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Old 08-29-2008, 11:18 AM
 
Location: ARK-KIN-SAW
3,434 posts, read 9,719,750 times
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im thinking a sherman tank or a 76 cutlass 4 door with tires bolted on the front and back. i doubt my daughter will agree though..4 more years Lord help me-lol
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Old 08-29-2008, 11:27 AM
 
Location: beautiful NC mountains!
904 posts, read 2,864,078 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by windtimber View Post
$10K for a kid's car? Yikes! Our approach is an $800 to $1000 P.O.S. of marginal dependability. Gets 'em to school, work, and home. If it breaks down and costs more than $100 to fix, put on a sign that the first $300 or $400 takes it and find another one! We believe kids need to drive big old heavy rust-buckets so they will walk away from the inevitable wreck AND learn to appreciate a GOOD automobile. If they don't like it, tough. They can walk or ride with mom. Know what? They learn to love those heaps - God forbid they'd have to walk or ride with the parents!
I don't want her breaking down on the side of the road somewhere, at night, and alone. That's why reliable is important. Besides, in NC it has to meet certain standards or you can't license it. We had a 1996 Explorer that we had planned to give her but it can't pass the emissions test.
We bought her brother a used Acura Integra when he turned 16. It's been great but she doesn't want what he has.
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Old 08-29-2008, 11:37 AM
 
Location: Moon Over Palmettos
5,978 posts, read 19,831,917 times
Reputation: 5102
Three more years and we're there! We've been talking about it now. I'm tempted to let her have the Odyssey, big honkin' metal around her, and teach her to parallel park the thang! Yay! I asked hubby if she can get the 2006 Civic which I'm driving but I drive 70 miles RT per day getting 38-40 mpg. It would not be economical for me to get my dream Lexus and let her drive the Civic.
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Old 08-31-2008, 01:01 AM
f_m
 
2,289 posts, read 8,344,674 times
Reputation: 878
I would personally recommend a hatchback or wagon type vehicle, mainly for practical purposes. Or a small pickup, though probably not as preferred for some people. The main reason is when I went to college it was far more useful to have a vehicle that could carry a bunch of stuff when I moved around.
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Old 08-31-2008, 01:06 AM
 
29 posts, read 179,741 times
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Toyota or Honda, any model. I work at a bodyshop, I see the differences. Nothing Domestic in that price range will last. And go ahead and boot out Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Daewoo, VW, Mazda, etc.

Add Scion to the must have models, made by Toyota and I'm on my second.

This was my first scion, 60mph into a Jeep Cherokee that ran a red light. My two year old, and my wife were with me. Damage didn't even touch the front doors.

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Old 08-31-2008, 11:25 AM
 
Location: beautiful NC mountains!
904 posts, read 2,864,078 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Padanky View Post
Toyota or Honda, any model. I work at a bodyshop, I see the differences. Nothing Domestic in that price range will last. And go ahead and boot out Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Daewoo, VW, Mazda, etc.

Add Scion to the must have models, made by Toyota and I'm on my second.

This was my first scion, 60mph into a Jeep Cherokee that ran a red light. My two year old, and my wife were with me. Damage didn't even touch the front doors.
Wow, that picture impressed me. I have never been a big fan of the scion but you just made me a believer.
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Old 08-31-2008, 11:34 AM
 
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
1,112 posts, read 3,980,173 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VBmom View Post
Wow, that picture impressed me. I have never been a big fan of the scion but you just made me a believer.
Wow.
Agreed.


Also; I wouldn't be so quick to exclude Nissan; Would be the best bet out of all the "Also exclude.." vehicles.
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Old 08-31-2008, 11:39 AM
 
29 posts, read 179,741 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CodyW View Post
Wow.
Agreed.


Also; I wouldn't be so quick to exclude Nissan; Would be the best bet out of all the "Also exclude.." vehicles.

Nissan is kinda iffy, mazda too. I had a mazda and had no problems with it.
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Old 08-31-2008, 05:05 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC & New York
10,915 posts, read 31,251,815 times
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I would recommend looking at a Volvo, preferably the more modern 850 series as they were front wheel drive and were the first in the Volvo range in the US to include upgraded side impact protection and side air bags on later models. I would stay away from the XC70 from 1998 onward as the AWD adds extra maintenance to a Volvo, and the 850s were pretty reliable for the wagon. The S70 sedan is a successor to the 850, but agin, steer clear of the AWD for ease of maintenance. Find a good independent Volvo mechanic, though, if you go with one, since the dealers are just way too expensive for maintenance/repairs on a car that age.

I'd also suggest looking at a Subaru Forester since it's compact, efficient, sits higher than a regular car, has a more reliable AWD system, and received good safety reports. And, as a wagon, you get practicality and likely cheaper insurance.

The Hondas are good cars, no doubt, but they carry premiums in the used market, and some don't have side impact protection that's very good at all, same with the Corollas/Camrys.

If you didn't care about fuel efficiency, I would say to look at a Lincoln Town Car or Mercury Grand Marquis/Ford Crown Victoria. They are very reliable vehicles, and have huge amounts of sheet metal around them to protect in a crash. The drawback is fuel mileage in the high teens, on average, with the heavy curb weight and the V8 engine, though they are not overpowered. They are in fleet service and routinely go three hundred thousand miles without major issues, since they're old school, front engine and rear drive platforms.

In a way, it's a good thing that your Explorer cannot pass emissions, since an SUV is not always the best choice for a teenager unsupervised, since they can easily flip the vehicles through inexperience. A wagon-based one like the Subaru Forester or Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4 are much easier for a newer driver to handle properly since they are car-based platforms, not truck-based as with the Explorer.

I would be wary of some German cars, since if there is any sort of deferred maintenance that the previous owner neglected to have done before you were to purchase the vehicle, it can be a headache and with high repair bills, which can be mitigated somewhat by an independent specialist, but still, it's not worth the hassle. Prime examples on the used market of BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis will command top dollar, so the bargain levels are where I'd be looking elsewhere. If you can find a nice Audi A4 that's up-to-date on maintenance, it might be worthwhile. The Passat is also decent, but the 6 cyllinder model only, not the 4 as it has had problems with engine sludge build-up. But with those, be sure to have any candidates thoroughly checked out before purchasing.
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Old 09-01-2008, 09:13 AM
 
Location: Earth
4,237 posts, read 24,694,011 times
Reputation: 2274
Quote:
Originally Posted by VBmom View Post
I don't want her breaking down on the side of the road somewhere, at night, and alone. That's why reliable is important. Besides, in NC it has to meet certain standards or you can't license it. We had a 1996 Explorer that we had planned to give her but it can't pass the emissions test.
We bought her brother a used Acura Integra when he turned 16. It's been great but she doesn't want what he has.
Why can't it pass the test? Perhaps you can find her a 95 or 94 Explorer? They don't require anything but the safety check.
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