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Best Car for a new teenage driver

554 messages,  Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 7:33 PM

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#31 of 554
Re: that's what I'm saying... [ghulet] by jlawrence01
Aug 15, 2006 (8:58 pm)
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Replying to: ghulet (Aug 15, 2006 8:40 pm)

I would add in the following:
 
Post 2000 Ford Escorts
00-05 Buicks, especially with the 3.8 engine
 
I strongly advise a face to face meeting with your insurance agent LONG before looking at the 1st car.
 
Egads. Volvos. See some of my fleet repair bills on those beasts!
#32 of 554
safety by alp8
Aug 16, 2006 (8:37 am)
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am not sure why you guys think MPG is a big issue. The car might get driven 10 miles/day.
 
everybody has stories of teenage girls who got into crashes, but the simple fact is that girls are about half as likely as boys to get into wrecks, thus the much higher insurance cost for teen boys
 
doesn't mean it won't happen, of course
 
does anyone know what % of single car fatality accidents also involved alcohol?
 
putting a teen driver in a minivan is a mistake. There is too great a chance that that minivan will get filled with teen passengers, and teen passengers are terrible passengers. They screw around and distract the driver. Hell, they even distract me when I am driving. Makes it tough for a new driver to pay attention to the road.
#33 of 554
alp8 by michaell
Aug 16, 2006 (10:24 am)
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...putting a teen driver in a minivan is a mistake. There is too great a chance that that minivan will get filled with teen passengers, and teen passengers are terrible passengers. They screw around and distract the driver. Hell, they even distract me when I am driving. Makes it tough for a new driver to pay attention to the road.
 
Doesn't California have graduated licenses? That a 16 year old cannot transport anyone (other than relatives) in the car with them for the first 6 months or a year after obtaining their license?
 
I know that Colorado has a similar program in place now for its teenaged drivers.
#34 of 554
Re: alp8 [michaell] by alp8
Aug 16, 2006 (11:06 am)
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Replying to: michaell (Aug 16, 2006 10:24 am)

yes, same approach here
#35 of 554
I think we have that in Illinois, too... by ghulet
Aug 16, 2006 (1:38 pm)
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....as well as some sort of curfew (maybe under 18 can't drive after 9 or 10pm unescorted, or something along those lines?)
#36 of 554
Re: ditto [ghulet] by odie6l
Aug 16, 2006 (4:16 pm)
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Replying to: ghulet (Aug 15, 2006 4:09 pm)

What else now--a Jeep Wrangler?! Yeah, that's smart...what, do we want the kid to tip over, or just have his friends romping around with the top down?
 
As I said, '97 - '00 model years. This was the redesign that added the better suspension. If the person that will be driving this vehicle LEARNS how to drive it, there wouldn't be any worry about tipping, plus you can even pull a small trailer with jet ski's / snowmobiles if needed.
 
Odie
Odie's Carspace
#37 of 554
Re: I think we have that in Illinois, too... [ghulet] by jlawrence01
Aug 16, 2006 (6:30 pm)
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Replying to: ghulet (Aug 16, 2006 1:38 pm)

I sure hope so ... deaths of teenage drivers in McHenry County in the past few years has to be in the 30s ...
#38 of 554
my thoughts by carlisimo
Aug 16, 2006 (7:34 pm)
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Check the insurance rates; they can vary a lot between cars.
 
Given the way my 18yr old sister drives and text messages at the same time... I'd suggest trying to get her into a stickshift. I learned on an auto but later had to learn stick, and at that point I became attuned to the sounds the car makes, and that did wonders for my maintenance habits (another issue that will come up...).
 
Regarding the Vibe... I drove one and felt rear/side visibility was a problem. Less so in the Matrix due to the larger third window. But those two cars will struggle up mountains if loaded with people or cargo. A lot of small hatches can't actually carry much by weight even though they have the room =/.
 
And of course get her input. The more she likes it, the more she'll care for it.
#39 of 554
Re: ditto [odie6l] by ghulet
Aug 16, 2006 (9:52 pm)
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Replying to: odie6l (Aug 16, 2006 4:16 pm)

Sorry, odie, still have to agree to disagree about the teens-with-Wranglers idea. My spouse has an '01 (4.0L six, 5-speed manual), and while it's fun to drive and reliable, even at 37 years old with 21 years of no-major-accident driving experience, the thing scares me on occasion. It's still tippy (being 'learned' or not, physics still come into play, especially with a young driver) and is very sensitive to tire pressure, throttle and braking input (recall, this is a short-wheelbase, mostly RWD vehicle with no electronic traction aids and no ABS). Also, dollar-for-dollar (even used, they have unusually high resale for a domestic), it's the tinniest thing one can buy with ZERO creature comforts, lousy safety ratings all around and crummy gas mileage. Attaching a trailer to one with a teen driving and their mates as passengers is borderline crazy, IMO. Sorry...I like the Wrangler for what it is but I could never recommend one for anything other than a 'toy', but not for kids.
#40 of 554
Press request by KarenS HOST
Aug 17, 2006 (10:45 am)
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A large local newspaper is looking to interview 18-25 year olds on what type of car they are looking to purchase. Please send an e-mail to ctalatiedmunds.com no later than Friday, August 18, 2006 by 2:30 PM PT/5:30 PM ET containing your daytime contact information.

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