N/A Car for step son, looking for suggestions N/A

tspear

tspear

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Timothy
My wife has decided she no longer wants her son to take her car to work almost every day. :)
So, she would like to buy him a used car for roughly 10K, figure 12K max after tax, tags, dealer stuff...

My step son, drives roughly 45 miles one way to work, so 90 miles round trip. So the requirements are really simple:
1. Reliable
2. High MPG

With a nice to have:
AWD

Suggestions? I have been had Subaru's for decades, but the prices seem very high right now.

Tim
 
Price limit? 12K is that an absolute limit? You might want to look around and decide what is needed, then decide the limit.

Hybrid? Personally I’m not a fan.

Compact, mid size, crossover?

Single I assume, so a Ferrari would help with the opposite sex. ;-)
 
Old pickup truck. Heavy and safe. Won’t go very fast or carry many people. Gas use will limit extracurricular activities. The perfect teenager vehicle.
 
Stewartb said:
Old pickup truck. Heavy and safe. Won’t go very fast or carry many people. Gas use will limit extracurricular activities. The perfect teenager vehicle.
Click to expand...

Doesn’t sound like that meets either of his 2 requirements.

Why are you trying to limit his extracurricular activities?
 
Stewartb said:
Old pickup truck. Heavy and safe. Won’t go very fast or carry many people. Gas use will limit extracurricular activities. The perfect teenager vehicle.
Click to expand...

Actually, statistics show that teens, especially boys, have a much higher accident rate in high center of gravity vehicles like old pickups and SUVs. Sudden swerves result in rollover accidents. Anecdotal case in point: Our EHS person, two offices down from me, lost her teen son to an accident like this. He swerved to avoid a deer in his mid-70's Chevy pickup, the truck overturned, and he was killed when the cab crushed in.

Best car for teens? Late model mid-sized sedan that has most or all of the latest safety developments. Hence our teen daughter drives a current gen Ford Fusion.
 
1981 Lincoln Town Car

  • Has some of the land yacht retro cool vibe
  • Insurance will be cheap
  • Low cost of acquisition
  • AM/FM radio, and a chance at a working 8-track
  • That beast has so much American steel in it, it will wipe out an Asian plasti-mobile without even flinching
  • Uncomplicated mechanicals so you can still execute self repairs
  • Many pick n pull yards still have parts, for low cost
  • Large enough interior that he can take all of his friends (and their friends) for rides
  • Once he learns to parallel park that tuna boat, he can parallel park anything
  • And best yet, the massive fuel tank and low gas mileage will cause him to re-think solo driving and car pool with others.

 
Bill said:
Actually, statistics show that teens, especially boys, have a much higher accident rate in high center of gravity vehicles like old pickups and SUVs. Sudden swerves result in rollover accidents. Anecdotal case in point: Our EHS person, two offices down from me, lost her teen son to an accident like this. He swerved to avoid a deer in his mid-70's Chevy pickup, the truck overturned, and he was killed when the cab crushed in.

Best car for teens? Late model mid-sized sedan that has most or all of the latest safety developments. Hence our teen daughter drives a current gen Ford Fusion.
Click to expand...

This.

Boring midsize sedan with all the safety flim-flam like stability control and airbags going ever which way. This stuff works. The only time you want to be in a F250 is if you are hitting another F250.

In daily use, there is little fuel economy benefit between a Civic sized vehicle and an Accord sized vehicle.

Also look at insurance. Many years ago, I was shopping for an Impreza for my wife. My insurance lady pointed out that insurance on a Legacy or Legacy Outback would be a fraction of the Impreza models (at the time different 'loss experience', mostly a result of differences in average age and demographics of the drivers for both types).

Obtw. I would avoid anything with a CVT. Getting harder to find these days in smaller vehicles.
 
Last edited:
I like the Civic.
 
GaryM said:
Yep. And as has been mentioned here before, a standard transmission is rapidly becoming the ultimate anti-theft device.
Click to expand...

Also, outside of small cars, increasingly difficult to find.
 
Der Fliegermeister said:
A diesel Jetta with a 5-speed manual transmission.
-Excellent fuel economy (45mpg or better)
-Parts Availability
-Cheap insurance
-Resale value
-If he's gotta drive with both hands, he won't text as much on the road. Manual transmission for the win!
Click to expand...

I had a relatively good ownership experience on my Jetta. Only $18,000 in unplanned repairs, most of that covered under warranty.
 
Can't complain about my 08 Ford Focus Manual Trans - pushes 40mpg on the highway - I'm over 170k miles and can count the repairs it's needed on one hand with fingers left over...
 
AggieMike88 said:
1981 Lincoln Town Car

  • Has some of the land yacht retro cool vibe
  • Insurance will be cheap
  • Low cost of acquisition
  • AM/FM radio, and a chance at a working 8-track
  • That beast has so much American steel in it, it will wipe out an Asian plasti-mobile without even flinching
  • Uncomplicated mechanicals so you can still execute self repairs
  • Many pick n pull yards still have parts, for low cost
  • Large enough interior that he can take all of his friends (and their friends) for rides
  • Once he learns to parallel park that tuna boat, he can parallel park anything
  • And best yet, the massive fuel tank and low gas mileage will cause him to re-think solo driving and car pool with others.
Click to expand...


Good choice.

When my son was in a similar situation he got a Crown Vic, which has the same attributes and would make another good choice. He still has it even though he bought a Miata last year. The Vic comes in handy whenever he needs to carry something that’s too big for the Miata. Like a comb or a toothbrush.

But for $12k the OP could find him a very nice Japanese 600cc sport bike. :lol:

All I am saying,
Is give Darwin a chance.
:devil:
 
Missed the $12k datapoint

if I was the youngster, I’d take $2k of the 12, buy an unapologetic beater (with appropriate pre-purchase inspection to ensure it lasts for at least 4-5 years), put $2k into a car repair emergency fund,

then the remainder into starting a proper long term investment fund.

$8,000 might not be a huge start, but with lots of time and compound interest, it is a decent start and can become something nice by retirement age.

And definitely be worth more than sinking the $8k into a depreciating asset of a used car.


But this is the old me talking.

Young me would take $6k to buy the car and then $6k on a pimp my ride shopping spree
 
Or perhaps a better use of the $12k for future investment of self?

$50 pawn shop ten speed bicycle. $11.950k on flight lessons and get the PPL
 
The usual suspects: Honda Civic/Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion/Focus, etc. will all work fine. Nothing wrong with a pickup truck, but it won't be fuel efficient compared to car options for obvious reasons. If you want something sportier for him, find a 2015+ turbo-4 banger Mustang. It won't light the tires on fire, but it's fairly economical and reliable as well.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
 
Ted said:
Is this kid interested in cars, or is it just transportation? This changes the answer.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. They aren’t buying a car for the kid. They’re buying it for Mom who don’t want the kid driving her car anymore. But I suppose they could ask the kid what he’s thinking about
 
luvflyin said:
Not necessarily. They aren’t buying a car for the kid. They’re buying it for Mom who don’t want the kid driving her car anymore. But I suppose they could ask the kid what he’s thinking about
Click to expand...

It still impacts the answer. $10-12k is enough money that there are a lot of options in that price range that will fit the goals. While for many people a car is just transportation, for some (especially younger boys) it can be a matter of personal pride - something that's a good thing to foster. Proud of a car means they'll take care of it. If he doesn't want to learn how to wrench and has no interest in cars, something like the Civic or an Accord is a reasonable answer, but there are American cars that would work too. If he's interested in wrenching and such, there are other options that are worth considering as well.

My first car was $1k to buy and I spent probably $10-15k total on it. Not the path for most, but it was absolutely the right path for me.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Missed the $12k datapoint

if I was the youngster, I’d take $2k of the 12, buy an unapologetic beater (with appropriate pre-purchase inspection to ensure it lasts for at least 4-5 years), put $2k into a car repair emergency fund,

then the remainder into starting a proper long term investment fund.

$8,000 might not be a huge start, but with lots of time and compound interest, it is a decent start and can become something nice by retirement age.

And definitely be worth more than sinking the $8k into a depreciating asset of a used car.


But this is the old me talking.

Young me would take $6k to buy the car and then $6k on a pimp my ride shopping spree
Click to expand...

Lol. I’m having flashbacks to my 50 Chevy that I paid $65 for. No missing zero’s, 65 bucks. Couldn’t legally buy a Playboy magazine, but I did have my JC Whitney catalog.
 
With the way used car prices are lately, you might want to consider new -- something like a base model stick-shift Hyundai Accent would be around 16K, and he would have a new car with 10 year 100,000 mile warranty that gets 40MPG. If he takes care of it, it could last a decade or more. The cost of ownership might be lower than buying a used car that may need work soon. And you know he won't be street racing.
 
Used car prices are nuts right now. If you really have to buy something, hit them where they ain't. Trucks and SUVs/crossovers are hot, sedans are not, so go with a sedan. In that price range, you're looking at something from the early 2010's now, which is downright depressing. From that era, I'd avoid non-hybrid CVTs, and any Ford that has the dual clutch transmission, which would be the Focus and the Fiesta. I'd also avoid anything that falls in the prestige category, as well as VW. Other than that, it all comes down to miles and condition.
 
If he's an enterprising young man, a compact pickup ups his hustle-game possibilities.
 
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Jetta TDI Sportwagen.

Extremely good fuel mileage, can carry stuff and good looking car.

Good luck finding one, though...
 
Ted said:
It still impacts the answer. $10-12k is enough money that there are a lot of options in that price range that will fit the goals. While for many people a car is just transportation, for some (especially younger boys) it can be a matter of personal pride - something that's a good thing to foster. Proud of a car means they'll take care of it. If he doesn't want to learn how to wrench and has no interest in cars, something like the Civic or an Accord is a reasonable answer, but there are American cars that would work too. If he's interested in wrenching and such, there are other options that are worth considering as well.

My first car was $1k to buy and I spent probably $10-15k total on it. Not the path for most, but it was absolutely the right path for me.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. Like I said, “...Not necessarily...” And I wanted to get a little ‘thinking about’ zinger ino_O​
 
tspear said:
My step son, drives roughly 45 miles one way to work, so 90 miles round trip. So the requirements are really simple:
1. Reliable
2. High MPG
Click to expand...
What's the charging situation at work? If it's good: Nissan Leaf.
 
IK04 said:
Jetta TDI Sportwagen.

Extremely good fuel mileage, can carry stuff and good looking car.

Good luck finding one, though...
Click to expand...

I acquired one at the beginning of this year - one with a manual transmission (hard to find.) Lots of fun.

tspear said:
My step son, drives roughly 45 miles one way to work, so 90 miles round trip. So the requirements are really simple:
1. Reliable
2. High MPG
Click to expand...

Sadly all used cars prices seems to have spiked. But I think there's a few good deals out there, but mostly domestic vehicles. But with the 2 requirements, I'd have echo Tspear's suggestion - a VW TDI. Not AWD, but will run a long time and very fuel efficient. The 2011-2014 sedans are least expensive now and plentiful, so maybe a good deal to be had.

If adding the AWD, it gets more expensive. But a used Ford Escape or 3rd Gen Ford Explorer are pretty inexpensive (but not fuel efficient). I have a 2002 Explorer with the 4.6 V-8 and it's reliable and comfortable... just not fuel efficient.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Missed the $12k datapoint

if I was the youngster, I’d take $2k of the 12, buy an unapologetic beater (with appropriate pre-purchase inspection to ensure it lasts for at least 4-5 years), put $2k into a car repair emergency fund,

then the remainder into starting a proper long term investment fund.

$8,000 might not be a huge start, but with lots of time and compound interest, it is a decent start and can become something nice by retirement age.

And definitely be worth more than sinking the $8k into a depreciating asset of a used car.


But this is the old me talking.

Young me would take $6k to buy the car and then $6k on a pimp my ride shopping spree
Click to expand...

I am not a youngster, and I have never owned a car that was worth more than $3k at the time of purchase. The current vehicle that I drive to work everyday has an estimated value of $500. I'd rather save my money for airplanes than cars, plus the knowledge gained by fixing nearly everything on the car was totally worth it.
 
This seems to be popular around here....

donk-chevy-caprice.jpg


Or this...

CC-79-044-800.jpg
 
SoonerAviator said:
The usual suspects: Honda Civic/Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion/Focus, etc. will all work fine. Nothing wrong with a pickup truck, but it won't be fuel efficient compared to car options for obvious reasons. If you want something sportier for him, find a 2015+ turbo-4 banger Mustang. It won't light the tires on fire, but it's fairly economical and reliable as well.
Click to expand...

My daughter drives the 2004 Tundra pickup, she is 17. This is the "learner" car in the family. The gas mileage sucks way to much to make my step son drive it 90 miles a day.

luvflyin said:
Not necessarily. They aren’t buying a car for the kid. They’re buying it for Mom who don’t want the kid driving her car anymore. But I suppose they could ask the kid what he’s thinking about
Click to expand...

Yeah, my step son's opinion really does not come into play. This is all my wife's call.

asicer said:
What's the charging situation at work? If it's good: Nissan Leaf.
Click to expand...

None. Considered it, and like it. But winter range it will not work.

Did not think on the base model new/old aspect. Worth considering, otherwise, looks like the usual suspects it will be.

Tim
 
tspear said:
My daughter drives the 2004 Tundra pickup, she is 17. This is the "learner" car in the family. The gas mileage sucks way to much to make my step son drive it 90 miles a day.



Yeah, my step son's opinion really does not come into play. This is all my wife's call.



None. Considered it, and like it. But winter range it will not work.

Did not think on the base model new/old aspect. Worth considering, otherwise, looks like the usual suspects it will be.

Tim
Click to expand...

Since you mentioned AWD, there is a fairly popular AWD variant of the V6 Dodge Challenger which would meet your criteria. Not the most fuel efficient vehicle out there, but not terrible either. Only available in the v6 variants, so insurance doesn't get crazy.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
 
Ok if kid's opinion is irrelevant, then really any of the economy cars are what I'd be looking at. You could probably look at a new Hyundai/Kia in that price range, or close to it - and get good financing at that. Used cars these days are tough.

Just make sure it has cruise control. Surprisingly, there are some economy cars that don't have it.
 
Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf "plus" leases are still cheap as chips, have 200+ miles range, and the modern safety gewgaws that all new cars have:

https://electrek.co/best-electric-vehicle-leases/

They accelerate quickly to about 30/40mph thus appealing to the young studley in all of us, costs pennies per mile to operate (or zero if he can mooch from mom's electric bill :D ) and will do a 90 mile roundtrip in even the nastiest winter/rain that drags down EV range. Plus they're heavy and low-CG so do decently in weather that wants for AWD.

He can also claim to the ladies that he's concerned about climate change, and quietly omit the damage that EV battery mining and manufacturing do -- while being enrobed in their affections.
 
@schmookeeg

Interesting idea, but assuming $300 a month plus $4K down average (used a quick eyeball of the numbers), that is 3.6K per year time three years + 4k down = 15.8K total and he will not have a car in three years.
That just delays the purchase, and spends a lot of cash in the meantime. The math will never pencil out comparing a new 35K+ car to a used 10K car.

I may just have to bookmark that page for when I replace my Subaru in a few years.

Tim
 
tspear said:
@schmookeeg

Interesting idea, but assuming $300 a month plus $4K down average (used a quick eyeball of the numbers), that is 3.6K per year time three years + 4k down = 15.8K total and he will not have a car in three years.
That just delays the purchase, and spends a lot of cash in the meantime. The math will never pencil out comparing a new 35K+ car to a used 10K car.

I may just have to bookmark that page for when I replace my Subaru in a few years.

Tim
Click to expand...

Eyeball a bit closer and you'll see the Leaf and Bolt run about 5 grand total over the 3 years. Considering what the used/new market is like at the moment, there is some added value IMO to kicking the can down the road a bit. :D

I think the real magic with these is the ability to harvest state EV incentives. Here in Oregon the state chips another $2500 or $5000 into the lease, and is good every two years. Literally that means a free car in OR if you can meet the requirements (which are income-based -- and since I'm my own corporation, I was able to squeeze my payroll to come under the requirement). The fed incentives are already baked into those lease numbers.

Mileage for the kiddo's commute is a bit of a saddle-thorn here, but those can be negotiated like anything else.

Happy hunting. I'm holding my own decrepit Subaru another year just because I don't want to throw elbows with buyers for a new car right now. Prices are naynays.
 
If the kid is not mechanically inclined then a used Civic is probably the most boring yet practical bet. I put on over 155k on a Honda Accord...with CVT which was so smooth...and never had a single repair. Mileage was averaging 38mpg summer. I never even did the brakes with all those highway miles. So the Civic should best the Accord for mileage and match it for reliability.

That being said I'm secretly on the hunt for a FJ80 series for my daughter :)
 
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