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Smart Shopper Best Car for a new teenage driver
554 messages, Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 7:33 PM
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This topic is similar to one below.. My daughter just turned 16 and wants her own vehicle. We live in northwest Arkansas - lots of hills and curves. Our house is about 4 miles down a dirt road. I have a 4WD Tahoe (love it), my husband has a Sierra (not 4WD, and he gets stuck in the driveway when ground is wet). So, my daughter probably needs 4WD. But, I don't think a small car with low clearance would work. Also, I would get stuck and/or slide with my 4WD before I got "offroad" tires. People on the other discussion suggested Impreza, Vibe and Matrix. Would these options fit my needs? Or, is there other suggestions? BTW, most teenagers around here, even girls, drive pickups. And, I am looking for a used vehicle. |
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Replying to: kiminar (Nov 08, 2008 8:12 am)
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Replying to: kiawah (Nov 08, 2008 9:14 am) The nice part about the Escape is that it's been around long enough that you can get a used one for $6k or less. I haven't looked into them, but the Escape has been around since 2000(not sure of the year), but I know that Ford's lose their value pretty fast, even though they are still about average in terms of reliability. |
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Replying to: kiminar (Nov 08, 2008 8:12 am)
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Replying to: qbrozen (Nov 08, 2008 7:54 pm) Less than $20,000 - would really like it to be closer to $12,000.
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Replying to: kiminar (Nov 09, 2008 6:22 am) New Suzuki SX4? Or just go with the lightly used Subaru. |
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Late to the discussion, but Kiminar can you tell us what dealerships are available in your area? Or is it easy to find just about any brand? Judging from the area you're in, I assume lots of slippery dirtroads and ditches, especially after snow or rain. If it's true then you're right, AWD seems a must. You need to be more specific with your criterias, for example: 1) Do you need room or pickups are just fine? 2) What size do you expect, midsize, somewhat compact? She's 16 so I discourage getting her anything large like your Tahoe. 3) Does fuel economy matter much? 4) Who'll pay for gas and maintenance? 5) Depreciation. Are you planning to resale it anytime soon, or drive it till it drops? My assumption so far: she'll pay for gas at least. So gas guzzlers are out. Here's what I think: As a former Escape v6 driver I can say it's a decent AWD ride. Roomier than you might expect, and cheap maintenance. Downsides are few: crude sounding engine, CD player kept scratching my cds even after being replaced, and large amount of brakedust. However, please remember this: avoid the 4-cyl. models at all cost! The engine's prone to numerous problems includng misfiring, fuel economy barely any different from v6, plus you get a lot of clutch slipping as bonus. As a consideration a used 1yr old v6 model can be had for $15-16k around here. My top recommendation. Matrix-Vibe twin not a bad choice, but they're on the small side. Their AWD also meant for light duty, I wonder if your terrain condition allows that. Should you decide to choose this model I recommend the Vibe for it's higher ground clearance and lower price. Another suggested Suzuki SX4. This is a decent vehicle, but really small, and I doubt the AWD works for your case. If you prefer Japanese products I recommend Subaru or Nissan. The others are either too expensive or unreliable. Subaru has the most durable AWD I can think of. An older used one isn't that much of an issue as Subaru engines are known to last longer than the rest of the car itself. The only potential problem is it's a wagon thus stands closer to the ground. I don't know how bad the road gets in your are but I'd give it a try since Impreza and Outback survive dirt road better than most people think. Also, I don't think the CR-V and Rav4 are good ideas. No matter what they say those aren't meant for actual dirt-road. They'll get stuck way before the Subaru does, and they cost more thanks to ridiculously strong resale. A 2yr old Impreza wagon cost about $18-19k, whereas 2yr old CRVs and Rav4s can strangle you with the $22-25k price tag. Is resale a big consideration? If not you can take advantage of Subaru's AWD in the form of Saab 9-2x. Its basically a blatant Impreza wagon ripoff, but it depreciate so deeply you can get the same MY(model year) 92x as the Subaru for the same price or (sometimes even) less!!! The other model I dare recommend is Nissan's X-terra. Not the best model from Nissan nor the most fuel efficient, and it looks umm... macho, but it handles dirt and ditches with ease. I dare say that as I've seen those going up the Aspen. Nissan's not so great resale should put good value for your budget. Another potential product, though rarely (if ever) mentioned is Kia's Sorento. Reliability not so good, but on par with domestics. Midsize at compact price, strong AWD (I've seen a couple of those on the Aspen along w/ the X-terra) it's brother Hyundai doesn't have. Add generous warranty + horrific resale and you get huge value. A 1yr old top-end Sorento should cost no more than $14k loaded. This should offset dismal 18mpg fuel economy a bit. I dont suggest it if you plan on reselling it, but otherwise its a great value. Goodluck. |
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managed to roll 'her' suv over twice within 2 houses of leaving her driveway and hitting a small pickup truck. good news is the side airbags deployed and she suffered no physical injury. none of the emergency personnel had ever seen anything like it. |
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the suv rolled twice within 2 houses???????...... never seen nor heard anything like it either.  I wonder if its her driving or the SUV. What make-model-year is it? |
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Replying to: m4d_cow (Dec 15, 2008 1:06 am) What make-model-year is it? "was" it....... |
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