DawnM Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 or what car did he/she get? We have a car to pass down, but honestly, I don't think it is in the best condition and it scares me to hand it down to him. We are thinking of getting a used car for him. So far we have looked at: Mazda 3 and a Honda Accord. We want to make sure it has a good safety rating so we have looked at some of those statistics. This wouldn't really be HIS car, it would be a car we buy for the family that he would be using when needed. He isnt' in a position to buy something himself yet. He is getting his first job (we hope) this week. Dawn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 (edited) The kids drive our 2006 Honda Accord. We all love the car. Very reliable and drives wonderfully. I have a Mazda 3. That will be the next car that gets passed down to a kid if that should be necessary. ETA: These are very different cars in terms of size. If you buy the car for the family, I would evaluate what your priorities are. The Honda seats 5 comfortably and has great trunk space (= extended backpacking vacations for 4 people). The Mazda seats 5 in a pinch, but the 5th person is not comfortable. I like the hatchback for transporting the Christmas tree, but overall it has much less space. So what size car fits your family's needs? Edited October 25, 2016 by regentrude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 (edited) In order of oldest ds to now 16 year old ds Chevy Cavalier, toyota Carrolla, Nissan Versa Edited October 25, 2016 by lynn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 (edited) nm Edited November 5, 2016 by cathey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Ok, this isn't doable for most people, but I loved my now adult son's first car. Loved it. It was an '86 Classic Boxy Volvo. Yup. The one we all remember. The thing was a tank. It had just over 100K miles, and his aunt and uncle gave it to him. :) Later he got a Matrix, and we gave the Volvo to carless neighbor. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We got a Prius C for my son to use. He had to commute an hour each way to the CC, so the gas mileage was important to us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Toyota Camry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We have an older model Volvo wagon, 2002. I like big cars, feel like they're safer. It runs great but before dd gets her license (she has a permit) we'll have a mechanic give it a good once over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We bought new. The teens (four of them) share the car. We had a Ford Fiesta. While traveling 75mph, we hit a deer and totaled the car. Totaled it. We all walked away without so much as a scratch. We replaced it with a new Ford Focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 No drivers yet, but I'd feel good with a teen driving our Ford Focus. It's small without being too small, gas efficient, and very reliable. Also very easy to learn stick shifting in it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 '01 Ford Explorer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Dd uses the ancient Ford Taurus. It's a 92, but was barely driven before we bought it in 2000. So it's old, but in better condition than one might think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 All three of my older ones drove a 1992 Ford Explorer that DS24 bought when he was in high school. We just recently sold that beast and DS20 is driving my old 1999 Ford Explorer back and forth to class (college locally). I'm less concerned with safety ratings than how it handles winter driving for my teens. The Explorers handle beautifully in winter here and get around on ice like magic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 First was an old Buick passed down from in-laws to us to kids until it became reliable. Next was a Toyota Corolla left to my kids when my dad passed away, and it's been a great little car for them. My mom had one too--her's went +300,000 miles with routine maintenance and only a few repairs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 My dd will probably use my old Sienna for when she needs it for clinicals in nursing school but we're thinking of swapping out for a used Toyota Matrix or Honda Fit. We're planning the same thing as you - extra car that the kids can use if / when needed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 2011 Bugatti Veyron The gas mileage is quite terrible, but who cares it's so pretty! (of course this is in a dream my kid had once...or twice) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 My dd got a Toyota Camry that is as old as she is :) Amber in SJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeenagerMom Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We are buying DD16 2010-2012 Ford Mustang because it will just be a car for the teens to drive.....then once they buy their own, DH is planning on dropping in a bigger motor, etc for himself to have a fun car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 2011 Bugatti Veyron Lol, if your kid was attending University of British Columbia, aka University of Beautiful Cars, they'd fit right in.... There's a snarky tumblr blog dedicated to the beautiful car university. http://universityofbeautifulcars.tumblr.com/ from a huffpo article about the blog. "While some students use public transit to commute for hours, others drive Maseratis to school at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. The sight of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and even a Bentley on campus is so common at UBC that a new Tumblr is dedicated to the University of Beautiful Cars. In just its first week, the site has posted photos of a Bugatti Veyron Vitesse (starting price $1.7 million), a Ferrari 458 Spider ($258,000), and a few Porche 911s ($113,000)." My alma mater has changed a lot lol 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Lol, if your kid was attending University of British Columbia, aka University of Beautiful Cars, they'd fit right in.... There's a snarky tumblr blog dedicated to the beautiful car university. http://universityofbeautifulcars.tumblr.com/ from a huffpo article about the blog. "While some students use public transit to commute for hours, others drive Maseratis to school at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. The sight of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and even a Bentley on campus is so common at UBC that a new Tumblr is dedicated to the University of Beautiful Cars. In just its first week, the site has posted photos of a Bugatti Veyron Vitesse (starting price $1.7 million), a Ferrari 458 Spider ($258,000), and a few Porche 911s ($113,000)." My alma mater has changed a lot lol Oh my word. Well we have an expensive uni in our city. We were there a couple of weeks ago for a choir show for my younger kid. I had to drop him off for a rehearsal. I was looking at the cars in the parking lot and thought oh damn even these kids' used cars are way better than anything I could afford. Eh well, good for them. LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 DS is using our old Honda CRV. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We will probably pass down our old suburban or a similar older but well serviced family car. If that doesn't make sense we are fans of import commuters :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 One of the first cars our son got was a Ford Focus, and it was a really great car for him. It was used. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 (edited) The oldest has a 2002 Chevy Impala, and the twins share a 2001 Ford Taurus. We wanted sedans that were a bit bigger, in case of an accident. We haven't had any major problems out of either of them, but have had to do some minor work. Edited October 26, 2016 by The Girls' Mom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We are toying with the idea of passing down our 2013/14 Hyundai Elantra sedan to our girls. It's in excellent condition, has pretty good safety ratings and gets good gas mileage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 or what car did he/she get? We have a car to pass down, but honestly, I don't think it is in the best condition and it scares me to hand it down to him. We are thinking of getting a used car for him. So far we have looked at: Mazda 3 and a Honda Accord. We want to make sure it has a good safety rating so we have looked at some of those statistics. This wouldn't really be HIS car, it would be a car we buy for the family that he would be using when needed. He isnt' in a position to buy something himself yet. He is getting his first job (we hope) this week. Dawn My XH bought ds16 a 2012 Prius. It was exactly what ds wanted. He loves it. I love it so much I want one too! 45 to 50 mpg. Just incredible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 My daughter bought a 2002 VW Jetta from our taekwondo instructor for $500. It's been perfect for her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 I'm trying to figure this out for my son right now. He's 6'9", which really limits what he can fit in. Our Rav 4 is a no go. I have an 01' Expedition that he fits ok, but I'd rather he didn't have such a tall vehicle to start. They can be tippy. I'm sort of thinking of buying him a "hoopdie" (not sure if others have this colloquialism or not, but it generally means an older 70s-80s sedan of a large size), which will have the benefits of size and height. They have a sort of cult around here, so you can usually find decent restored ones that are reliable enough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredHSmom Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 One of my daughters has a 2011 Kia Forte 5, the other has a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. They have both been great cars. We bought both used. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magic Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 We require our kids to buy their vehicle before they can get their license. Our oldest ended up getting his uncle's 2005 Toyota Corolla after he died 3 years ago. He had been planning on getting a Toyota or Honda and the car works great for him. He used the money he had saved to get new tires, have mechanic issues taken care of, and saved the rest for college. Our second son bought a 2004 Chevy Silverado and it is a very nice truck. He wanted a nicer four wheel drive vehicle and was willing to wait to get his license until he could purchase what he really wanted. He bought it in February shortly before his 18th birthday. Our 3rd son is currently saving money for a vehicle (he is thinking a smaller SUV) and will be turning 16 next month. It will be another year at least before he gets his license. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 One of ours drives a Honda CRV and one a Civic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 2007 Jeep Liberty. We're actually much more partial to Honda's here but wanted something that had 4WD and we had a fairly strict budget 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 I believe in BIG for our kids. First DC was given a used Toyota 4Runner. Did not take a vehicle to college. After college he received a handmedown Toyota 4 Door Tundra. Tundra vs deer. Tundra and DS won. Second DC received another used Toyota 4Runner. Turned out to be a lemon :( Purchased her a new Chevrolet Equinox. She was t-boned at a high rate of speed, turned up on her side, hit another car that turned her back upright. Car was totaled. She walked away without a scratch. Again, the car was totaled. We purchased her another brand new Chevy Equinox. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 DS22 got a Volvo S40 that we bought him DD18 has a VW Golf TDI, that is her dads extra car (he has a company car that he drives instead). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) Ok, this isn't doable for most people, but I loved my now adult son's first car. Loved it. It was an '86 Classic Boxy Volvo. Yup. The one we all remember. The thing was a tank. It had just over 100K miles, and his aunt and uncle gave it to him. :) Later he got a Matrix, and we gave the Volvo to carless neighbor. Technically a 1985 Volvo 240 DL station wagon - but ours had more like 275,000 miles on it - was ds's first car because he learned how to drive in one when he was 11 years old (on our property). That car went beyond 375,000 before we replaced it. His first car after getting licensed was a Nissan pick up truck he purchased used. Edited October 26, 2016 by Liz CA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) 2016 Cadillac ATS with red leather seats! It is an adorable car with all the safety features one could put on it. I figure $50,000 for a car is a ton cheaper than an ICU visit. But, there are a couple of features that have already helped our beginner driver avoid an accident. So these are the ones I think are worth the money: 1. The seat shakes if one is backing out and another car is coming down the road. A bell would work as well as a shaking seat. This is great for kids who back out of driveways. (pit saved me once, too.) 2. The car does not allow one to drift out of a lane. Helps new drivers who might be busy concentrating on the speedometer instead of the road. 3. The light on the mirror which senses drivers coming up on the sides. 4. Cruise control allows a new driver to concentrate on the road instead of his speed. 5. OnStar! Used for directions, accidents (if needed) and unlocking the car. If her car gets stolen, Onstar can shut it down remotely. If she has an accident, Onstar calls police for her. 6. Apple Carplay. She is never tempted to look at the phone. Everything is voice activated. We have found the backup camera is not used much at all. DD16 prefers her mirrors, the sensors, and turning her head. HTH Edited October 26, 2016 by Minniewannabe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 2005 Toyota Camry. But she bought it herself, first loan and dh co-signed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Y Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) Mine all bought their own. I know one of the girls bought a 1970 something VW bug, another a little Honda (still drives it). I don't remember what the others bought. One of them pieced an entire Chevy pickup with a manual transmission and Cummins engine together from the frame up. I called it his senior project. My 18 yods bought an Acura someone couldn't figure out how to fix. Ds fixed it and drives it now. Edited October 26, 2016 by Colleen OH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 We are getting a third car soon. We currently have a 2001 Forester and a 2006 Prius. I'm comfortable with mine driving either. DD prefers the Prius. Our new vehicle may be a larger Prius or something like an Escape or RAV4 and will probably be 5 years old. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) My son won't be buying his own car yet. He has a job interview today and we are trying to find him something to get back and forth to work. He could probably use our Sequoia for now, but we are in the market for something for him. Well, as I mentioned, it won't only be for him. It will be "our" car that he can use. And our 2002 Saturn VUE is having issues, although I have been driving it recently. And since it is a Saturn, it is hard to find parts anymore. Edited October 26, 2016 by DawnM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 We have a third family vehicle specifically designated for the teen drivers, however, they don't own it. They are only required to keep it filled with gas. A 2002 Chevy pick-up truck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkTulip Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 My boys share an older Subaru Outback. It has been through 3 car accidents, one pretty bad, (none of them our fault) and my kids have walked away every time without a scratch. We are living examples of those Subaru commercials where the kid calls home saying they wrecked the car, but they are ok. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 we handed down a 4spd manual toyota tercel for them to learn to drive on. (gutless wonder, and they can drive a manual.) when we helped buy a first car for each kid - two were toyota camrys, and one was a nissan sentra (the camry got away - it was sad.). 2dd had been driving the kid-car (it was free) while she was in grad school and was married when she graduated. she took over dsil's suv (which he hated), and they bought him an accord. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 We are getting a third car soon. We currently have a 2001 Forester and a 2006 Prius. I'm comfortable with mine driving either. DD prefers the Prius. Our new vehicle may be a larger Prius or something like an Escape or RAV4 and will probably be 5 years old. I have an 8 year old Rav 4 and if my son could fit in it, that would be how I would go. That thing just goes and goes without causing any trouble. We've replaced a water pump on it and that's it. 160K miles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Hmm, since we are barely affording the cars for the 2 adults in our house (bad timing on needing 2 new to us cars with payments at once), we won't be buying a teen a vehicle. If oldest finds paid part time work to cover the insurance increase, he can use my car to get to work & DE classes, as long as he's home in time for errands & for me to drive everyone else to all of their activities! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 I'm trying to figure this out for my son right now. He's 6'9", which really limits what he can fit in. Our Rav 4 is a no go. I have an 01' Expedition that he fits ok, but I'd rather he didn't have such a tall vehicle to start. They can be tippy. I'm sort of thinking of buying him a "hoopdie" (not sure if others have this colloquialism or not, but it generally means an older 70s-80s sedan of a large size), which will have the benefits of size and height. They have a sort of cult around here, so you can usually find decent restored ones that are reliable enough. You may think I'm joking, but you might have him sit in a MINI Cooper (S) with the seat fully lowered. Tons of headroom and more legroom (with the seat fully back) than any car I've experienced. At least in the models from 2002 to the re-design. Not sure about the 2nd Gen. models (2007?). Six airbags. BMW designed safety cage. Great active safety (meaning one can get out of the way of accidents due to unparalleled maneuverability) and great visibility. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 26, 2016 Author Share Posted October 26, 2016 You may think I'm joking, but you might have him sit in a MINI Cooper (S) with the seat fully lowered. Tons of headroom and more legroom (with the seat fully back) than any car I've experienced. At least in the models from 2002 to the re-design. Not sure about the 2nd Gen. models (2007?). Six airbags. BMW designed safety cage. Great active safety (meaning one can get out of the way of accidents due to unparalleled maneuverability) and great visibility. Bill If we get a Mini Cooper, it is MINE! I have always wanted one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 If we get a Mini Cooper, it is MINE! I have always wanted one. I have a 2003 MINI Cooper S. I love my car. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berley Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Just this week we bought a very well-maintained 2008 Honda Fit for our oldest. My hubby says he may take it away from her because he loves to drive it. 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 5. OnStar! Used for directions, accidents (if needed) and unlocking the car. If her car gets stolen, Onstar can shut it down remotely. If she has an accident, Onstar calls police for her. I LOVE OnStar. The OnStar 'lady' was right there with my daughter when she was t-boned in her Equinox. So reassuring to know someone is there if needed. Fortunately my husband was also only a block away as the crazy lady that hit my daughter also started to verbally attack my daughter and he was able to quickly intervene. It was also a little funny as the lady didn't know it was her father coming to her rescue as they look nothing alike so she thought she could keep harassing her but she was quickly put in her place :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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