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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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#59 of 554 Re: My 2 cents worth.... [thebigal] by alp8 Aug 25, 2006 (10:41 pm)
Replying to: the_big_al (Jun 27, 2008 3:16 pm) you are wise beyond your years   and with that saved money, I can help pay for my Z4?     actually, a buddy tonight may have talked me out of the Z4 and into a Saturn Sky   it's funny how buddies can do that
#60 of 554 My son's high school ride by exo425 Aug 26, 2006 (6:45 pm)
Hey there, My son is going into his senior year of high school and he has had his license since the end of his sophmore year. he currently drives a 1991 Buick Regal Coupe. Unless you really need AWD then a large front wheel drive car should be enough. AWD does have its advantages and it really does work in bad weather, however many cars that have it are undesirable for teen drivers. If you don't mind putting your daughter in an SUV then that is fine. I see many teen girls driving in Grand Cherokees or smaller SUVs like Honda CR-Vs or Ford Escapes. If AWD is a necessity, than i would suggest you look at a Subaru Impreza 2.5 (Non WRX) or a small SUV such as a CR-V but no larger than a Chevy Equinox. If you find that you don't need AWD, then i would suggest looking at post 2000 GM W-Bodies (Regals,Impalas, Grand Prixs, Monte Carlos), Honda Accords, Nissan Maximas, and Toyota Camries. If New England snow storms are any indication, large, V6, front drive cars should be enough to tackle mostly any weather. Replies to this message: alp8 (Aug 27, 2006 8:36 pm) exo425 (Aug 28, 2006 8:26 am) kirstie_h (Aug 28, 2006 8:47 am)
#61 of 554 Re: My son's high school ride [exo425] by alp8 Aug 27, 2006 (8:36 pm)
Replying to: exo425 (Aug 26, 2006 6:45 pm) I like the GM idea   how reliable are those cars?   Given how much money I'd save by buying a used GM, I could afford a few repairs. Replies to this message: exo425 (Aug 28, 2006 8:26 am) kirstie_h (Aug 28, 2006 8:47 am)
#62 of 554 GM and reliability by suydam Aug 28, 2006 (5:11 am)
I'm not sure about the rest of the GM lineup, but Buicks have very good reliability. One of my sons' first car (actually second, as he totalled the first one!) was a 1988 Buick LeSabre which was still in good condition when he sold it years later. He then bought a 1998 LeSabre which has also held up very well. Replies to this message: exo425 (Aug 28, 2006 8:43 am)
#63 of 554 Forester by au1994 Aug 28, 2006 (7:14 am)
I'd bet you could pick up a new base model Subie Forester for under your 20k limit. Has AWD, a few power goodies , good safety ratings and enough go under the hood to keep her out of trouble, but not in trouble if that makes sense.
#64 of 554 Re: My son's high school ride [alp8] by exo425 Aug 28, 2006 (8:26 am)
Replying to: alp8 (Aug 27, 2006 8:36 pm) My sons car is a 91 and we have owned the car since day one when we bought it brand new. It has 210K miles on it (original engine and trans). I have changed the alternator, water pump, and ignition coils. Thats pretty much it. I think they are deffinately reliable as all cars this day and age are. If you are thinking about a GM product, may I suggest one with the 3.8 engine. Those engines are bulletproof with normal maintenance and since so many have been made, parts are easy to find for them and very cheap as well. Replies to this message: kirstie_h (Aug 28, 2006 8:47 am)
#65 of 554 Re: GM and reliability [suydam] by exo425 Aug 28, 2006 (8:43 am)
Replying to: suydam (Aug 28, 2006 5:11 am) GM as of now has very good reliability. It is true that back in the day, say 80s-mid 90s, their quality was behind the Japanese brands. However, from what I have seen, the cars appear to be solid. If anything, most of the things that go wrong in a GM car are usually small annoyances such as an interior light not working or some type of small electrical glitch. Otherwise, the expensive parts on the car (engine/trans) seem to last forever. Oh another thing, i have never had a problem with rusting on any GM car i have owned but it did happen to my Subaru back in the day.
#66 of 554 Re: My son's high school ride [exo425] by kirstie_h HOST Aug 28, 2006 (8:47 am)
Replying to: exo425 (Aug 28, 2006 8:26 am) As another member has previously mentioned, you don't have to worry about those GM engines... the interior will fall to pieces LONG before the engine is a concern
#67 of 554 Well" by jrosasmc Aug 29, 2006 (6:36 pm)
The best car for a teen in my opinion, given a $20k budget, would be an '03 or '04 Volvo S60 (non-turbo of course). I think these are the ultimate in safety, yet still stylish enough.
#68 of 554 There are lots of Audi 200's and S-4's Quattro Sedans.... by rockylee Sep 01, 2006 (2:25 pm)
Good clean used ones. Sure they are high mileage, but their engines are bullet proof. I'm really thinking about getting me one for a work car or to redo and keep as a hobby car if I can find me a very clean one. I've always loved them and my best friends mom use to own one and we called it "The Jet"   Both are pretty inexpensive to buy and would make good teen cars.   Rocky

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