Buying 16 year old a car- help

[RamblingMad]

OK, well, then vehemently agree to disagree. My family has been driving Subarus since the late 60's and they are always the car we go to when the other cars refuse to go. You want a reliable car that will get him around town for now and off to college in a few years - nothing fancy. Frankly I think I'd start the search with your insurance agent. The difference in insurance between car types is huge.

Falken Tires just came out with AT tires for Subarus. They won’t make your vehicle an off-road one, but they’ll get punctured less often.

 

[Klayfish]

I will add that generally speaking, there are very few truly "bad" cars on the marketplace today. This is such an improvement over 20-30 years ago. Most modern cars are pretty decent. Just like any other product, some are better than others. It's a relative sliding scale.

Yes, ask your insurance agent about costs, it is important.

 

[mousefan1972]

Makes more sense to hand down one of your cars and buy yourself something new than to go used car shopping. You’ll already know your vehicle. Less surprises.

If I was going to buy used, I’d stick to pickups.

Buy a new vehicle for yourself and give or sell her your vehicle at a great price. Win for everyone.

That was our first idea. My car is too new; it's a 2018 CR-V that I'll have had for 2 years next month. DH's car is a 2016 Pilot. We toyed with the idea of handing that one down to her, but DH doesn't want to take on another big payment for whatever he would buy to replace it.

FWD sedan, slap some snow tires on it if that helps. Used 4x4s and AWDs are all going to be higher price point. And for a teen I think an SUV could give them a false sense of security in the winter... Most vehicles I see in ditches in the winter here are SUVs.

I'm just very leery of her driving anything smaller than an SUV in the winter. Where we live (north of Boston) we get a lot of ice... I've been driving for 30 years and the ice still freaks me out.

Klayfish mentioned them upthread and said they were an inferior product. We are on our second one and it seems fine to me, but he does know a lot about cars so I'd like to hear more but didn't want to hijack the thread.

DH HATES Subarus. Not even sure why. But we aren't considering one due to his illogical hatred of the brand.

 

[mousefan1972]

Thanks everyone for the replies thus far. I should add... DD's dream car is a Jeep Wrangler. We live in an affluent area and a lot of the kids at her school have one. We can't afford a 30K car for a 16 year old, heck we can't afford 20K. Right now it's looking like 12-13K is the max we can spend. Can we get her a decent used Wrangler for that? It seems like everyone I see is at least 25K. It's starting to seem like she'll get an older version of my car- Honda CR-V.

 

[Klayfish]

Understand your concern, but realize that proper tires are FAR more important than AWD. And SUVs aren't any more safe than their sedan equivalent (i.e. the CR-V is basically a Civic on stilts). Plus, they roll over far more often. Proper ice driving skills and good tires are all you need. You can even use a RWD car in Boston winters.

Wranglers do keep their value. $13k would buy you an older one. Their reliability is so-so. Again, I absolutely love them, but talk about roll over risk....

 

[mousefan1972]

I'm also in Mass and my son just got licensed this past September. The comments about FWD and snow tires, while would be OK, wouldn't normally cut it with the winters here, combined with the roads and hills. Can you get around without 4WD or AWD, sure, but I'd personally prefer having 4WD/AWD.

Anyway, if you have a friend or family member that has half a clue about cars, ask them to assist with the search (or at least take a look when you find something that might fit). I had my son narrow down to different vehicles that he thought he'd like. We told him we would match any monies he put up. That way, he has a vested interest in it, and treat it well. As a 16 year old male, he of course looked at everything the least practical for our area. Rear wheel drive sports cars to be specific. That didn't happen. He wanted my wife's car (a 2014 BWM 328i X-drive). Oddly enough, we considered that because it's a great sedan, AWD, very reliable and surprisingly "affordable". However, Her car is in great shape, and I anticipate some growing pains so I wanted him in something a little less nice or that could a little bumping and bruising. He opted for a Jeep Wrangler. I was good with that choice for a few reason.... it's 4WD, it's compact enough for him to learn how to maneuver in traffic, parking, etc, it's slow (not a lot of power), and he can have fun in the summer too removing the top. I'm a car nut, so I was able to find a few, check them out and narrow it down to one or two. He wanted a (newer) 4 door Wrangler, but they were out of his price range. I was able to find that diamond in the rough.... 2004 with a 4.0 motor, automatic transmission (I did want him to get a manual), hard top AND soft top, full doors AND half doors, ALL service records, all original parts (prior owner upgraded some parts to better quality, and saved the OEM stuff), 80k miles on it, and spotless. He fell in love with it, which helped because I knew he'd take care of it. We got it for $8000, of which he paid $4000. He also bought his "mods" and worked with me on other changes he wanted to do. His sense of pride in HIS Jeep really shows, and that carries into how he takes care of it.

When we bought it, stock (after I detailed it for him).

View attachment 453771


He's since added bigger tires and different wheels. He's also changed up the interior too (I did help a little, but mostly showed him how and he did it himself). Here he is, the day he passed and got his license...


View attachment 453773

OMG!! Where did you find that? We are north of Boston, north shore- ish. DD's dream car is a Wrangler. I would love to find an affordable one for her that I could hire you and your son to fix up.

 

[mousefan1972]

Understand your concern, but realize that proper tires are FAR more important than AWD. And SUVs aren't any more safe than their sedan equivalent (i.e. the CR-V is basically a Civic on stilts). Plus, they roll over far more often. Proper ice driving skills and good tires are all you need. You can even use a RWD car in Boston winters.

Wranglers do keep their value. $13k would buy you an older one. Their reliability is so-so. Again, I absolutely love them, but talk about roll over risk....

Roll over risk.. I know, I know. Ugh. As for "proper ice driving skills", like I said I've had my license for 30 years and there are still times I feel nervous driving when there is ice on the roads. I'm a good driver and have lived in Mass all my life so very used to the bad weather. (hate it, but used to it) I'll definitely look into a sedan, maybe an Accord, but would feel better if she's in something bigger. Irrational, yes. But it's how I feel.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, neck yeah! If you narrow it down to a few cars, you want to check with your insurance agent for the various rates!

 

[yoopermom]

We have a running family joke about what elderly relative is going to be giving up driving soon, because that vehicle will be passed down to the newest driver.

Honestly, as someone who has lived in the UP for 25 years and is still terrified of driving on ice, no matter what vehicle you get her, her safety is going to be more reliant on her skills/training/experience. (Not to mention the common sense to realize that sometimes it's best to just stay home!)

Terri

 

[disney junky]

We bought a used Honda CRV. It wasn't overly powerful. It had four wheel drive. Very reliable. It sits fairly high which offered good visibility.

 

[RamblingMad]

Thanks everyone for the replies thus far. I should add... DD's dream car is a Jeep Wrangler. We live in an affluent area and a lot of the kids at her school have one. We can't afford a 30K car for a 16 year old, heck we can't afford 20K. Right now it's looking like 12-13K is the max we can spend. Can we get her a decent used Wrangler for that? It seems like everyone I see is at least 25K. It's starting to seem like she'll get an older version of my car- Honda CR-V.

When I was out East, that was the go to car for the teenage population or hand me downs, which were expensive luxury cars. It always felt weird when the neighbors kids drove nicer cars than we did. I’m not a car guy. I’m good owning a car for a decade or longer.

Now that I’m back west, I’m seeing a lot of kids in Japanese sedans. And I see more Prius than luxury cars. So where you live definitely impacts vehicles you see on the road. However, the home values are higher as well as incomes. Conspicuous consumption defers from zip code to zip code regardless of means.

As for Subaru hatred, all that I can think of is that their vehicles aren’t as masculine as say a 4 Runner or a pickup. That feels like toxic masculinity to me.

 

[NotUrsula]

Roll over risk.. I know, I know. Ugh. As for "proper ice driving skills", like I said I've had my license for 30 years and there are still times I feel nervous driving when there is ice on the roads. I'm a good driver and have lived in Mass all my life so very used to the bad weather. (hate it, but used to it) I'll definitely look into a sedan, maybe an Accord, but would feel better if she's in something bigger. Irrational, yes. But it's how I feel.

I have a friend who was in a rollover in a Wrangler 9 years ago. It flipped once at 30 mph on ice after she swerved to avoid a stuck vehicle; it kept sliding upside down for about 50 yds, ending up in a ditch. Bad does not begin to describe the severity of her injuries. It took her a year to learn to walk again because she ended up with one leg shorter than the other after the compound fractures healed, and she has had 5 surgeries to minimize the scarring from the facial lacerations. Her jaw was also fractured, along with several teeth.

I personally wouldn't take a Wrangler for highway driving if you gave it to me for free and wrapped it in pretty ribbons. If ice is a fear, a lower center of gravity and a wide wheelbase is what you want.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Teenagers tend to beat their cars. You can't possibly learn everything you need to know about driving in the 6 months-1 year it takes to get a license, and with age comes wisdom. I've witnessed 2 of my son's friends hit objects that weren't even moving--one hit a mailbox, the other backed into a hillside! I guarantee the car is going to be all dinged up in the first year. I wouldn't worry too much about the looks or type of car, just ask my mechanic to help me find something mechanically sound and safe. My current plan is to give my car to my son when he gets his license, and buy MYSELF something newer. I figure this way I know he is driving something safe, but I won't mind too much if he has some fender benders in the car.

 

[Klayfish]

Tot

Roll over risk.. I know, I know. Ugh. As for "proper ice driving skills", like I said I've had my license for 30 years and there are still times I feel nervous driving when there is ice on the roads. I'm a good driver and have lived in Mass all my life so very used to the bad weather. (hate it, but used to it) I'll definitely look into a sedan, maybe an Accord, but would feel better if she's in something bigger. Irrational, yes. But it's how I feel.

Totally understand. Given what I do, I would just recommend trying to put aside irrational thought (I know it's hard) and think of what's best for her. I wasn't trying to insult your driving. I lived in the Northeast for over 40 years, so I get it. Proper poor weather driving skills are far more important than the car itself. Learning how to control a slide. Learning to stomp and steer in an emergency, etc.... I'd have to check numbers, but pretty sure the Accord is bigger than a CR-V. Without a shadow of a doubt, I can assure you she is far better off in the Accord from a safety standpoint.

 

[piccolopat]

I agree with Klayfish. A sedan is a better choice than an SUV for a new driver. I also agree that FWD with good tires is fine for the northeast almost all of the time. I think many people have a false sense of security with 4WD or AWD and think they can drive on anything, but these don't have any advantage when there is ice on the road. In fact, I have noticed more than a few people driving too fast a storm end up off the road when they hit ice. Sure 4WD/AWD helps when the snow gets a bit deep but frankly I avoid driving until the roads are relatively clear. I never would have allowed my DD to drive in those conditions as a new driver. It takes time for anyone to learn to drive safely in those conditions.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Having been a teenage girl, the mother of teen age girls and now a grand mother of a teenage boy, I would beg you to reconsider buying a car. Insurance costs, gas, multiple repairs because kids have no conception of how far they are from another object...will add up considerably, and based on my experience 16 year olds, boys or girls, have limited maturity to handle a car of their own, especially when they have other kids in the car. When she is old enough to buy a car on her own and pay all expenses she will appreciate it and care for it, much more. The moaning and whining will continue for awhile until you put your foot down,

This probably won’t change your mind, but if I could change any things about my earlier parenting, this would be a major change, If you must, I would recommend frequent random drug testing and perhaps installing a device to measure alcohol use in the car. Sure she’s a good girl now you say....when young immature kids get access to a multi ton vehicle that holds other kids of like minds, they suddenly develop group think and feel and believe they have complete and total freedom to do what they want, when they want. Just saying. Good luck.

 

[SteveH]

Neither of our kids were early drivers, by their own choice. I do generally agree a sedan is a better vehicle to learn in. However I see a lot more kids racing any small sedan, mostly all say Honda on them. Oddly, enough they seem to be the ones in the roll overs around here, not so much the SUVs. The plus to the SUV is they sit up a bit higher so they can get a bit of a better view of what is happening ahead of them.

Our kids shared our 2006 Jeep Liberty, its not off at college with our youngest. Some 130,000 miles on it and it's still going strong.

@TAX GUY - nice Jeep TJ! With the wider tires and rims roll over shouldn't be a big deal, plus by not jacking it up should be good. I love seeing him enjoy the doors off driving. I tell people all the time I LOVE driving my Jeep with the doors and top off, and just like a motorcycle you are much more aware of what's going on around you since you are a exposed.

@Klayfish I'm glad somebody else understand the Subaru cult. I will say Wrangler owners are similar... but not as intense, but having grown up in Oregon the Subaru love fest is a pretty crazy.

 

[Klayfish]

Neither of our kids were early drivers, by their own choice. I do generally agree a sedan is a better vehicle to learn in. However I see a lot more kids racing any small sedan, mostly all say Honda on them. Oddly, enough they seem to be the ones in the roll overs around here, not so much the SUVs. The plus to the SUV is they sit up a bit higher so they can get a bit of a better view of what is happening ahead of them.

Our kids shared our 2006 Jeep Liberty, its not off at college with our youngest. Some 130,000 miles on it and it's still going strong.

@TAX GUY - nice Jeep TJ! With the wider tires and rims roll over shouldn't be a big deal, plus by not jacking it up should be good. I love seeing him enjoy the doors off driving. I tell people all the time I LOVE driving my Jeep with the doors and top off, and just like a motorcycle you are much more aware of what's going on around you since you are a exposed.

@Klayfish I'm glad somebody else understand the Subaru cult. I will say Wrangler owners are similar... but not as intense, but having grown up in Oregon the Subaru love fest is a pretty crazy.

Yup, the Wrangler crowd is very much a loyal customer. Subaru really pushes hard in areas like Oregon, Vermont, Colorado and other areas that get bad weather. Absolutely brilliant marketing, good for them. But product wise, they are very meh.

The whole needing to be up high for a good view of the road is more of a driving skill and mental comfort than reality.

 

[wgeo]

My experience fwiw - I started a thread almost exactly like this 2 months ago.

We ended up finding a 2009 Corolla one owner on craigslist and are very happy with the purchase. Sure the car has no back up camera (my son was initially surprised that he'd have to look the entire time - and now only a month or so later, if he's driving my car he doesn't even use the camera because he's so used to looking backwards) and it has roll up windows (he could care less). The legit only thing my son cared about was that he could listen to the music from his phone - so we spent $10 on an auxillary cable so he could plug his phone in and listen to his playlist. He is beyond the moon happy that he got a car, I am happy with the small price tag and with the knowledge that while a Corolla is a very safe car, it's also ok for it to get scratched and dinged as will inevitably happen with a kid driver.

As for insurance - it skyrocketed, like crazy after adding him and the car - crazy.
Funny note is that my husband was driving a 2015 Toyota Rav4 at the time we were shopping and we decided that was too new to pass down to the kid. A few weeks ago the Rav4 was totalled in an accident and husband ended up purchasing a new CRV - and our insurance went DOWN with the new CRV because apparently it has more safety features then the Rav4. I will never understand insurance lol.

 

[fla4fun]

We lived in Ohio when I first got my license. My parents did not buy me a car. My dad had a really short (less than two miles) commute, so he bought a beater that he drove, and they allowed me to drive his car (which was still “his” car) to school. When I graduated from high school, we were all in the process of relocating to Florida, so he sold the beater and took back the car I had been driving. He offered to sell me the car when I got a job, but I saved up and bought my own car instead. My younger sister took him up on the offer to buy it when she got her first job and that car was in the family for 17 years before she traded it in.

We weren’t allowed to have anyone in the car with us unless one parent was also present, and since the car technically wasn’t ours, and the privilege of using it could be removed at any time, we followed the rules. I think if the car had been “mine” I might have been more willing to take unnecessary risks.