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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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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

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#539 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [plekto] by plekto Nov 04, 2009 (7:22 pm)
Replying to: plekto (Nov 04, 2009 6:48 pm) Part 2 - it wouldn't let me edit the post for some reason... **** Of course, my personal beater truck - mind you I could afford most anything used - is an old 4Runner. Dirt cheap, reliable, and a nice 45/55 weight ratio so the rear stays planted. I've made emergency maneuvers at 70mph on the freeway and the rear end didn't budge an inch. http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=61461.0 Mine's not nearly as nice as this, but you get the idea. - fun to work on and indestructible. Mine's approaching 400K miles rapidly as my daily driver and when this engine does, it'll cost me $1300 for a new one. If it ever dies. It goes like stink with the new header I put on it. The transmission was $1200, brand spanking new three years ago, installed, with a clutch. It's a fun, aggressive thing that costs nothing to maintain and can literally go to Alaska and back. Old Land Cruisers are also nice as well, but are a bit pricey lately. http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=59811.0 I'd love to own this thing... heh. My next rig will likely be one of these. There are so many better ways to spend that money and keep your kid safe than buying some jellybean-mobile commuter box. Replies to this message: morin2 (Nov 05, 2009 4:57 pm) plekto (Nov 06, 2009 7:25 am) tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 7:16 am) and 2 more... explorerx4 (Nov 06, 2009 4:36 pm) morin2 (Nov 06, 2009 6:53 pm) and 7 more...
#540 of 554 Re: Thanks everyone for your replies. [js06gv] by exb0 Nov 05, 2009 (6:18 am)
Replying to: js06gv (Nov 04, 2009 5:59 pm) js06gv, thank you, that was very helpful. The repairs where performed by the Sterling Autobody Ctr, a national chain and subsidiary of Allstate insurance. That might explain the low $4K estimate. I decided to keep the car for the kids. The kids are excited, and my mother is happy to do this for them. I am sure that in the hands of two teenagers, this car will see the inside of body shop a few more times. With 12K on the clock, how can I go wrong. In six years or so I'll sell it for $3K and nobody will care about the previous body damage.
#541 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [plekto] by morin2 Nov 05, 2009 (4:57 pm)
Replying to: plekto (Nov 04, 2009 7:22 pm) Yes - I would agree with the 4Runner suggestion. Also, the visibility from the 4Runner's driver's seat is far superior than a small pickup with a cap. The cap weight helps a bit in handling, but is more than offset by the increased blind spot - so not good for a new driver. I've owned many pickups, big and small, and there's just no way they can be recommended for a new driver. The vehicles with the highest teenager fatalities are small pickups (Ford Ranger is #1 in fatalities). Replies to this message: plekto (Nov 06, 2009 7:25 am) tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 7:16 am) plekto (Nov 07, 2009 8:22 am) and 1 more... explorerx4 (Nov 06, 2009 4:36 pm) morin2 (Nov 06, 2009 6:53 pm) plekto (Nov 06, 2009 8:20 pm) and 2 more... explorerx4 (Nov 07, 2009 11:53 am) and 3 more...
#542 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [morin2] by plekto Nov 06, 2009 (7:25 am)
Replying to: morin2 (Nov 05, 2009 4:57 pm) Also, Toyotas with the 4 cylinder and manual get reasonable mileage and aren't really fast. MIne maxxes out at around 80mph but really starts to complain above 70-75.(gearing issue, not power) But thanks to short gearing, it does 0-60 in about 10-12 seconds, which is about what normal traffic does. I have to rev it to 3-4K rpm while they loaf at 1/4 throttle, but I have no issues with traffic, and this is in Los Angeles as well. Plus they're cheap - just stay away from the 3.0 V6 and you'll be fine. Mine is about 4-6 inches higher than a typical pickup and has big metal bars on the sides(added - $200 used) plus I added another roll bar inside. It's safe and then some. Probably run over a Smart Car without realizing it Replies to this message: tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 7:16 am) plekto (Nov 07, 2009 8:22 am) tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 11:23 am)
#543 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [morin2] by explorerx4 Nov 06, 2009 (4:36 pm)
Replying to: morin2 (Nov 05, 2009 4:57 pm) where did you get your fatality stat? Replies to this message: morin2 (Nov 06, 2009 6:53 pm) plekto (Nov 06, 2009 8:20 pm) british_rover (Nov 07, 2009 12:52 pm) and 1 more... explorerx4 (Nov 07, 2009 11:53 am) tidester (Nov 07, 2009 9:29 pm) and 2 more...
#544 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [explorerx4] by morin2 Nov 06, 2009 (6:53 pm)
Replying to: explorerx4 (Nov 06, 2009 4:36 pm) http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/24/iihs-crash-tests-small-pickups-majority-flunk- / 3rd paragraph, last sentence: "The IIHS also tells us that small pickups have the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road, which makes these tests all the more significant." Somewhere there are rates by model as well. Ranger was highest for many years. The data for small pickup death rates has been the highest of any vehicle type for at least the past 3 decades. Replies to this message: plekto (Nov 06, 2009 8:20 pm) british_rover (Nov 07, 2009 12:52 pm) plekto (Nov 07, 2009 4:06 pm) explorerx4 (Nov 07, 2009 11:53 am) tidester (Nov 07, 2009 9:29 pm) plekto (Nov 08, 2009 8:43 am) explorerx4 (Nov 08, 2009 7:33 pm)
#545 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [morin2] by plekto Nov 06, 2009 (8:20 pm)
Replying to: morin2 (Nov 06, 2009 6:53 pm) Yet a small SUV/4x4 is worlds better. The big problem is side impacts with trucks and being a foot higher (or more) off the ground plus extra off-road bits and pieces... well, I know one guy who had someone turn in front of them(didn't look) at 45mph. Guy's back is still kind of messed up, but he survived. The woman was in the hospital for two weeks. His dog broke its back in two places it was so violent. The reason he survived was certainly because his old Toyota was so solidly built and all the extra stuff he put on it(the big bull bars and so on saved the engine from ending up in his lap, though the truck was totaled otherwise)) Look, nothing is perfect. little econoboxes aren't much better. If it was me, I'd get my son an old Town Car, but.... Replies to this message: british_rover (Nov 07, 2009 12:52 pm) plekto (Nov 07, 2009 4:06 pm)
#546 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [plekto] by tankbeans Nov 07, 2009 (7:16 am)
Replying to: plekto (Nov 06, 2009 7:25 am) If it's as high as you say it is the Smart probably wouldn't be damaged either. Maybe if the driver of said Smart was shaken you could load their car into the cargo hold and bring them someplace to calm down. Replies to this message: plekto (Nov 07, 2009 8:22 am) tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 11:23 am)
#547 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [tankbeans] by plekto Nov 07, 2009 (8:22 am)
Replying to: tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 7:16 am) http://arch.smugmug.com/photos/103108729_5TuaV-L.jpg Looks like someone already had that idea. http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/smart%20car%20crash1.jpg Of course, you're right - it might be easy to just load into the cargo bay after a crash. I honestly haven't seen anything that bad since VW Bugs were on the road. Replies to this message: tankbeans (Nov 07, 2009 11:23 am)
#548 of 554 Re: Have to weigh in on the small truck suggestions [plekto] by tankbeans Nov 07, 2009 (11:23 am)
Replying to: plekto (Nov 07, 2009 8:22 am) Yikes. I'm not a fan of Smart cars myself, but that's sad. I hope nobody was hurt. The sad part is that the first one was probably loaded with 2 or 3 decent sized guys without a forklift. I think they're just too small for our roadways and the number of huge land barges that are floating around. I wouldn't feel safe in one. I'm not talking down about choices that people make about what they drive. That's their prerogative, but something that small is not Smart (pardon the pun). They're barely more visible than a motorcycle. /end off topic discussion. Nice finds with the pics though.