an s-10, ranger, explorer, Dakota, blazer, and durangos, would be my pick. They made a bunch of them and shared parts with other vehicles so replacement parts are cheaper and they are easy to work on. When you buy an older car you have to take into account the fact that you are going to be doing a lot of repairs. Personally I drive a dodge, but if I were going to buy an old one it probably would be a chevy, parts are cheaper. Or even get them a half ton pickup.

[duluthrider]

I just scanned thru the posts, but I didn't see anyone suggest a Buick Lesabre/Olds 88/Pontiac Bonniville with the 3,8 liter. they are a larger/safer, reliable, American car that gets very good mpg for their size. They depreciate rapidly so you can get a decent car for a lot less than an overpriced Import. My 2 cents.

Although the back seat is large, the $ you save you can get her a chastity belt

[fcat700]

VW Jetta! Safe! Need I say more.

[fcat700]

I put my loved ones in Volkswagens
http://www.johndee.com/discuss/messages/9/114319.jpg