View Full Version : Help With a Car for My Daughter
My oldest Daughter will turn 16 in a couple of months and I am looking to buy her a solid used car. I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla that is my usual work driver and it has been fantastic. I am looking at used Corollas, but wanted to see what others had to say about other brands and models? Looking for a small car that gets good gas mileage that will be reliable. Honda civic? Hyundai? Others?
Any guidance and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
My oldest Daughter will turn 16 in a couple of months and I am looking to buy her a solid used car. I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla that is my usual work driver and it has been fantastic. I am looking at used Corollas, but wanted to see what others had to say about other brands and models? Looking for a small car that gets good gas mileage that will be reliable. Honda civic? Hyundai? Others?
Any guidance and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Give her yours and find an upgrade for yourself.
Give her yours and find an upgrade for yourself.
Nah, mine has 150,000 miles on it and I would like hers to have half that. I take care of my corolla pretty well and expect to get another 100,000 more miles out of it at least.
One of our daughters drove an ‘07 Honda Civic for 13 years and the other drove an ‘08 Nissan Altima for 12 years. Both were good cars with few issues. They now drive a Toyota Rav4 and a Toyota 4 Runner.
One of our daughters drove an ‘07 Honda Civic for 13 years and the other drove an ‘08 Nissan Altima for 12 years. Both were good cars with few issues. They now drive a Toyota Rav4 and a Toyota 4 Runner.
Sounds like both were reliable then?
Yes they were. The Nissan paint didn’t hold up as well but it may have been due to the black color showing imperfections.
Sounds like both were reliable then?
My daughters only drive Hondas. One a 2002 accord, which is mechanically perfect, and one a 2012 Civic, which is stellar. You CANNOT go wrong with a honda.
The only other car I would recommend is a toyota camry.
My daughters only drive Hondas. One a 2002 accord, which is mechanically perfect, and one a 2012 Civic, which is stellar. You CANNOT go wrong with a honda.
The only other car I would recommend is a toyota camry.
Thanks, I have been perusing civics on-line.
Honda Civics are nice, Corolla's generally are more reliable. Pretty hard to beat Toyota reliability.
The_War_Wagon
03-25-21, 20:37
Something that'll CRUSH whatever she hits. :D I'm thinking about one of these for MY daughter - she turns 16 in November.
https://ccpublic.blob.core.windows.net/cc-temp/listing/93/4053/4714696-1964-ford-galaxie-500-thumb.jpg
eightmillimeter
03-25-21, 20:46
I’m going to throw this out here. I’d look at a 2010 Ford Edge. They are FWD and get about 20-22 MPG with a decent V6. The reason I recommend it, they are very tough and very safe. Excellent protection for occupants.
Please do not put your child in a 3000 lb car like a civic or Malibu or Corolla.
Probably not an issue for you, but beware of Toyota RAV5 and Camry 2006-2011 (2013?) 4cyl, 2AZ-FE engine. Some have an excessive oil consumption issue. Like 1 quart or more every 1000 miles. And the engine won’t say anything about it until the oil light goes on.
I’m a Toyota guy, but I ended up having to put an new engine in my 06. It’s not covered under warranty, and isn’t subject to recall because it’s not a safety issue.
There’s a VIN range that covers this issue.
Good luck car shopping - looking forward to doing it with mine in the future.
Sent from 80ms in the future
I’m going to throw out a suggestion. Two door two seat Tacoma. Manual if you can.
Doesn’t seat enough people to have too many distractions. Solid enough to be safe. It’s really hard to text and shift. None of her friends will drive it if it’s manual and she will have useful skill. Toyota reliability. And not enough privacy to keep a dad up at night.
Every mishap/potential trouble I had driving/in a car as a teenager involved a lot of people in my car or just one other person and a little privacy.
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-26-21, 00:52
Buddy has a theory on cars for kids.
Rice burner
auto-trans
4 cylinder
4 door keeps rates down, same number of passengers
Be prepared to replace every single body panel at some point.
My addition is replace the battery every two years. It seems modern cars eat batteries and they die at the worst time.
Frankly, 10 years is really old. For my kid, to get some airbags and safety features 3-4 years old maybe?
I didn't follow my own advice when we got a car for the kids, but we had some money to burn and a family toy as much as anything.
Pacific5th
03-26-21, 02:03
I bought a 04 Acura TSX from my parents a few years ago with the intention to drive it myself for 6-7 then give to my kid when he turns 16. It has 115k on it when I bought it and is going on 160k now. Neither me or my dad has ever had a issue. I figure it will be at 190k when he gets it. Front and side airbags. Very good engine, 30mpg.
Look at Acura TL and TSX, as well as the Honda.
It has seemed to me that everyone looks for the well known Civic/Accord, and the Acuras can go for about the same prices.
Something that'll CRUSH whatever she hits. :D I'm thinking about one of these for MY daughter - she turns 16 in November.
https://ccpublic.blob.core.windows.net/cc-temp/listing/93/4053/4714696-1964-ford-galaxie-500-thumb.jpg
His grandparents gave a guy in my high school their late 1960s four-door Ford Galaxie with a 302. It was a great car for a teen, too heavy and underpowered to really get into trouble, big enough to crush any car foolish enough to collide with it, and ugly enough that real charm was required to use it for night moves.
Andy
Something that'll CRUSH whatever she hits. :D I'm thinking about one of these for MY daughter - she turns 16 in November.
https://ccpublic.blob.core.windows.net/cc-temp/listing/93/4053/4714696-1964-ford-galaxie-500-thumb.jpg
My first car was a 1970 Buick Skylark. I even lucked out that it was a California car with no rust that ended up in MN. Loved that car. Lots of parties. Easily carried two full kegs in the trunk.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
For reliability get a toyota.
If you want something bigger and cheap go Ford crown Victoria.
Stay away from Nissans with a CVT, I have 4239 reasons why I will never buy another one
My oldest Daughter will turn 16 in a couple of months and I am looking to buy her a solid used car. I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla that is my usual work driver and it has been fantastic. I am looking at used Corollas, but wanted to see what others had to say about other brands and models? Looking for a small car that gets good gas mileage that will be reliable. Honda civic? Hyundai? Others?
Any guidance and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Consumer Report auto edition is worth having. But, in general, cant go wrong with Toyota, Honda, etc. I think the Corrolla consistently scores high for reliability etc. Hyundai has come a long way since the crap boxes they started with, and worth a look as to how they rank in CR for reliability, safety, etc. Also, while quality seems to have slipped a bit in recent years, Subaru may be another to consider as they tend to score high on crash tests. Mazda is another that seems to have gotten its act together again: See:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/best-cars-suvs-autos-spotlight/index.htm
Adrenaline_6
03-26-21, 08:57
Something that'll CRUSH whatever she hits. :D I'm thinking about one of these for MY daughter - she turns 16 in November.
https://ccpublic.blob.core.windows.net/cc-temp/listing/93/4053/4714696-1964-ford-galaxie-500-thumb.jpg
Sure, it'll crush anything it hits because it was before the development of crumple zones. It's not that these cars are made better, they just weren't made to crumple to protect the people inside. This means whatever initial G-Forces on a collision that these cars go through on impact is then transferred to the occupants inside with very little loss. Sure the solid steel frames and bumpers get less damage, but how do you thinks someone's daughter's internal organs will do? I'm guessing not so good.
Car's are safer now days BECAUSE they crumple, not the other way around. Yes, the car is destroyed, but better the car, which is insured (should be anyway), then the occupants inside. Those old cars would fail miserably on modern crash safety tests, not to mention the lack of airbags and ABS.
Averageman
03-26-21, 09:00
Sure, it'll crush anything it hits because it was before the development of crumple zones. It's not that these cars are made better, they just weren't made to crumple to protect the people inside. This means whatever initial G-Forces on a collision that these cars go through on impact is then transferred to the occupants inside with very little loss. Sure the solid steel frames and bumpers get less damage, but how do you thinks someone's daughter's internal organs will do? I'm guessing not so good.
Car's are safer now days BECAUSE they crumple, not the other way around. Yes, the car is destroyed, but better the car, which is insured (should be anyway), then the occupants inside. Those old cars would fail miserably on modern crash safety tests, not to mention the lack of airbags and ABS.
If you could only interview Sammy Davis Jr on the subject..
Steve Shannon
03-26-21, 09:26
We passed our used Honda Accords down to our daughters. When one was totaled we replaced it with another that had over 100,000 miles. An Accord is good for 300,000 miles pretty easily. A Camry would be equivalent.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
The_War_Wagon
03-26-21, 09:37
Those old cars would fail miserably on modern crash safety tests, not to mention the lack of airbags and ABS.
Schmucks given: Zero.
I can't stand a shitbox foreignmobile, or an American one, for that matter. I've been saying since my 20's (I'm now in my mid-50's), that if I hafta go to a MUSEUM, to buy a V-8 powered, rear wheel driven automobile, that's what I'll do. My '95 Grand Marquis had the smallest engine of any vehicle I've ever owned - 285 c.i.d. V-8. My Jeep Commander has a 287 c.i.d. V-8, my '92 Ramcharger has a 318 V-8.
I don't care about gas mileage - I don't care about airbags - I don't care about crumple zones - I don't care about safety ratings. V-8... RWD (or 4WD). That's ALL that matters to me (& NOT GM). :cool:
Adrenaline_6
03-26-21, 09:47
Schmucks given: Zero.
I can't stand a shitbox foreignmobile, or an American one, for that matter. I've been saying since my 20's (I'm now in my mid-50's), that if I hafta go to a MUSEUM, to buy a V-8 powered, rear wheel driven automobile, that's what I'll do. My '95 Grand Marquis had the smallest engine of any vehicle I've ever owned - 285 c.i.d. V-8. My Jeep Commander has a 287 c.i.d. V-8, my '92 Ramcharger has a 318 V-8.
I don't care about gas mileage - I don't care about airbags - I don't care about crumple zones - I don't care about safety ratings. V-8... RWD (or 4WD). That's ALL that matters to me (& NOT GM). :cool:
Hey.....you do you. I loved my '69 Z-28 RS. I would get one again if the situation was right. What I wouldn't do though is give one to my daughter who just learned to drive....which is what this post is about.
Some foreign mobile's are shitboxes. So are a bunch of domestics. My car is a gas guzzling 5.7L V-8. It's just made by Toyota, which I would put against any engine on the market as far as reliability goes. It's also AWD/4WD.
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-26-21, 12:28
Schmucks given: Zero.
I can't stand a shitbox foreignmobile, or an American one, for that matter. I've been saying since my 20's (I'm now in my mid-50's), that if I hafta go to a MUSEUM, to buy a V-8 powered, rear wheel driven automobile, that's what I'll do. My '95 Grand Marquis had the smallest engine of any vehicle I've ever owned - 285 c.i.d. V-8. My Jeep Commander has a 287 c.i.d. V-8, my '92 Ramcharger has a 318 V-8.
I don't care about gas mileage - I don't care about airbags - I don't care about crumple zones - I don't care about safety ratings. V-8... RWD (or 4WD). That's ALL that matters to me (& NOT GM). :cool:
But when its your kids....
I've now convinced myself that a Tahoe is the smallest vehicle I want ;). My Euro buddies faces just go blank when I tell them that my wife and my cars together have 12 liters of displacement and 700 hp... they can't comprehend that- especially on what that would be taxed at over there.
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-26-21, 12:29
double...
ChattanoogaPhil
03-26-21, 13:06
New driver? Give her a vehicle that will be no big deal when she puts a dent in it.
Gabriel556
03-26-21, 13:32
I work for an American manufacturer now and can honestly say a few things on this. I don’t discriminate on what badge is on the hood (I drive an American made F150 but my wife drives an American made Mercedes SUV). I have driven most brands and models in my business and business travels. If I were putting my kid in a car, the budget would be set first. I would spend some good money on a proper, professional driving school so that she is understanding the physics of driving first and foremost. A car is designed to move its occupants and sacrifice itself when it is involved in a collision. I don’t care what the repair costs are or how little damage occurs. I want my family (and everyone else’s too) to be safe. My wife drives the Mercedes because I’ve seen the way they behave in a crash and she has experienced it when she was hit in one. Is that vehicle for everybody? No. But a Honda sedan wouldn’t really fit our needs either. Same with my F150. Not everybody needs to haul landscaping or farm materials with 2 kids and a wife. If you like your Honda or Toyota, by all means, you know the car and are comfortable with it. I would start her driving it. Don’t give the kid a German car unless you want her to catch flack for it at school (kids suck about that). I have no complaints about Honda or Toyota but avoid ANY vehicle with a CVT transmission. Talk to your insurance agent and get a feel of what the rates will be because a young driver will be pricey, and putting them in a car with higher repair costs or more claims per mile will affect those rates.
Averageman
03-26-21, 13:47
Having played this game before my Son went off to U of O, I had a few different choices than you might.
At the time I had both a new Mustang GT and a first year Chevy Colorado. Now I would have liked to have gotten him a new or gently used car, but to tell the truth my Son got a late start learning to drive and he kinda sucked at it.
I decided to trade in the Mustang and give my Son the '04 Colorado. So I move the Mustang out of the garage and he and I went in and rebuilt the motor in the garage.
I decided to go that way because my Son needed to learn what his Dad did everyday to afford him the opportunity to go to College and we needed to spend forty hours together before he left. Truck still runs like a top and that rebuild was 6 years ago and over a four hundred thousand miles on the "O" now.
I was a single Dad, there was not a lot of estrogen in our house that wasn't out the door again in 48 hours. If I had a daughter, I might just do the same damned thing just to hang out with her for a week while we worked on it.
Every parent has to do what is in their heart, so go where God leads you.
PS: I traded that damned Mustang GT in for a Tacoma, which might not be a bad choice for ya'll also.
Didn’t read the whole thread but my choice would be a Toyota, Honda or Nissan.
The_War_Wagon
03-26-21, 15:36
Some foreign mobile's are shitboxes. So are a bunch of domestics. My car is a gas guzzling 5.7L V-8. It's just made by Toyota, which I would put against any engine on the market as far as reliability goes. It's also AWD/4WD.
I'm the ugly American. I only own Chrysler (and in olden days, Ford & Mercury) products. :cool:
I’ve had good experiences with Ford and Toyota. If buying today, it’d be one of those. Currently in a Ford.
I'd throw a Sub 2000 and a couple of 33 round mags in the trunk.
My daughter wants my 2nd gen Cummins 12 valve 4X4. Reliable and good mileage :D
Give her yours and find an upgrade for yourself.
This is the best advice. I haven't read the other 2000 replies and suggestions. But based on your experience with your car and the service record on it, it is the best thing for your daughter. Buying a car half as old for her is an unknown. Even if you check the carfax there is still a chance that something might break or fail. Being a new driver, there is a chance that she might bump or put a minor ding here and there on her car. Better get those character scratches on an old car than a newer one. We all were 16 at one time. We make stupid mistake even after we're driven 40 years. My buddy backed up over a tree stump and broke his bumper, I've gotten too close to the curb and scraped the wheels a few times when I parallel park, etc.
My oldest Daughter will turn 16 in a couple of months and I am looking to buy her a solid used car...
Have a brother a few years older and a sister a few years younger. Growing up and about the age of 16 dad was pretty consistent telling my brother and I that if we wanted a car we had better plan to buy it ourselves. His reason being that if HE simply bought one for us that we would most likely not take as good of care of it vs if we had to work for and pay for it ourselves with our own money that we had to earn. Explained that it would be a money pit for him and that we would learn nothing about responsibility.
He pretty much stuck to those beliefs and the brother and I both started out driving what we could afford with our own money. We had to pay for everything related to those vehicles as well. The insurance, the fuel, the maintenance stuff. Dad would help with repair stuff if needed but we had to supply the parts on our own.
Taught the brother and I a lot about being responsible for our actions with respect to vehicles. Meaning - Neither of us were very likely to be beating on a vehicle that we knew we would have to pay to fix if we screwed it up...
Dad was not a dummy - Until little sister turned 16... :)
He bought her a fairly new little red coupe to poot around in under the conditions that she would pay for her own insurance and gasoline for it. That grand illusion of his only lasted a few months before he realized he had screwed up. LOL! :)
He got stuck paying for every bit of it. Every time she came home there would be a new ding or dent in that car somewhere, the tank would be empty and sister would be hitting him up for money. I clearly remember the one time he took it to go fill it up with gas for her and how pissed he was when he got home. Said that the inside looked like she had been using it for a trash can...
I took the opportunity to remind him what he had told the brother and I about responsibility and had a pretty good laugh at his situation with the sister and that car. Damn lucky he did not smack me for rubbing it in on him. Pretty sure he considered it.
I very sincerely wish you better luck than my dad had sir.
I appreciate all of your suggestions. I ended up getting a 2010 Honda Civic Lx with 67,000 on it. Was rust free and "imported" from Georgia 2020, which was a strong point. Price was really good given that everyone "smart" is looking for good used cars. Right about $7,000. In MN my 2010 Toyota Corolla has a value of $6,500 with 150,000 miles on it. Thanks again.
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