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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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Replying to: elburn (Aug 01, 2009 1:41 pm) Get a 1993 Volvo 940 or 240.(last years they made them). Find one in minty condition. They are really amazingly simple cars to work on and fix, yet have the modern safety features as well. The big plus, though, is RWD and manual. Force him to learn manual. It requires much more concentration and it's loads cheaper to fix a clutch($600 or so) versus an automatic. He will drive better(takes serious skills to eat a burger and drive stick vs two-fingering the wheel with an automatic), can do the work himself(the 240 was literally made to be taken apart with hand tools!), and it's dirt cheap to insure. I'm a huge fan of teaching manual to kids if for no other reason than 90% of the world uses them still and if they ever travel, they will need one. There are other issues as well like being able to push start it and a having plenty of warning when the clutch is about to die versus my last three automatics that died all did so within 2-3 *blocks* and then were bricks that had to be towed out of traffic. Plus, it's slow and stable, though with manual, not dangerously so. The wagon versions also are a bit "retro" looking, and while his friends might laugh a bit, hauling half of their gear to a gig is a huge way to change their mind. |
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Feb 25, 2009 3:30 pm) Yeah, that 4 banger was fairly lame... I should know as the wife had one (1991). It was a pretty decent car overall though. We took a Plymouth Acclaim rental to the Smoky Mountains one year. But, it was the much more powerful 6 cylinder with the Mitsubishi engine. Not sure of the horsepower, but that sucker could move pretty good in those mountains. |
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Here is my dilemma. I have a set of 15 year old twin boys who will be getting their driver permits next summer. I drive an 04 Acura TL, 250+ hp. My wife drives 09 Honda CRV SUV; brand new, expensive, high center of gravity. So we don’t have anything to give them, or even teach them to drive in. Ideally, we would like to put them in the safest, most practical car. By safest I mean ABS, side curtain airbags, stability control and traction control. This kind of narrows our choices down to a brand new midsize sedan such as Accord, Sonata, etc. Problems with that is the expense (17-20K). No matter what, the car will be trashed in three years. Also, which one gets to keep this car when they graduate from high school, and which one of them gets a brand new car? Here is the curve ball. My mother can’t drive anymore, and she wants my kids to have her 06 Corolla LE w/ 13K on the clock for free. Well, almost free, I have to give my sister half of the wholesale value of the car, $4-5K, to keep it “fair”. The problem is: no ABS, no side airbags (even front), no stability control and traction control. From the practical and financial points of view, Corolla wins hands down. However, how much the safety of your children is worth? Are those safety features such a big deal, am I obsessing about it too much? What do you think? |
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Replying to: exb0 (Nov 01, 2009 10:23 am)
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Replying to: exb0 (Nov 01, 2009 10:23 am) You can probably do more for their safety by going driving with them, pointing out situations in traffic that need to be watched etc. Does it snow where you live? Find a parking lot and have them slide around; lose control and try to regain it etc. The best safety device is between the kid's ears. Most of the electronic gizmos just make you feel safer and go proportionately faster. I'm not talking about hot-rodding, just knowing I don't have ABS makes me slow down.. and vice versa. The Corolla is a fine car, get it and don't worry about the other stuff. FWIW, I'm on a bicycle year-round, I have to share the road with these guys... what about my safety? Staying out of trouble by planning and paying attention is much better than the electronic stuff. Remove the radio speakers, that'll go along way to keep them out of trouble... Cheers -m
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Replying to: suydam (Nov 01, 2009 1:59 pm) Side airbags are great, but if it means I have to buy an almost new car for a 16-yr-old, then he takes his chances... Traction control? Corollas don't have it, because they don't need it.. Stability control? New drivers need to feel and learn what's going on underneath them.... An '06 Corolla is a fairly recent car, that should be about 10 times as safe as anything from the '90s... A great first car.. |
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Replying to: exb0 (Nov 01, 2009 10:23 am) I would lay down the law about cell phones and loud radio and visitors in the car. Our state has laws on how many nonrelated youngsters can be in the car with an under 18 driver and I think it's 1. I believe I have that right. Keep the distractions down. They don't answer the cell phone. They pull over and when stopped check the cell phone or place a call. They drive with the radio off or softly rather than the hit tune of the day that involves them mentally in the song rather than the driving. Check with insurance company to see if they have a special training video or package for new drivers. Check for good grades discount with insurance company. Remind the kids that one ticket or accident and the reduced insurance rate goes out the window. That rate is lower on an older full-sized car and is another reason for a large older car unless someone has a gift of a car looking them in the face. Our new car the son was driving to school after a year and half of safe driving got brushed by a person parking next to him. He noticed who had parked next to him so when I saw the brush scrapes when I came home, we knew which parents to call (they're in the same after school activity, otherwise we would have checking with the parking lot security person for the owner of the car). So have the boys learn to look at the car when parked and notice who's next to them. BTW the 98 leSabre Junior had been driving to school all last year got several nicks and door dings from kids parking next to him and their passengers or the driver throwing the doors open without regard for the car next to him. Other kids in our lot have relatively new BMWs and Mercedes. I wonder what kind of parking lot damage they have gotten. |
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Nov 01, 2009 2:47 pm) It might not be the safest car out there, but at least it slow. They would be too embarrassed to race in it. The idea of both of them sitting in the car and showing off in front of their friends is just scaring the chit out of me. Funny, somebody mentioned the radio and speakers. The first thing one said when they sat in the Corolla was where is the IPod input? The other said can we see how loud the radio gets. The car has 6-disk CD changer, but they keep on telling me that nobody uses CDs anymore. Maybe I should show them what a tape deck looks like in my car. Another thing they are complaining about and I quote: “Why does it have carpet on the seats?” They haven’t set in a car without leather seats in over ten years. Wow, in the current economy, they are in for a rude awaking when they get out on their own. Yes, definitely Corolla. They’re too spoiled as is. |
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Replying to: exb0 (Nov 01, 2009 3:49 pm) I can picture some teenagers who would race anything... My son at 16 got the lecture about how the car is not a rolling entertainment center. That's asking for trouble due to distraction. He won't talk on cell phone and drive. The insurance lady also gave him a lecture when signing him up. She says most kids have an accident in the first 6 months. Insurance rates jump. Sometimes juvenile court takes away temporary (under 18) license until they reach 18. I mentioned the young lady who brushed our car with the front bumper of her Explorer. Daddy and Mommy took away her driving privileges from what I can tell. They felt she knew she was too close to the car and should have felt it rub. She was making a wide turn half circle from the parking entrance to get into the space. No dents because it pushed and dug a little on the plastic bumper which comes around the side and rubbed down to metal on edge of wheel well. So it was $800 for their insurance. The parents came down hard. Father had hoped to avoid turning it in to the insurance. But he did say he was looking for a "tank" to buy for her to drive, suggesting she may have another accident before she learns. I still believe we lucked out in having the 98 leSabre as our older car for a new driver. Heavy, easy to drive. Air bags. ABS. If a dent happened didn't have to report it if there was no other property damage; just let him drive with the big dent showing. It helps lower the pride. If I were starting over at 15 1/2 today and didn't have the large old leSabre (170,000 mi), I'd pick one up for $2000-3000 with fairly high miles but that was driveable. Then replace it after 9 months with something a little more recent and more life left in it. |
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Replying to: exb0 (Nov 01, 2009 3:49 pm) i drove a focus for about 4 years, but i feel better about driving a fusion. camry drivers don't decide to cut me off because i am driving something smaller than their car. |
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