Seeking Advice - Dad buying a first car for a 16yo

[koalb]

[Topic is now in Personal Consumer Issues - car purchase.
mod mkc]

So my daughter is turning 16 soon. And as her Dad, my goal is to provide her with safe, reliable transportation (nothing more, nothing less). I've told her repeatedly 'assume you'll be driving a very unremarkable sedan.' I'm open to any and all advice you may have to offer. Specifically, I'm curious about:

Are sedans even a thing anymore? I love the affordability of a sedan for a teen driver, but the simple fact is, American's don't really buy sedans anymore.

Where to buy? I already feel a little exhausted thinking about finding a private sale, yet I realize that I'd likely find the lowest price that way. I'm under the impression that if I buy from a dealer, there may be some amount of warranty provided. Is that true? I recognize that private sale is buyer beware.

What about CarMax or Carvana? What about the Costco buying program (for used). I've never used any of these services. Are they any good? What about others?

Any vehicle suggestions? I'm looking for safe, reliable transportation. If I could find a Toyota Rav4 or Honda CRV, I'd be pretty happy. A Subaru as well, although those seem to hold their value a little too well for the position I'm in.

Any other general advice?

This is my first time navigating a car purchase for a teen. I'm a little fearful of the whole thing given how strong the used car market has been.

EDIT: I drive a company car, and the rules of use are clear that my teenager is not allowed to operate it. So me sharing a car with her is a non-viable option.

[mhalley]

Sedans aren’t quite dead yet. Current sales are something like 56% suvs 20.5% sedans. This means you can often get a better deal on a sedan. There are plenty of of articles on safest car for teens, which I imagine is your top concern.
Here’s one form the insurance institute for highway safety.
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/safe-vehicles-for-teens
Start there, then research reliability. The main thing with a used vehicle is getting it checked by a mechanic.

[Jack FFR1846]

Sedans depreciate because people think they need a suburban assault vehicle to see over the one in front of them. Something from a Mazda 3, Mazda 6, Toyota Corolla are good choices and plentiful enough. Sedans also handle better than any SUV.

[KlangFool]

OP,

What are you driving now?

What is the problem of giving her your car?

KlangFool

[cosmos]

OP,

What are you driving now?

What is the problem of giving her your car?

KlangFool

Or borrowing it. . I was allowed to drive my dads car to/from work in HS that is about it.

[eigenperson]

Of course there are still sedans.

You promised an unremarkable sedan and you should deliver on that. "Unremarkable" is one of the best safety features you can offer -- driving behavior is far more important than crashworthiness. It's hard to suggest specific cars without a proposed budget.

In particular, she should not be carrying her friends (or siblings) as passengers, without a responsible adult present, until at least a year of experience. Distraction is deadly, and inexperienced drivers are more easily distracted because more of their attention is required for the task of driving. Teenagers also are much dumber around other teenagers than they are around adults.

[koalb]

OP,

What are you driving now?

What is the problem of giving her your car?

KlangFool

Good question. I'm driving a company vehicle (I'm allowed to accumulate personal miles) - so given the terms of my agreement, it's N/A for my teen (only my wife and I can drive it, everyone else is prohibited). I sold my personal vehicle last year - it was a VW GTI. Just a little bit too sporty for a first-time driver and the residual value was too good to turn down. (Never fall in love with an asset, as they say.) So I parked the cash from the sale in the bank. I was issued this company car in March and it only has 12k miles on it. I have a first option to purchase at 50-60k, but that's a ways off. Our other car is the family hauler that the wife drives. Toyota Highlander. It's too nice and too new for a first-time driver, and it's paid off.

[runner3081]

2015ish Hyundai Sonata. I have a 2011, probably the most boring sedan there is.

[koalb]

Of course there are still sedans.

You promised an unremarkable sedan and you should deliver on that. "Unremarkable" is one of the best safety features you can offer -- driving behavior is far more important than crashworthiness. It's hard to suggest specific cars without a proposed budget.

In particular, she should not be carrying her friends (or siblings) as passengers, without a responsible adult present, until at least a year of experience. Distraction is deadly, and inexperienced drivers are more easily distracted because more of their attention is required for the task of driving. Teenagers also are much dumber around other teenagers than they are around adults.

I'm aiming for $10k, give or take. But safety is most important. Not going to put her in a rust bucket. But I don't want to give her some kind of hot rod either. Yes - unremarkable, boring and safe are the key attributes here.

[koalb]

2015ish Hyundai Sonata. I have a 2011, probably the most boring sedan there is.

I have no first-hand experience with Hyundai. Are they reliable? Are they safe?

They're certainly unremarkable. Lol

[MGBMartin]

My daughter’s first car was a used Honda Accord we bought for her.
It was unremarkable but in good order, reliable and as safe as cars came back then.
If I were to do this again I would certainly look for something that has some of the modern accident avoidance features.
It would probably be something along the lines of another Accord or Camry or Corolla.

[Dufus]

Buy a 5 speed manual. Make it harder to text and drive.

[koalb]

My daughter’s first car was a used Honda Accord we bought for her.
It was unremarkable but in good order, reliable and as safe as cars came back then.
If I were to do this again I would certainly look for something that has some of the modern accident avoidance features.
It would probably be something along the lines of another Accord or Camry or Corolla.

Accord and Camry are on my list.

[MGBMartin]

My daughter’s first car was a used Honda Accord we bought for her.
It was unremarkable but in good order, reliable and as safe as cars came back then.
If I were to do this again I would certainly look for something that has some of the modern accident avoidance features.
It would probably be something along the lines of another Accord or Camry or Corolla.

Accord and Camry are on my list.

Good.
The problem with these cars are how they hold their value which is good when you want to sell it but not so good when you are looking to buy one.

Did you teach your daughter to drive?
I have fond memories of teaching mine. We started out in the local middle school parking lot after school hours.

[bobn60014]

#1 question, why does this 16yo, or any 16 yo, need a car? Will they pay for insurance, upkeep, etc... ?

[michaelsieg]

I went through the same issues last fall and spent a lot of time looking. Accord and Camry were on my list too, but finally I found a nice basic used Honda HRV - I think it was 1 year old with 18k miles at a local dealer - it has a good safety rating and since it is a bit smaller than a CRV it is easier to maneuver for her. She loves it and I hope it will last her for the next 6-8 years. The gas mileage also helps with her budget.

[Random Poster]

In particular, she should not be carrying her friends (or siblings) as passengers, without a responsible adult present, until at least a year of experience.

Buy a 5 speed manual. Make it harder to text and drive.

Not quite a sedan, and it isn’t “boring,” but one way to meet both of these suggestions would be to get a NC Miata with a power hardtop.

Plus, being in a small car quickly teaches one to drive defensively.

[meadowrue]

#1 question, why does this 16yo, or any 16 yo, need a car? Will they pay for insurance, upkeep, etc... ?

Thank you for saying this! Our 16 year old doesn’t have her own car yet even though all her friends seemingly were given cars by their parents as soon as they turned 16. I’d like to think we’re not the only parents who think it’s ok to wait, provided we’re willing to take her where she needs to go, or let her borrow one of our cars occasionally. A car is a big purchase, and a big responsibility.

[runner3081]

2015ish Hyundai Sonata. I have a 2011, probably the most boring sedan there is.

I have no first-hand experience with Hyundai. Are they reliable? Are they safe?

They're certainly unremarkable. Lol

Yes, reliable and safe. They are not huge, but a decent size to protect on impact. Good crash ratings.

[Olemiss540]

I would probably shop older but low mileage lexus rx300s, es300, etc. Can usually find one grandma passed down with 65-80k miles for near 4 figures. Dead reliable, safe, less electronics to distract, and fancy/ comfy place to sit.

[koalb]

#1 question, why does this 16yo, or any 16 yo, need a car? Will they pay for insurance, upkeep, etc... ?

Thank you for saying this! Our 16 year old doesn’t have her own car yet even though all her friends seemingly were given cars by their parents as soon as they turned 16. I’d like to think we’re not the only parents who think it’s ok to wait, provided we’re willing to take her where she needs to go, or let her borrow one of our cars occasionally. A car is a big purchase, and a big responsibility.

No two families are the same. And every family has their own priorities. My daughter is too involved with sports and other after-school activities. I just don't have time (or motivation) to drive her around everywhere as an unpaid Uber driver. So call it a quality of life improvement for me, first and foremost. Plus, we live in suburbia, so public transportation is not a viable option.

But at the same time, I have zero interest in spoiling her. Which is why I told her to expect a 'totally unremarkable sedan', and not a brand new Jeep Wrangler, etc. My goal is basic transportation, not some kind of entitlement.

Again, those are my choices for my family. Other families will make their own choices accordingly.

[tibbitts]

Plus, being in a small car quickly teaches one to drive defensively.

Being in a small car doesn't make me drive any more defensively; driving a very large vehicle does. A smaller vehicle is easier to control, and I'm thinking of the odds of hitting something, not the odds of surviving if I do.

[meadowrue]

Thank you for saying this! Our 16 year old doesn’t have her own car yet even though all her friends seemingly were given cars by their parents as soon as they turned 16. I’d like to think we’re not the only parents who think it’s ok to wait, provided we’re willing to take her where she needs to go, or let her borrow one of our cars occasionally. A car is a big purchase, and a big responsibility.

No two families are the same. And every family has their own priorities. My daughter is too involved with sports and other after-school activities. I just don't have time (or motivation) to drive her around everywhere as an unpaid Uber driver. So call it a quality of life improvement for me, first and foremost. Plus, we live in suburbia, so public transportation is not a viable option.

But at the same time, I have zero interest in spoiling her. Which is why I told her to expect a 'totally unremarkable sedan', and not a brand new Jeep Wrangler, etc. My goal is basic transportation, not some kind of entitlement.

Again, those are my choices for my family. Other families will make their own choices accordingly.

I respect your decision and agree that it’s a very personal choice. I apologize if I came across more snarky than intended! I am honestly anxious about my daughter driving, not because she isn’t a good driver but just because teen driving in general scares me! So holding off on a car suits me, and DH has a flex schedule so he helps with the unpaid Uber part. We make it work. When we are ready to take the plunge, an unremarkable sedan sounds perfect.

[bogart]

We recently made a similar decision (picking out a car that would be driven by our kid, a teenage driver). For a variety of reasons (it is a shared family car) we went with a 2021 RAV4 Prime that we bought through CarMax and have been very happy with so far.

In considering alternatives and safety, I found the information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) helpful. They offer vehicle safety ratings https://www.iihs.org/ratings including lists of new and used vehicles https://www.iihs.org/ratings/safe-vehicles-for-teens they recommend for teens (along with an explanation of what they look for and why).

[MnD]

4-cylinder older Subaru Outback.
AWD, low center of gravity, good visibility, slow, great in rain, snow, mud, ice etc. And not a tiny car.
Lots of room for their stuff and great car for them to move to college with in a couple years.
The limited versions are likely to be owned by better original owners, may have more safety things and the leather cleans up real nice.

We did these with both kids and it worked out great. They had amazing adventures in them and my son is still driving his 14 years later!
My daughter sold hers and bought a very similiar newer used one.

[Big Dog]

Camry or accord, 4 cylinder

[Yarlonkol12]

Im in the same situation, from what I've seen everyone wants used Toyota or Honda and prices reflect that. Id rather just buy those brands new if I was going to get one. I don't want to buy new and prefer to keep budget around 10-15k for 5 year old or so small SUV, so looking at other brands

Im finding a lot of Nissan Rogues at reasonable prices, and Subarus not too bad either. Still need to research more

[Watty]

Get car insurance quotes on any car before you buy it. The cost of good car insurance could easily be more than the cost of the car and the cost can vary with different models by more than you might expect. Some Hyundais and Kias can be hard and expensive to insure because they are very easy to steal and instructions on how to steal them are posted on the internet.

Also get quotes for your umbrella policy with the additional driver and a third car. I should have gotten it earlier but I first got my umbrella insurance when my kid started to drive since I had wanted to be very well covered if he was in an accident.

One really good safety feature to have is electronic stability control(ESC) which became required in 2012 so if you are looking at a car which is older than that check to see if the car has it or not.

You need to look at the other safety features very closely since even if the car looks similar they can vary a lot from year to year. In 2018 Toyota started making a lot of safety features standard equipment so the features of a 2017 and 2018 may be very different.

You can get a one month subscription to the Consumers Reports web site for $10 or get it through your local library. I find that very useful when car shopping. It may be behind a paywall but they have an article on selecting a car for a teenager.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/te ... 115540753/

If you find an older car there is a code on the side of the tires which will tell you how old the tires are. Even if there is lots of tread left the tires should be replaced by the time they are 10 years old if not sooner especially if they are usually parked in the sun or weather. Also check the spare tire even if it is a compact spare.

The battery likely has a sticker on it which says when it was manufactured. There are lots of opinions but I replace mine when they are four years old but that is being on the cautious side.

Do not depend on CarFax reports. I had a Honda which had been in three fender benders with insurance claims but none of them were on the CarFax report.

[Wash.Invest]

As a 'fix-it,' (mechanic) rural first responder for 40+ yrs, I use very different criteria for 1 st car for girls vs guys.

Safety and dependability being top priority.

At the time.... Rural trauma Dr / mentor would only put his family drivers in diesel Jettas or Passats with at least 6 airbags. We attend to countless teen crashes, and it's quite obvious who walks away from what, as well as the less desired outcomes. My sons are always so confoundedly that girl acquaintance's drove far less, but had very high (serious ) crash stats, yet their insurance was a fraction of the cost. Girl's crashes are most often single vehicle / drive off the road, where guys more frequently have multiple vehicle and much higher liability and physical injury crashes. Unfortunately, we have lost several girl and guy neighbors and friends due to crashes. (4) From our church youth group, in separate accidents over the years. I am also a 3m mile CDL truckdriver, and my dad ran a recovery tow service - so vivid experiences of what NOT to do!

#1 for me is mandatory Smith Driving Rules training and application (memorized, frequently reviewed, )

#2 experience. My teen drivers had a 10000 mile checklist of driving experience in all kinds of vehicles, weather, terrain, night and day BEFORE they were allowed to test.

#3 meet with insurance agent 1x/ yr, and take them to lunch for legal responsibility training

#4 skin in the game - kids had to buy their own cars, insurance, fuel, maintenance (especially important for boys)

#5 each got classes in skid school and performance driving (we drive in mtns / canyons / switchbacks every day)

#6 no passengers (except family), no cell phones, no radio distractions.

Safe cars.... It depends on driving conditions and exposures. Ours drove 120 miles / day while HS age (but were in college, not HS). Lots of snow, ice, wind, rain.

No CUVs or SUVs. Too squirrely and tippy for first car. Something lower, slower, safer preferred. (GTI ). But not a VR6:R32! Actually.... I build GTDs as a hobby, since USA or Canada never got them. Takes a weekend for idi, and a week (40+ hrs) for a TDI. But a 50 mpg sports car that runs on free fuel is pretty fun, Quite safe, and very boglehead like. - my practicing boglehead kids, helped build their own GTDs. Live by learning.

Having rebuilt several totaled cars for hobby and inexpensive drivers, I will never drive a Subaru (or fix another one). They are crumple and throw away cars (safe in the sense they purposely crumple, projecting less impact force to occupants). SUVs and pickups are statistically very high in personal injuries to occupants, but... Massive structure and rigid can also protect you when hit by others. (Especially important if you drive a lot of high-speed 2 lane rural roads). Not great for daughters who space-out and drive off the road at high speed. "What?, I was driving?, you don't say!". BTDT too many times happening upon a crash.

Toyota / Honda, older / cheaper to insure and replace - but tough to find used with low miles. Yesterday, SIL declared she's selling her 2006 Corolla w/86k.... Just to upgrade. Nothing in our driveway has under 150k, most 300k+, some 500k+.

Hyundai and Kia.... Ok NEW with 100k factory warranty. Sell before warranty expires. I prefer to request these when renting, because the get 38-40 mpg, and have actual transmissions, instead of CVT. Since they are new, they have a lot of driver aid gizmos, and are to highest safety specs. If they get crashed.... Discard them.

Good luck.

Train DD with Smith Driving Rules, and no / limited backing (reverse), and only Right Hand turns instead of crossing high speed traffic. No motorcycles until kids leave home. That way you don't lay sleepless at home worrying about them.

I slept much better when kids left home (18) but even better when they turned age 26. (Liability freedom for me).

[LikeNumbers]

I remember my daughters getting their first used car.
They seemed pretty excited but also know there were strings attached.

Strings attached: 1) I was very clear, this is my auto, you get to use it as long as you adhere to my rules.
2) I will pay for the auto and insurance, but you need to pay for your own gas and basic maintenance like oil changes and
registration renewal.
3) If I ever smell or see alcohol, pot, or any sort of drugs in my car, you will permanently lose all future opportunities
to drive that auto. My daughters knew I was very serious about this topic. A DWI or DUI meant you are now walking.
4) They must demonstrate they know how to safely change a tire.
5) They must pay for and pass a private company driver safety course.


Type of auto? We lived in an area with winter ice and snow, about 15 minutes from most anything. - front wheel drive was a must (AWD was not yet invented, and 4x4's were mainly trucks). Both daughters ended up with used Honda Accords with around 80K miles. Local mechanic
evaluated both autos.

Insurance: The owner of the car is the one responsible for any accident. I decided to purchase an umbrella policy to extend liability coverage.
Luckily it was never utilized, but accidents happen and some are serious. I also got a AAA policy for towing,etc.

Both daughters drove those autos through college.

[vg55]

Mine is likely a minority view, but I didn't and wouldn't buy my 16 year old a car. The family car was a useful tool to teach and reward responsible behavior. And useful when one needed to ground a teenager. Good luck to you.

[MillennialFinance19]

Honestly, the most "first car" choice you can make, is probably a used Toyota Corolla. Super reliable, boring, and can't fit 12 teenagers (well....)

[Carguy85]

Lincoln towncar for many reasons….made them through 2011

Much more for your money than an old Honda or Toyota…very very reliable and much easier to find with low miles and a boatload of class

[Carguy85]

Lincoln towncar for many reasons….made them through 2011

[mgensler]

+1 on getting insurance quotes first. We have two teen drivers who went through driving school and adding them increased our auto and umbrella by $5k a year which is about double what we were paying. We also didn't add another vehicle. I mostly ride my bike now

[HomeStretch]

We ended up buying our kids new Honda Accords as recent-year used models were scarce and almost as expensive as new. The plan was for the cars to last through college and first job. They are still driving the cars 10+ years later. Zero repairs aside from normal maintenance.

Edit - Gifting to kids is a personal choice and receives divided responses in forum threads I have read. Our kids were appreciative for the gifts of a car and a debt-free college degree. They treat the cars well and drive safely. They have a keen financial sense and the gifts did not change their frugal behavior.

For insurance purposes, we were required to maintain the cars on our auto/umbrella policies while they were minors or shared our home address. Once living independently as adults, we transferred the car titles to them.

[smwisc]

I'm aiming for $10k, give or take. But safety is most important. Not going to put her in a rust bucket. But I don't want to give her some kind of hot rod either. Yes - unremarkable, boring and safe are the key attributes here.

For $10k you'll be getting pretty high mileage and/or subcompact, neither of which is what you likely want - I think you'll need to go closer to $13k-$15k to get even a compact with reasonably low mileage (e.g. less than 60k), and the higher end of that if you want certified used (which means some warranty). I like to use cars.com to get an idea of what cars are available at various age/mileage/price combinations, then research those specific makes/models.

Also, there's apparently a lot of vehicles being sold out of the hurricane-affected areas that may have been impacted by flooding, so watch out for that.

[toomanysidehustles]

Any vehicle suggestions? I'm looking for safe, reliable transportation. If I could find a Toyota Rav4 or Honda CRV, I'd be pretty happy. A Subaru as well, although those seem to hold their value a little too well for the position I'm in.

Any other general advice?

Nissan Altima (look for transmission issue years), Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester (look for head gasket replacement history)

[toomanysidehustles]

Lincoln towncar for many reasons….made them through 2011

Wow, the timing... I actually clicked on this yesterday...https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002- ... n-car-7-2/

[tibbitts]

My teen drivers had a 10000 mile checklist of driving experience in all kinds of vehicles, weather, terrain, night and day BEFORE they were allowed to test.
...

Hyundai and Kia.... Ok NEW with 100k factory warranty. Sell before warranty expires. I prefer to request these when renting, because the get 38-40 mpg, and have actual transmissions, instead of CVT. Since they are new, they have a lot of driver aid gizmos, and are to highest safety specs. If they get crashed.... Discard them.

Before they test for what? Many teens won't drive 10,000 miles until they're not teens, and maybe not until they're finished with their education. Many adults only drive a few thousand miles per year. The amount of time it takes to drive 10,000 miles would simply not fit into the schedule many teens have, and what teens have access to "all kinds of vehicles"? And most don't have access to varying weather or terrain - that simply doesn't apply where they live. In your specific circumstances I'm sure your plan works, but I don't think it's applicable to most lifestyles.

Many - not all - mainstream Hyundai and Kia cars that you would likely rent switched to CVTs several years ago (as did Toyota, Honda, etc.) Not saying that's good or bad, although I would prefer a conventional automatic transmission.

[peregrine]

I am not a big fan of giving a teenager a car. If they are gifted one, the they do not develop a good sense of how expensive they are not only to buy but to insure and maintain. If your daughter needs transportation a better solution is to buy a family car for which she can be the primary driver. Maybe this is what the OP intends. This solution would probably be cheaper from an insurance perspective.

SUV’s are popular because they are built high and heavy and therefore tend to fair well in accidents. An old luxury car suggested by some other posters might also fair well but would be more expensive to maintain.

[WAROB]

I still think sedans are the best deal in the used car market. For Toyota check out used Avalon’s. Tend to have lower miles than comparable Camrys and corollas and we have had great experience with their reliability and comfort.

Bonus points if you find a low mile (2000-2004) model as they go forever with regular maintenance.

[Kenkat]

You’ve already got a lot of the parameters set - approximately $10k and a sedan. At this point, you could go to cars.com, set a price filter and a body style filter and get a good idea of what is available.

It will be a trade off between desirability, mileage and age. So you might find an older Camry with higher miles or a newer Chevy Malibu with lower miles for example. Both would likely be fine for a teen. They likely won’t put a lot of miles on it and most cars are fairly reliable these days.

We always had something, not fancy, for our kids to drive. We were the owners. I’d rather them drive an older model than my or my wife’s car. Kids are busy today and it’s nice not to have to constantly coordinate who needs a car today. We had no problems with them not driving responsibly or taking the privilege for granted.

[Anina]

I always loved the Lincoln Town car and the Ford Crown Victorias. I guess I'm a sedan gal. I do miss seeing those vehicles and when I see an occasional one, I just get misty eyed.

About 20 years ago, the local police department was getting rid of their Crown Vics. Almost bought one. It had a bench seat. (Sigh)

I currently have a 2011 Diesel E class. Nice comfy sedan and very safe. People complain about the expense of repair, and I guess I got a good one. Pretty much just routine maintenance. You may want to consider an E class.

[cchrissyy]

Are sedans even a thing anymore? I love the affordability of a sedan for a teen driver, but the simple fact is, American's don't really buy sedans anymore.

Sure they do. My young adults share a 2020 civic. Bought from CarMax. Simple.

[syc]

Count me among those who would try to avoid buying a 16-year-old their own car. Risks are too great. I don't understand the recent trend toward (getting license) = (getting car.)

But if one was to do it, safety would always be my first concern. You are right to emphasize boring. You also want big. But not an SUV--they are too prone to rollovers and teenagers are too prone to over-steering that leads to rollovers. When I took one daughter to get her first car (early 20s), we went to my favorite dealer and asked for a big, boring, lumbering sedan. He sold us a Chevy Impala, a former rental fleet vehicle. It has all the modern airbags, ESC, ABS, etc. It has served her very well. Pretty reliable. I believe you can still find them. Others have mentioned Chevy Malibu, Hyundai Sonatas, and of course Accords, Camrys, Civics, all reasonable sedan options.

Consider also a minivan. Big but not top-heavy. Certainly boring and dorky. And people in their twenties and early thirties often move a lot, schlepping all their worldly goods from one apartment to another. If you are worried about too many teens in the vehicle (as well you should be) you could remove some of the seats.

If you live where there is winter, get four winter tires mounted on steel wheels. Makes a huge difference in the snow.