Musings from Dad helping his daughter buy her first new car

[hppants]

My daughter is ready to buy her first new car. We talked about it a while and I learned she wants some kind of compact sedan. She's 24, single, 1.5 years out of college - school teacher. No debt, no credit experience, and no clue regarding vehicles or buying them. She asked me to help her find the right car and I thoroughly enjoyed the ENTIRE process. Raising kids was fun, but getting to know who my adult children are is really neat.

On Friday and Saturday, we visited dealers and drove 9 different vehicles. They were:

(Below is some paraphrasing of her feedback to me. It doesn't matter how I like it - she has to pay for it. I do see all of her points and really agree with almost every one. It was fascinating to learn about what she likes and compare it to what her mother likes or even what I like. I drove one of the vehicles out of curiosity.)

Ford Focus SE - Steering is too jerky and not smooth. Interior feels cheap and I think it might fall apart quickly. Vehicle is loud at road speeds and doesn't track very straight. Radio and A/C controls hard to understand.

Ford Fusion (2014 used) - Much nicer car than the Focus. Drives very smoothly and is comfortable on the road - but for the same money, the car has 40,000 miles.

Chevy Cruze - this car feels smaller than it is. The entire interior is too cramped (she is barely 5'-0" tall and even so, this car is poorly designed in the inside. I felt claustiphobic with the door open in the parking lot). Brakes are not responsive. I can't adjust the seat to be comfortable for me. Trunk is very small. Engine runs good though and the radio sounds nice.

Chevy Malibu (2014 used rental return) - this car feels and looks like Mimi's style. (she was right).

Nissan Sentra - engine runs very well. As soon as I press the gas it goes (CVT). But the interior is cheap looking and this car is very loud. Backup camera screen is small. I don't like the wheels (hubcaps actually and she's right - they look like crap). Seats are not comfortable and I can't see out of the back window very well. She drove this car about 30 seconds and turned around.

Volkswagen Jetta Sport - (Taylor) 'I really like this car!!!! It is very quiet and smooth. I can't even hear the engine running. The seat is firm but comfortable. The steering and brakes are excellent. All of the controls are in the right place. It feels very steady and safe.

Side note - this is the car I drove as well. The Jetta is an amazing vehicle. German engineering - Silky smooth. Responsive. VERY NICE!!! But back in the real world, this car actually scored pretty low on two independent Long Term Reliability tests (30-ish out of 100) and it cost about $5,000 more than even the most expensive competitor. In the end, she didn't think it was good enough to go $125.00 a month over her budget and I agree with her.

Honda Civic SF - The passenger side mirror camera is very cool (it is). The car goes very well and I like the steering. The controls are easy to reach and understand and I like that I can see the speed without having to look through the steering wheel (duh!!). The seat is very comfortable. But the nose (front end) is very long and I can't judge how close I am to other things in the parking lot very well. And I can't see out the back window (Astute observation - the active head restraints on the back seat are huge - rear visibility is horrible on the civic even for my 6 foot frame)

Toyota Corolla LE - This one goes like the Nissan (again CVT). I like the way it drives but the styling is kind of old for me (I can see that). The seat is comfortable but I have to play with the adjustments a lot. The controls are hard to understand and I can't see the screen display in the bright light - glare. Its hard to see out of the back glass - not as bad as the Honda, but still hard. The USB is under the arm rest - I don't like that.

Side note - Hands down, DAD would have picked the Corolla. It is the best value, and has an unmatched reliability. The styling does suit me more than her, I agree. Comes with Michelin Tires and I thought the fit and finish was incredible. However and again, I bit my tongue for the betterment of the team. The goal was for her to choose the car SHE wanted most, and then interject any commentary after that.

and the vehicle she has chosen is:

Scion iA - I love this car Dad!!!! It fits me so well. I can see everywhere and when I press the gas, it seems to go easy. I love the seats and the steering. I really like the controls on the steering wheel. The brakes are not so herky jerky. This car is very quiet and the stereo sounds real good. The trunk is huge (it really is). The wheels are cute (they are). The screen display is HUGE and all of the USB and I-pod ports are in a good place. I can see the dash real well. The mirrors adjust much better (they go at a lower angle for her short stature). Etc. etc. etc......

Scion is Toyota's way of attracting the 20-35 year old first time buyer, and they do a masterful job of it. The iA is actually made by Mazda, and is 95% Mazda 2. Even though in Scion badging this is a first year car, world wide its been sold for 3 years under several Mazda names and has a great reputation for reliability and efficiency (the 37 mpg combined number seems VERY realistic from what I read, but my daughter seems to have a pretty heavy foot). Its got a 5-star crash rating and includes a couple of safety features that none of the competition has including an active front crash sensor (automatically applies the brakes under the proper slow speed frontal crash conditions). It also has a reputation for being "fun to drive", which I suppose is self-explanatory in the "Zoom Zoom" camp. To tell the truth, I thought the car was amazingly valuable for its price point. I shared with my own dad that even considering inflation and relative improvements in technology, my kid is getting 10x the vehicle for far less money than I got for my first car back in the last ice age.

Toyota says that years of research tells them that brand loyalty for vehicle purchases is almost a guarantee - I can't argue with that. They say she will be VERY likely to buy a Toyota for her next 2-5 vehicles, and eventually "graduate" to Lexus by the time she gets to be my age. We'll see about that.

Scion follows the old GM Saturn "no haggling" marketing model - what you see is what you get. Still, trying to compare it apples to apples as much as I can, the iA is about $1,200.00 (or 8-ish percent) cheaper than the Corolla. She qualifies for 0.9% for 60 months (free money in my book). Toyota gives 2 years of free oil changes, and the dealership provides lifetime oil changes and tire rotation, along with a lifetime powertrain warranty. Of course that's a bait tactic to sell other services, but she can just say no and at minimum, I get a free heads up on whatever might be wrong. Win-win.

We ran some other numbers and her increase in fuel mileage will cover the difference in insurance cost. She slept on it Saturday night (at my request) and reported Sunday morning that it felt right (good sign).

Expectedly, they low balled her big time on her old trade ($500.00), so Saturday afternoon we went home and I spent 2 hours with her putting lipstick on the pig. I threw the car on Craigslist at 5:00 pm Saturday for $1,695.00 and by 10:00 pm, we had 6 people lined up to see it on Sunday. The first person that came in the morning bought it. That may be the most money (per hour) that my daughter will ever make in her life!

So on Wednesday or Thursday we go to the dealer and finish it. She's really excited about this

Full disclosure..... so is Pants!!!

 

[FJRay]

Cool story Dad. Sounds like a young lady on her way to good things. It's good to take off the parent hat and become their friend.

 

[juniorfjr]

She'll do fine with the Scion. It'll be reliable, good safety record and like you said they have hit it with the younger market. Great memories to be made.

 

[bluesdog]

Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[Hornet Pilot]

Dad, Dad, Dad.....................STOP!!! Take that thing back while you still can and hurry head over to your friendly Porsche or Audi dealer. She will love you for it!!! Oh, you may have to help her with the payments a little bit but just for awhile!! Gotta luv that German engineering!!! LOL!!!!

 

[Cav47]

I think you could write about a root canal and make it awesome to read!!

Great times and story.

 

[hppants]

Post Script -

After I cleaned up her old beater Saturday, she left to go play with her boyfriend and tell him about her experience. After all, that is what they do. Never mind that dad just spent two hours rubbing and detailing a POS '99 Nissan Altima so that she can pad her down payment a little more. Forget about the fact that dad just spent most of his weekend chasing her dreams. She loves me - I know it in my heart and soul. But it's Saturday night and when the boyfriend calls... well, Dad is just S - O - L.

My daughter does NOT drive like her mom. Her right foot is LOADED and it works hard when applying either fuel or brake. Her mom and I had quite a time riding with her during the test drives. Or perhaps I should say "holding on for dear life"!!!!! I waived from the driveway as she taxied (er.... LAUNCHED) down the street. As I'm walking back up the driveway, I can't help but wonder where the heck 24 years went. I know she's a millennial woman - connected, independent, and all that happy horse ****. But to me, she's still 6 and we are holding hands at the bus stop. But I digress....

I open the house door and SOQS (She of Queenly Stature) is standing at the counter with a VERY LARGE AND VERY FULL glass of wine. She's got that look in her eye.

(Pants) "Well Mama, what do you think?"

(SOQS) "My nerves are shot. How can she drive that way and not kill anyone?"

(Pants) "I'm going to go put my hemroid back in. Pour me one of those."

 

[rushes]

Post Script -*snip*

My daughter does NOT drive like her mom. Her right foot is LOADED and it works hard when applying either fuel or brake. Her mom and I had quite a time riding with her during the test drives. Or perhaps I should say "holding on for dear life"!!!!!

Make sure she gets the extended warranty...

 

[Pterodactyl]

Most important bits of the entire saga: out of college - school teacher (a job with benefits) - no debt. Much there for parents to be comforted by.

I always encouraged my daughter to find a rich old man with a bad cough for a first husband, and that she could marry for love the second time..... but did she listen????? No, of course not, fell in love and married. Beware the boyfriend.

 

[hppants]

Yeah - the boyfriend thinks she should get a Camaro.

(sigh)

 

[gregory]

Great story. Can't wait for the first Scion iA RR. If she is anything like her father, it will be a page turner that you can't put down.

Congrats pants, I feel your joy. Now, where I put down that wine........

 

[Bounce]

Did she look at the Scion FR-S?

https://jalopnik.com/all-the-differences-between-the-scion-fr-s-and-the-suba-1250264976

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Yeah - the boyfriend thinks she should get a Camaro.
(sigh)

Well, if the boyfriend was worth a damn he would have already bought her a Camaro.

 

[BigOgre]

About a year and half ago I got tired of my hard-working, money-in-the-bank, alligator arms, 22 year old son always asking to borrow my EZ-Pass. Told him to apply for his own and that's when I found out/realized he never had a credit card. With no past credit history it wasn't as easy as I thought for him to get a decent card.

I don't know what else your daughter has going on but I'm sure you realize another benefit to this purchase is that it could definitely help build her credit background. When my son found his new-to-him 2012 Silverado a few months ago he felt great knowing he could do it all on his own (although he was also shrewd enough to ask me to co-sign for the better rate.

) Hope she really enjoys it and thanks for the nice story.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Raising kids was fun, but getting to know who my adult children are is really neat.

Excellent quotable material sir.

 

[dcarver]

I wonder how bitchin' a post from 'pants would be if the title was...

'helping my daughter choose her first boyfriend!'

'Pants - kudos dude.

 

[hppants]

Bounce - she did not look at the FR-S, but I glanced at the sticker. It's way out of her price range and practically speaking, she needs a REAL trunk and better fuel mileage.

I was fascinated by some of Taylor's comments. Specifically, what things were really important to her in the car? I didn't want to know this so I could steer her toward any differences we had. I just wanted to know.

Our physical difference in stature would obviously explain some of her views. At 5 foot-nothing, seeing the dashboard gages is HUGE for her. She has to look through the steering wheel, so the design of the wheel is a deal-breaker. Rear visibility was also real important - the rear seat head restraints on the Scion iA are kind of "imbedded" into the seat back, so they are much lower (in the retracted position) than the other cars. That leave more unobstructed glass for her to see out of. There were other distinctions as well.

Of course, there is also a generation of time between us too. All of these kids are highly motivated by technology. Ports, location of ports, number of ports, all of that was ENORMOUS for her. Dad could give a **** less - give me a 12V cigarette lighter socket and I'm good. The size of the screen for the backup camera was also a big factor in the choice.

She really liked the "Pure Price" concept - no haggling. This also seems to trend into her demographic, and their overall lack of interpersonal communication skills. The smart phone is perhaps the greatest technological invention in the history of the civilized world, but it has definite setbacks. It can't so inflection, context, or facial expression. The idea of looking that man in the eye and telling him how the cow chews the cabbage was DAUNTING to my daughter. Avoiding it all together seemed better than facing the demon. She doesn't realize that the demon is inevitable - if not this week, she will have to face him eventually. Ah well - some other time....

But lastly, my daughter is just a different person with different interest. Not worse to be sure, just.... different. she certainly knows what she likes in many cases, but in others, the world is still pretty new. I don't know if I can express this in words, but I will try. She opened the door for the Scion, and sat in it. I walked around and took a second to see what kind of tires the car came with. Then I opened the shotgun seat and sat down. I glanced over at my daughter and I could see a faint glow. She wasn't beaming or even smiling, but there was something going on. She wasn't as patient with the salesman trying to explain how to adjust the seat and a few features of the car. She wanted to hit the road pronto. We idled out of the parking lot and to the highway. She turned left and hit the gas. As we accelerated, I looked straight at her face and her eyes opened up quite a bit. Almost instantly, she barked "Dad, I love this car!!!" I wasn't expecting that. I hadn't had enough time to even venture much of an opinion of the car, but to be clear, it certainly wasn't earth moving. But for her, I could tell that this was really special. She drove the Scion much longer than the others. Toward the end, she wasn't even playing with any controls. She was just enjoying the drive. It was fascinating to me.

I was concerned about her lack of any credit - she's got no student debt, no credit card (never had one), no prior loan experience. As it turns out, this should not be an issue. Both the Honda and the Toyota/Scion finance dude told us the same thing - having ZERO credit history is far better than having BAD credit history. They will take her application and run it through the credit bureau. If she has any credit score on record, it has to be at least 620 to qualify for the best financing. But if she has NO score (as will be the case), then they just look for 3 things to qualify her for the best rate:

- Adequate income (check)

- Steady employment history (check)

- Steady residency (check)

Before we left for the first dealership, Taylor and I had a talk. I told her from the get go that we were not willing to co-sign any loan. Selfishly, we are not willing to be even potentially drawn into liability associated with an accident - just so she can have a new car. At 24, flapping her wings from the safety of the nest is futile. If she is not truly ready to jump and fly, then save us all a bunch of time and we can go about our day. I would never let my kids go without food, clothing, or shelter at any age; but this is not that case. They truly have no idea how hard their mother and I worked to get where we are. By the time they were able to understand anything, the REALLY hard part was already over. I don't want them to struggle like that - but some sting build character and appreciation.

She understood and agreed - it's time to be the big girl that she thinks she is. I have no doubt that she will.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Next time tell her to listen about the seat adjustments. Don't know about her car but mine has the ability to crank up or down the seat height. I'm short at 5'7" and it helped me a lot. I'm sure it would make a world of difference to her as well. Being able to be comfortable, see and reach everything starts with setting up the seat. Sounds like the Scion fit her as it was set on the showroom floor though.

Not sure it's a generation thing with the haggling, just personality. Both me and my dad hate hate hate haggling and dealing with sales people. My dad goes on frequent mission trips to South America and the folks at the markets expect you to haggle with them and they get all disgusted with him because he doesn't haggle. His friends will poke fun and my dad just turns and is like "With the exchange rate, I just got lunch for a dollar, why do I need to haggle them down to $0.50?"

I hate haggling especially over a car. I'll almost get sick to my stomach when it comes to walking onto a car lot. It wasn't helped by being friends with a car salesman who told me a lot of the tricks they used to use with customers. It gave me ammo but also let me see the number of ways they can try to take you down. It's not fun and I hate every minute of it. That said, it throws me for a loop when I get a hold of one of the no haggle places. I was sure I could have gotten a better deal elsewhere by haggling, but in the end I look back and that was the only car buying experience where I left the dealership happy, which is as it should be since I usually end up leaving angry with my new car from the experience.

 

[Bounce]

1. Bounce - she did not look at the FR-S, but I glanced at the sticker. It's way out of her price range and practically speaking, she needs a REAL trunk and better fuel mileage.
2. Of course, there is also a generation of time between us too. All of these kids are highly motivated by technology. Ports, location of ports, number of ports, all of that was ENORMOUS for her. Dad could give a **** less - give me a 12V cigarette lighter socket and I'm good. The size of the screen for the backup camera was also a big factor in the choice.

3. She really liked the "Pure Price" concept - no haggling. This also seems to trend into her demographic, and their overall lack of interpersonal communication skills. The smart phone is perhaps the greatest technological invention in the history of the civilized world, but it has definite setbacks. It can't so inflection, context, or facial expression. The idea of looking that man in the eye and telling him how the cow chews the cabbage was DAUNTING to my daughter. Avoiding it all together seemed better than facing the demon. She doesn't realize that the demon is inevitable - if not this week, she will have to face him eventually. Ah well - some other time....

4. But lastly, my daughter is just a different person with different interest. Not worse to be sure, just.... different.

1. Good points. Given her driving preferences it made me think of it.

2. Tech is important to me too. It's more of a preference thing than an age thing. That and the point you address in #4.

3. I'm nearly 61 and hate haggling too. Buying a car is the most disgusting experience in the world IMO. All the game playing irks me when it should be cut-and-dry. Sleazy car salesman isn't just a comedy bit.

4. Amen! It's an amazing thing to see people, in this day-and-age still thinking, that "different" is "wrong". Myers-Briggs testing (and the background learned as part of taking the test and reading the results) is a great first step in people understanding that differences between individuals make groups (teams) stronger. Far too many people still think that anyone different from them are faulty.