What would get your 16 year old daughter as a first car?

[LouPoir]

Honda civic

 

[RCN]

The cheapest safe beater I can find in 9 years.......probably a Civic

 

[DrPizza]

Small two seater, without a rear seat. Stick shift preferably. And, break the recliner mechanism on them so they stay upright.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Small two seater, without a rear seat. Stick shift preferably. And, break the recliner mechanism on them so they stay upright.

haha

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: puffff

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
I think a lot of people here are jealous that he wants to help his daughter out.

jealous? heck no. i have family friends that own dealerships. heck me and my father owned a few used car dealerships (until he retired). so i can get a good car very very cheap.

While i will help her find a good car for a good price i will not buy her one.

she needs to learn to save and the value of a doller. if she wants a car she needs to save some of her income from work for it until she can afford something.

doesnt this depend on what else she does outside of school? if she's involved in various sports and clubs, or maybe putting in a few hours of volunteer work a week, or playing some sort of musical instrument that requires hours of practice, it'd be too much to ask her to work part time job too. in any of those cases, theres nothing wrong with buying her a car.

however, if she's just hanging out at the mall with her girlfriends and buying new outfits on daddy's credit card, then i agree with you. have her earn it.

thats really not a excuse either. I partipated in afterschool sports all year around and volontered in diffrent things. yet i had time to get in at least 10 hours of work a week. sure it cut down on my goofing off time.

Did you have to walk back and forth both ways uphill in the snow too? A car really might have helped you out.

Seriously though, people want the girl to pay for her own car at 16? I did that, and you know what I manged to afford? A busted up ford tempo from a police auction that was completely unreliable, bordered on dangerous, but I had to have it if nothing else, just to get to work. You gotta remember that HS students don't usually have the highest paying jobs in the world.

My parents didn't help me, not because they didn't want to, because they couldn't at the time. Some of my friends did have parents buy or pay 1/2 of their cars (usually ~5 year old used ones), and they still seemed to value and take care of them. But maybe it's just because you really need a car in TX to get around.

As for the OP, I'd stay away from pickups and suv's. they roll too easily, and might be dangerous for an inexperienced driver.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Volvo 240DL. While no airbags they are tanks and are incredibly underpowered.

MR2 - two seats, no reclining seat action
DelSol - two seats, no reclingin seat action

 

[eits]

white jetta.

 

[Strifer]

Black Jetta

A 2000 Black Jetta was my first car, and at 21, I'm still driving it. It's more solidly built than the Japanese competitors, and is probably safer (you'll have to check the ratings, but I'm fairly certain that the Jetta is consistently ranked high on safety comparisons).

 

[lrad50]

Originally posted by: aircooled
What would get your 16 year old daughter as a first car?

Still have one year to go. What is an affordable yet safe car for a 16 year old? Drivers side airbags a must.

BTW- no pics you pervs.

civic or camry

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: Strifer
Black Jetta

A 2000 Black Jetta was my first car, and at 21, I'm still driving it. It's more solidly built than the Japanese competitors, and is probably safer (you'll have to check the ratings, but I'm fairly certain that the Jetta is consistently ranked high on safety comparisons).

hot girls drive white jettas. guys drive black jettas.

 

[imported_squire]

It depends.. how hot is your daughter?

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Originally posted by: newmachineoverlord

Don't assume that vehicle weight is correlated with safety. That's just a weak statistical trend that can't accurately be applied to individual vehicles using currently available data. The correlation is much stronger between vehicle expense and safety, probably because of airbags and the expense of high energy absorbtive lightweight materiels. Nearly all arguments emphasizing the importance of vehicle weight falsely assume inelastic collisions where energy is not absorbed during the collison. This is not the case with auto accidents, huge amounts of energy are spent deforming the frame and crumple zones. Quality design makes a much bigger difference than mere weight.

safety information: "A pound of aluminum can be as much as two and a half times stronger than a pound of typical automotive steel. But because aluminum is less dense than steel, 0.14 pounds per cubic inch versus steel?s 0.28 pounds, aluminum can be used to make cars bigger and safer, not heavier and less responsive."

:roll:

And, then there's reality...

Data obtained by Forbes.com demonstrates that in vehicle-on-vehicle crashes, light trucks, including SUVs, provide a dramatic margin of safety.

Small, light vehicles generally offer less protectionthan larger, heavier ones.

Saw too many GM/Ford propganda videos in the 70s about big cars and safety?
It's funny how your links has statistics that show that SUV's still have higher death rates than compacts despite being less likely to die in an accident with a compact.
Here's a real article on why SUV's are not safe.
http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html
He covers on a topic that most people ignore, and that's active safety - or reacting to drive the car out of harm's way. Most people who feel SUVs are safe think about passive safety. Instead of considering how to drive out of harm's way, they feel they are invincible in their huge vessel. My first car was a toyota corolla, and I've never been in a single accident, because I was able to quickly steer my car out of an accident. Had I've been driving an SUV, I most likely could not turn as fast, and would have been in a few accidents.
Either way, modern studies(not studies done by GM in the 70s where there were few safety features), show that safety correlates with the cost of the vehicle, as expensive vehicles are able to have more safety features.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: squire
It depends.. how hot is your daughter?

i already asked that...

Originally posted by: eits
would she be considered hot?

if so, get her a 2003 white jetta.

hot girls drive white jettas... and jettas are safe as hell.

i love volkswagens.... i wish i could afford another one. my passat was totalled (my friend totalled it) and the insurance company didn't really give me enough for it.

miraculously, today i found a mint condition 2000 volvo s40 that i'm probably gonna buy with the money geico gave me... it's sooooo nice.

 

[bmx045]

I'd say a volvo as well, that was my sister's first car as well, '89 240DL white w/ drk blue interior...thing is still running to this day...solid solid car.

 

[topslop1]

She can have my old bike.

 

[AmpedSilence]

My First car 1990 Ford Taurus cost $2500; parents bought it for me as a Christmas present right after turned 15; i learned on that car and pasted my exam on that car. They took it away from me when i went too college though and my mom totaled it a year later.

My Second car 1996 Ford Taurus, cost $6500; parents bought it for me after my sophomore year (to replace the totaled car). I loved it, it was a freakin tank. I could drive safely in any condition, up to 6 inches of snow. No sliding and provided great control. I killed it cause of something stupid i did, so i had to buy next car on my own.

Ironically its a 2002 Ford Taurus SEL, cost $10,501 (noticing a pattern i hope); i bought this one on my own. My parents still pay for my insurance which end this year since i will turn 25, but what can you do? Them paying insurance has allowed me to save enough to buy a house.

My brother's first car, 1993 Mercury Sable, cost $2500. That thing is a rocket, it has the 3.8L V6.

I think all the cars i have mentioned had air-bags. For a first car that parents are going to pay for, anything in the $2500 range is good and my personal preference is for something american made (part are cheaper and gas milage is **almost** the same).

 

[drpootums]

might have to dip into the college fund a bit:
http://www.motordesktop.com/wallpaper/s...ugatti%20Veyron%202%20-%201024x768.jpg

But seriously, i'd try to stay away from Japanese cars just because the parts for fixing them are usually really expensive (compared to an American car)

Go with something like a:
-Buick (anything basically, go for 1989 and up, GM's 1980's stuff was pretty crappy for the most part)
-Oldsmobile. My 88 Royale gets 30 mpg on the highway, costs $90 a month for liability/comprehensive/collision, and was cheap enough that i payed for it myself without my parents helping me out!
-Ford Taurus
-Dodge Stratus/Intrepid

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: drpootums
But seriously, i'd try to stay away from Japanese cars just because the parts for fixing them are usually really expensive (compared to an American car)

It depends...

Accord, Civic, Camry, Corolla...no
Celica, Integra, etc...yes

 

[drpootums]

i know that it depends, but usually they are.

it also makes a big difference on what part you have to replace.

 

[Ornery]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Saw too many GM/Ford propganda videos in the 70s about big cars and safety?
It's funny how your links has statistics that show that SUV's still have higher death rates than compacts despite being less likely to die in an accident with a compact.
Here's a real article on why SUV's are not safe.
http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html
He covers on a topic that most people ignore, and that's active safety - or reacting to drive the car out of harm's way. Most people who feel SUVs are safe think about passive safety. Instead of considering how to drive out of harm's way, they feel they are invincible in their huge vessel. My first car was a toyota corolla, and I've never been in a single accident, because I was able to quickly steer my car out of an accident. Had I've been driving an SUV, I most likely could not turn as fast, and would have been in a few accidents.
Either way, modern studies(not studies done by GM in the 70s where there were few safety features), show that safety correlates with the cost of the vehicle, as expensive vehicles are able to have more safety features.

Of the umpteen links I posted, you concentrate on something to do with SUVs. :roll:

I couldn't care less about SUVs, and don't particularly advocate them, though I've got my eye on buying a used Navigator for my wife. The OP said, "What is an affordable yet safe car for a 16 year old?" The safety aspect has been completely ignored by half the replies, and the other half seem to think an air bag or 4 star rating is the be all, end all of safety concerns.

I posted PLENTY of facts from reputable sources. You got issues with those facts, then rebut them with relevant links of your own.

 

[miniMUNCH]

Originally posted by: TitanDiddly
Nothing, and I mean it. Unless she absolutely needs it (can't get to school without it- bus), then don't give her one. She needs to earn it, otherwise she will have no respect for it.

Word.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: NTB

On the other hand, it might also make them more cautious - a small car is easier to control, and in something that small, you just *know* you're gonna get squished like a bug if you don't watch where and how you're driving.

Nate

I agree, you want a car that *feels* like a tin can, but is actually quite safe.

You don't want a pickup, that's the exact opposite.

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Volvo 240DL. While no airbags they are tanks and are incredibly underpowered.

MR2 - two seats, no reclining seat action
DelSol - two seats, no reclingin seat action

Do NOT get an MR2 as a first car; their handling can be unpredictable at best.

BTW, you might want to reconsider the airbags...for a small female, airbags can do a lot more harm than good. Basically, if you weigh less than 150 lbs or have short legs/arms (thus have to sit close to the wheel), you're better off without.

One link

A major contributor to the difference was that females were substantially more likely to receive AIS ³ 3 upper-extremity injuries. If one assumes that car driver crash rates for males are twice those for females, the effectiveness for the total population would be (2 11.6 - 1 9.2)/3 = 4.7%. Thus, while the device provides an overall benefit, this benefit arises by reducing risks to males while increasing risks to females. The higher injury risk to females is found consistently in other studies,19 while fatality studies report inconsistent effectiveness dependence on gender.24,
Of the 77 drivers NHTSA identified as killed by airbags in low severity crashes, 75% were female. That is, for every male killed, three females were killed. For all drivers of cars and light trucks, FARS shows that for every male driver killed, 0.42 female drivers were killed. Thus females are over represented as fatalities caused by airbag inflation by a factor of 3.0/0.42 = 7.1. Of the female drivers killed, 48% were 62 inches or less (about 20% of females are 62 inches or less). Short females are more than 15 times as likely to be killed by airbags as average drivers. It was unmistakably determined that the airbag was the source of the death because the crashes were of such low severity as to not pose serious injury risk. If these deaths had been caused in an identical manner, but the crashes had been of higher severity, the deaths would have entered FARS in the usual way, and would have been incorrectly attributed to crash trauma. The conclusion is inescapable that many of the fatalities that in fact occur at the lower end of normal fatal crash severities are caused by airbags and not by crash trauma, and that the victims are preferentially short females. The net effectiveness reflects the difference between lives saved, preferentially large males, and lives taken, preferentially small females. Small females are being knowingly killed in order to save large males, a situation that society would hardly tolerate in any context other than airbags.

 

[g8wayrebel]

Honestly and objectively speaking , one that she paid at least half the cost for. Having appreciation for it by having to work for it , in my opinion, is one of the best safety factors you can give her. If you just give her the car , she won't have that appreciation and is much more likely to drive it in that manner.

Edit: I didn't read any of the responses first. I am glad to see I am not the only one who has learned the lesson , and the value ,of the appreciation you gain by having to work for something.

 

[RU482]

Ford Crown Victoria

Pro's: safe, intimidates/fends off the boys, decent milage, cheap to fix

Con's: lots of room for any boys that you don't scare off

 

[dxkj]

a 2 seater... no back seat.