OT - I need to buy my daughter a vehicle

johnkitchens

I hate car shopping, but my daughter just turned 16 this week. She will be eligible for her license next month. 

I am actually thinking about leasing instead of buying, but I am not sure I like walking away with nothing at the end of the lease, but I do like the lower payments a lease offers versus buying. 

We think we have it narrowed down to these 4 vehicles. I would appreciate any input any of you can give me about lease versus buy, and any knowledge of the vehicles if you can. Here are the 4;

BMW X3 X Drive 28I
Infiniti Q60
Lexus GX460
Toyota 4Runner

theyolksonyou

Adopt me, please. 

theyolksonyou

Got one turning 16 in Feb...

johnkitchens

theyolksonyou said:

Got one turning 16 in Feb...

I didn't realize you had one that old. 

DoubleEgger

The GX460 hands down. Lexus holds their value better than most brands. Quality is legendary. The Lexus service is top notch and a totally different experience than anywhere else. You'll feel good about that when she goes off to college. 

Never lease in Georgia. With the recent change with the ad valorum, you have to pay sales tax on the full value of the vehicle when you buy or lease it. Those taxes will add a chunk of money to a 24 to 36 month lease. Better off buying used than leasing new. 

JohnInCarolina

Dep curves on all of those cars are pretty steep, with the exception of the Toyota.  Leases can work out financially if you can get a good one.  I assume she won't be driving too much so that miles won't be a concern?

johnkitchens

DoubleEgger said:

The GX460 hands down. Lexus holds their value better than most brands. Quality is legendary. The Lexus service is top notch and a totally different experience than anywhere else. You'll feel good about that when she goes off to college. 

Never lease in Georgia. With the recent change with the ad valorum, you have to pay sales tax on the full value of the vehicle when you buy or lease it. Those taxes will add a chunk of money to a 24 to 36 month lease. Better off buying used than leasing new. 

Thank you Michael. I have never thought about leasing until now, but I am probably going to buy instead of lease regardless of the one we go with. 

JohnInCarolina

My advice would also be to look for a used version of one of these to buy.  The Lexus or Toyota would be an excellent choice imo.  

johnkitchens

JohnInCarolina said:

Dep curves on all of those cars are pretty steep, with the exception of the Toyota.  Leases can work out financially if you can get a good one.  I assume she won't be driving too much so that miles won't be a concern?

You are right concerning the miles. She won't be putting many miles on anything for a while. She really likes the 4Runner. 

lousubcap

Dang- hi end shopping list right there.  I have no idea of your daily drivers but if that is the "daughter car" then I wouldn't lease.  With care and feeding any of those will be great road cars for 15-20 years.  You can flip to the parent car in four years.
BTW- she is much less likely to get the mandatory speeding tix and follow-on accident than sons. Went thru that with two sons and checked those boxes many years ago myself as well.  Just an opinion and we all know what those are worth.  FWIW-

Killit_and_Grillit

Just sold my 4Runner this afternoon. Wish I could have helped ya. 

johnkitchens

lousubcap said:

Dang- hi end shopping list right there.  I have no idea of your daily drivers but if that is the "daughter car" then I wouldn't lease.  With care and feeding any of those will be great road cars for 15-20 years.  You can flip to the parent car in four years.
BTW- she is much less likely to get the mandatory speeding tix and follow-on accident than sons. Went thru that with two sons and checked those boxes many years ago myself as well.  Just an opinion and we all know what those are worth.  FWIW-

I know what you mean. My son is in college and so far he hasn't gotten a ticket, but I keep waiting. I told him if he got one he was paying for it himself. 

I think that has made him keep it slow. 

Legume

Totally different than what you're shopping for, but my kids drove used volvos initially.  Safe, reliable, affordable and disposable.  I don't have any stats to back it up, but if memory serves, most all of my kids friends and my friends kids have wrecked cars between 16 and 20.

Wolfie51sb

My daughter just got her license Tuesday. Suddenly I feel guilty about the 2009 Subaru Forester I'm looking at for her.

epcotisbest

If it were me, I would look closely at the 4Runner, then look even closer at the Highlander instead. Great car, rock solid performance and reliability, decent insurance rates, very comfortable and wherever she winds up in college, there will be plenty of dealerships close by for maintenance.
This time of the year is a good time to buy as well, with favorable interest rates and dealers wanting to move 2017 inventory.
Our main vehicle has been a Toyota for many, many years now. Still drive a Silverado truck though. The Tundra just does not grab me.
Best car we ever had - Camry. Second best - Avalon. Third best - Highlander.

tarheelmatt

Thinking the ol 77 Monte Carlo didn't make the cut?  

johnkitchens

Legume said:

Totally different than what you're shopping for, but my kids drove used volvos initially.  Safe, reliable, affordable and disposable.  I don't have any stats to back it up, but if memory serves, most all of my kids friends and my friends kids have wrecked cars between 16 and 20.

I have thought about the XC60. 

johnkitchens

tarheelmatt said:

Thinking the ol 77 Monte Carlo didn't make the cut?  

My first car was a 78 Monte Carlo!

tarheelmatt

johnkitchens said:

tarheelmatt said:

Thinking the ol 77 Monte Carlo didn't make the cut?  

My first car was a 78 Monte Carlo!

The 8 ft Batman doors were awesome!  

johnkitchens

Wolfie51sb said:

My daughter just got her license Tuesday. Suddenly I feel guilty about the 2009 Subaru Forester I'm looking at for her.

I am sure you are joking about feeling guilty. We are just at the planning stages right now. Nothing concrete. We actually had a car lined up from a family member, but that fell through at the last minute. (Yesterday actually) This is Plan B. 

JohnInCarolina

Legume said:

Totally different than what you're shopping for, but my kids drove used volvos initially.  Safe, reliable, affordable and disposable.  I don't have any stats to back it up, but if memory serves, most all of my kids friends and my friends kids have wrecked cars between 16 and 20.

There used to be a big gap safety-wise between the Volvos and Benz's and everything else.  But over the past decade that has essentially closed to the point where there's not a huge gap with most cars in terms of safety in a crash.

There are other safety features that are valuable though, like blind-side warning indicators, autonomous braking, etc., that help guard against getting into a crash in the first place.

Jeremiah

Pm sent. But from those choices I'd put my daughter in the x3 all day, with the 4 runner behind it. The infinity and Lexus wouldn't even be considered. 

Wolfie51sb

johnkitchens said:

Wolfie51sb said:

My daughter just got her license Tuesday. Suddenly I feel guilty about the 2009 Subaru Forester I'm looking at for her.

I am sure you are joking about feeling guilty. We are just at the planning stages right now. Nothing concrete. We actually had a car lined up from a family member, but that fell through at the last minute. (Yesterday actually) This is Plan B. 

Yes, joking. Though I know my daughter would like your list better than she does mine.

JNDATHP

tarheelmatt said:

Thinking the ol 77 Monte Carlo didn't make the cut?  

No profiling, right?

johnkitchens

Wolfie51sb said:

johnkitchens said:

Wolfie51sb said:

My daughter just got her license Tuesday. Suddenly I feel guilty about the 2009 Subaru Forester I'm looking at for her.

I am sure you are joking about feeling guilty. We are just at the planning stages right now. Nothing concrete. We actually had a car lined up from a family member, but that fell through at the last minute. (Yesterday actually) This is Plan B. 

Yes, joking. Though I know my daughter would like your list better than she does mine.

I wasn't planning on any of this. If our plans hadn't of fallen through this would have all been taken care of. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, preferably the AMG G63... those cars you listed are what the help drives.

JohnInCarolina

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, preferably the AMG G63... those cars you listed are what the help drives.

Lol

johnkitchens

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, preferably the AMG G63... those cars you listed are what the help drives.

Your help is doing pretty good! I do like the GLE 350.

WeberWho

The bigger the vehicle the more often she will be the one driving her friends everywhere. One of the very few benefits of driving a Ford Ranger. I always got to put my friends and their vehicles in dicey situations. 

HeavyG

Television commercials tell me that if you love your children you should give them Subaru.

Gulfcoastguy

The maintenance and repair cost on BMWs will be high, Don't know Lexus and Infiniti except that they are the higher end of their respective Japanese car companies. Have you looked at the RAV4? They even have a hybrid version of it. Toyota is reliable and less likely to breakdown given how careless teen girls are with maintenance. Pay for all of the electronic warning features like blind spot alert and automatic braking, it will help on insurance. Also maybe a AAA membership for breakdowns and flat tires.