Daughter needs a car

[HotRodZilla]

Ok, everyone, I can use some tips and advice. My oldest daughter just got her provisional driver's license, which in NM means she is allowed to drive by herself. We need to get her a car, and I have no idea what to look for.

When my wife and I bought our F250 in 2016, I sold my '99 F150. That guy knows I like that truck and called the other day saying he's wanting to sell it. I can get it for probably $4k, but it's a big truck. 4x4 offroad supercab with 170k miles +/-. My wife and I are thinking something smaller, easier to park when our daughter goes off to college, and reliable. Something that's not an arm and a leg to insure, as I'll probably have her pay for her insurance.

Any one have any good ideas? What worked well for you. More importantly what was a disaster for you. I DO NOT need another disaster. Any of you have a nice used car or truck you want to get rid of? I'll do a fly and drive. Used cars stress me out. I don't want something that is going to be more problems than it is worth, but I don't think buying a 16yo kid a new car is smart. Haha...

Help!!!

 

[graler]

Our kids got their cars from 2 different sources - it was a car that we were done with (Honda Pilot) or in 2 cases my parents were getting rid of vehicles (2000 Pontiac Bonneville, 50,000 miles, and a 2001 Dodge Dakota Pick up 16,000 miles - yes that is right 16,000). All three have been somewhat trouble free. All three are still being driven by them. 2 of the three have had minor collision issues - parking lot or drive thru stuff (mirrors that didn't make the turn). It is smart to put them in something that is gonna take a shot and not break your heart. They also took on the responsibility for registration cost, oil changes and they keep track of their tire wear and tear.

They need to shoulder some of the car cost.

 

[QuebexicanFJR]

I am in a similar situation with my slightly older daughter who is in no way vehicularly inclined. Parameters were something small, not micro, reliable, reasonable easy to maintain, while she barely knows which way points forward, i do all the maintenance on our domestic fleet. Currently in the running, Toyota Corrolla, Hyundai Accent or Elantra, Honda Civic. We have personal experience with Hyundais, various years Accents and 2 Elantras the lastest a 2008. None of them have ever given us issues outside normal maintenance. Civics are a little trickier in our area to find that have not been abused by some boy racer trying to break the quarter mile ET record.

My son works at a auto dismantler and his observations are that Hyundai and Toyota are easier to maintain, that is the engineering seems to be geared that way, not like some where you have to dissasemble nearly the whole car to get to that last alternator bolt. They are put together logically and you have reasonable access to fasteners etc. I've done timing belt service on our 08 and a friends 10 Elantras in 3 hrs each, with only mild foul language.

In our case we are out in the country not too far from town and expect she would commute the short distance to the city so size was large enough to get out of it's own way when pulling out onto the highway while not being so big she could not park it easily (funny how the size of the parking spots keep shrinking..).

Your parameters may be different, but that's where we're aiming at the moment.

Cheers..

 

[rogdeb]

Two of our grand daughters got "college cars" and they both love 'em

Chrysler PT Cruisers. Suitably fashionable and retro at the same time. They get the "cool car" comment from all their college buds. Easy to drive and park plus decent gas mileage.

 

[chrisz]

Being a new driver, safety should be paramount I believe. Put your daughter into a newer mid/full sized car, something about 5 years old. The dings or scratches won't hurt as bad when its a used car. Also cars are more stable (less chance of a roll over) and typically more comfortable and easier on fuel and insurance. Our daughter; we put into a 2011 Volvo S60 AWD couple of years ago and it is still going strong.

 

[Geezer]

Does your daughter need a truck? They are more expensive to operate than cars and more difficult to park in populated areas. Something like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla would serve a student well. Either one is generally reliable and inexpensive to operate.

 

[garyahouse]

AJ

Wow, I can't believe your daughter is old enough to drive already. Where have the years gone? I've done a lot of research on this subject and I think I might be of some help here.

As you know, a 16 year old is more likely to get into a fender bender than any other age group. This isn't any sort of prediction for your daughter, just a statistic: nothing more. That said, bigger is better. Small cars are cheaper to own and operate, but I didn't buy one for my kids when they first started out. That said, more miles usually equals more breakdowns, but there's no guarantee, of course.

I'm thinking a car with 70k miles or so max. At around 8-10 years old, on average, air conditioning starts acting up. Again, nobody can say for sure. And being in Albuquerque, ya gotta have air.

How about a Sonata? Hyundai makes a quality car, and they can be had for less than Toyota's equivalent, the Camry. The Sonata has a little extra weight, a pretty good safety record, and can be had relatively cheap. They're popular which means securing parts tends to be easier. Four doors is a good thing when she'll no doubt be running errands and picking up siblings for mom and dad when they're too busy.

A car like this is going to be cheaper than a truck or SUV. When ya measure year, options and miles; SUV's and trucks are almost always more $$$. Exceptions? Sure, but hard to find.

That said, some feel that the SUV is better as young drivers can see better. If that's the case, just like 4 door sedans, Toyota and Honda are going to cost more as you're paying for the Name and rep. of the company. Hyundai and Kia make some pretty good little SUV's. I bought my daughter a Kia Sportage and she loved it. But again, pricier than a sedan.

All that said, a car that's been garaged might be important to you as the N.M. sun is awful hard on paint and weatherstripping; however these have little to do with reliability.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[JamesW]

Check the consumers reports for used car guide. My daughters cars were considered mainly for dependability(seeking to avoid rescue missions) and safety first. my friends in the WSP had Suburbans for family.

 

[BigOgre]

When you say she'll be going off to college - commuting or going away? Many schools don't allow freshmen to have cars which may factor into your thinking. If that's the case I'd be inclined to figure out how to just get through the next year and then maybe send her away with a lease afterwards. $200 bucks a month gives you peace of mind that she has something very reliable and should she have any problems, off to the local dealer for warranty work. I also agree that we should expect they'll give birth to a few dents during their first year or so of driving. Simply inexperience, but by her second year away she'll have some real world road-time.

My 17 y.o. shared his mother's '07 Explorer through this past summer and now uses it as his own; senior year in HS, work, etc. He understands it's still his mother's though and that we're just letting him use it, just in case he rubs us wrong at some point.

I like that vehicle for its chassis, solid build and size. Big enough but not too big. We've also owned it since almost new so I know what I got (which is of no help to you I know) but they are fairly reliable. Just a few hours ago though I got my policy renewal showing him as a third driver and now us with three cars. OUCH!!

 

[RichDoyle]

Dumbest move of all time: A friend of mine bought a car for his daughter to use to drive back and forth to school (luckily High School just a few miles away). What does he buy her? Despite my very strong advice against it - an MGB

And yes, the outcome was as predicted.

But that's no help to you, I'm afraid (unless you were of similar mind). Sorry.

 

[trimmantom]

Get her a Beater so that when she runs into something you won't be out loads of money.
A honda accord or toyota corolla maybe or a small truck like a Ford Ranger.
Be prepared for sticker shock with the insurance. Our oldest son's 16 y.o. just got her license and their insurance just went through the roof. Good luck.

 

[sapest]

Toyota Matrix

Hundreds of them around, its a just a Corolla hatchback. Toyota reliable, parts and repairs anywhere that can fix a Corolla, and it will carry a **** load of stuff. A little light on the tech side, but even the strippers have aux in for the radio and heated mirrors.

Decent balance of size and mileage. Anything over 40k miles, be sure to look at the bottom of the water pump for leaks. (Not a big deal to swap, but a leak is always good leverage when making the deal.)

Good luck

-Steve

 

[hppants]

I'm asked this question more times than I can count. The short answer? You buy a kid a $5,000.00 car. A small, 4-door, 4-cylinder, plain jane super simple with VERY few options and frills/thrills to break. Why? AJ - you know why. It's because kids do stupid ****. They forget to look both ways. They turn their heads back to the front a little early when backing. They clip the curb and ruin the rim. The rub the side of the mailbox and scrape up the paint. They leave the window down and it rains in the car. Their foot slips off the brake pedal and they tap something. Stupid ****. So when stupid **** crashes a $20,000.00 car, that's going to hurt. But when stupid **** crashes a $5,000.00 car? Not so much.

When both of my kids were given their first car (in both cases, a safe reliable $5K import sedan), I sat them down on the coach.

"OK kid - listen up. There are 4 and only 4 rules associated with this car. They are non-negotiable and you must follow every one of these at all times, or you forfeit your privledge.

Rule #1: You must pay for every drop of fuel that goes into this vehicle. The reason for that is because I know that the ONLY way I can mitigate my exposure to the risk you are placing me and your mother at is the limit the actual number of miles you drive. And the only way I can do that is to make you pay for the gas.

Rule #2: This vehicle has only liability insurance on it. That means if you get into a wreck, and its your fault, the insurance will not pay to fix the car and YOU must pay for that cost.

Rule #3: I am not giving you permission to drink alcohol, smoke pot, or anything of the sort. But if you find yourself in a position whereby you have done any of those things, BEFORE you get behind the wheel, you MUST call me. Day or night, 24/7 - I don't care. With this I promise to you that I will come to wherever you are, pick you up, and bring you home safe. There will be absolutely no ramifications or punishment or anything of the sort. The next day, we will go get your car and that will be the last you hear about it.

Rule #4: This is NOT your car. This is my car that I'm allowing you to use with my permission. I can revoke that as I see fit so I suggest you act in a manner that is worthy of the privledge that I am giving you.

My kids both did stupid ****. But we never filed an insurance claim. They never got into an accident (reportable one anyway) and most importantly, they never got hurt. This method works.

BTW - both of my kids invoked rule #3 with me one time. In each case, I met my end of the bargain, and they did as well.

 

[FJRay]

My youngest started with a Toyota p/u with a canopy. She could pack all her track **** so I didn't have to. Once she got to the point where she could have passengers she couldn't haul as many so less distractions. Super dependable and cheap to operate. I should mention that she paid for it and had to pay for gas. Free gas from dad gets way to many miles on a vehicle. She did have my company fuel card but had to pay her share of the bill. No pay = no keys. It did end up totaled but not her fault and nobody got hurt.

Like was mentioned a lease on a new econobox would give you the comfort of a warranty if she is out of reach at school and at the end of the lease buy it or give it back.

I like rule three although I never had that much sense during my drinking career.

 

[mech 1 twa]

<p>Toyota Corrola 2008 up.  Matrix is the same platform  but not as many made. Matrix also had all wheel drive model even less made.</p>

<p>Honda Civic 2006-11 solid car. Civic 2 and 4 doors models.  </p>

 

[bigjohnsd]

Pants, I believe your post should be stickied! JSNS

 

[BigOgre]

BTW - both of my kids invoked rule #3 with me one time. In each case, I met my end of the bargain, and they did as well.

That line just brought back a memory and, looking back, probably was a good example for my oldest although I'm not sure it was the thought at the time. We had the same rule, still do as a matter of fact. Sometime back when he had just gotten his full license (10 years ago?) my wife and I found ourselves sitting at a favorite restaurant's bar for a bit too long. Hey! He's got a license now right?? Yeah son, take your time. We'll just have another until you get here.

 

[juniorfjr]

When my daughter needed a car we were looking for a Corrola or a Civic. But because every parent wanted one for their kids, they were getting way to much and had to many miles for what they wanted. We ended up buying a Pontiac Sunfire for a lot less with 50k on the odometer. She drove the wheels off of that POS GM and it got great mileage without costing us anything. Look for something clean with low miles and US made can usually be gotten for less.

 

[Auburn]

we went the pck up route too. Toyota - no extra cab, with bucket seats = one passenger at a time for the same reasons FJRay said. We had similar rules as 'pants does, never had to invoke the rule 3 (thankfully - I think she was more scared of her mother than me). I also included a grades criteria. Had to have at least a 3.0 to drive to school one day a week, and for each tenth higher she could add one additional day a week. We covered gas via a credit card we got in her name so we had control of the fuel. Insurance was on our policy, but the rates were based on her grades (which she did very well - so it was not an issue).

A Subaru is a great option if you need an AWD. our last one had 275K on it when we finally sold it. Had to do the head gaskets/head rebuild, normal maintenance (timing belts are easy to do on it), and one alternator replacement