OT - I need to buy my daughter a vehicle

fishlessman

when i got my learners permit my dad talked me into buying a crashed dodge dart that looked about like this,i bought a second that was burnt to a crisp for parts. had it up and running by the time i had my license. another couple months working and saving to pay for the insurance   wrong side of the tracks i guess. it was a beauty, maroon with a lime green hood. you dont want alot of seating in your daughts car, she will be driving everyone everywhere, especially in college

Eoin

Our kids have 2 x 1.2 litre Skoda Fabias. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to repair and (most important for young people) lacking power. Never underestimate the ability of a child to crash a car. If / when they want something better, they are buying.

Eggcelsior

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well when I was a teenage boy we could: change our own tires, change the oil, put on brake pads, change spark plugs etc. When I came home from college my younger sister had a new used 4 cylinder mustang. The oil was like tar and I had to use WD 40 to get the spark plugs out to change them. I don't think that you want your teen age daughters to depend on random teenage boys to change their tires but that's your business.

Yes, but you learned that from someone. It's also the parent's fault, not just the kid. I get it if they're unwilling to learn(such as my own sisters, even though my dad taught us all). I don't want my children to have to depend on anyone, which is why I will teach them. It has nothing to do with gender though, anecdotes aside. I have known many, many more teenage boys that ruined cars than girls. 

Roebuck

If you do go the lease route - the BMW would be great due to the warranty, but I would not "buy" one. The 4Runner will last a lifetime (new or used) and is a safe/reliable option.

fishlessman

is this a lug wrench?

nolaegghead

Eggcelsior said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well when I was a teenage boy we could: change our own tires, change the oil, put on brake pads, change spark plugs etc. When I came home from college my younger sister had a new used 4 cylinder mustang. The oil was like tar and I had to use WD 40 to get the spark plugs out to change them. I don't think that you want your teen age daughters to depend on random teenage boys to change their tires but that's your business.

Yes, but you learned that from someone. It's also the parent's fault, not just the kid. I get it if they're unwilling to learn(such as my own sisters, even though my dad taught us all). I don't want my children to have to depend on anyone, which is why I will teach them. It has nothing to do with gender though, anecdotes aside. I have known many, many more teenage boys that ruined cars than girls. 

Mostly true.  In my case, my parents did zero car maintenance on their own.  I didn't have any mentors on mechanical things other than peers and books.

Learned a lot of hard lessons.

DaveRichardson

Agree with @doubleEgger that the lovely state of GA will screw you on the taxes with any vehicle acquisition - either at the car lot or at the tag office if bought privately.

Also agree that mass quantities of seating are a detriment to teen driving....  Been there, crashed that!

Eggcelsior

nolaegghead said:

Eggcelsior said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well when I was a teenage boy we could: change our own tires, change the oil, put on brake pads, change spark plugs etc. When I came home from college my younger sister had a new used 4 cylinder mustang. The oil was like tar and I had to use WD 40 to get the spark plugs out to change them. I don't think that you want your teen age daughters to depend on random teenage boys to change their tires but that's your business.

Yes, but you learned that from someone. It's also the parent's fault, not just the kid. I get it if they're unwilling to learn(such as my own sisters, even though my dad taught us all). I don't want my children to have to depend on anyone, which is why I will teach them. It has nothing to do with gender though, anecdotes aside. I have known many, many more teenage boys that ruined cars than girls. 

Mostly true.  In my case, my parents did zero car maintenance on their own.  I didn't have any mentors on mechanical things other than peers and books.

Learned a lot of hard lessons.

True! Should have added peers. YouTube might me the greatest invention for wannabe shade tree mechanics. I'm going to do diff service soon along with a brake line flush after checking the pads and rotors. Gotta love 75k maintenance. Just replaced my Purge Canister Valve after the car threw a CEL over the weekend.

Austin Egghead

We gave my 240D to our son because it was a diesel and the was no insurance comps (wrecks) for a 16 yr old with diesel.  Ins was really cheap and there is no such thing as burning rubber with a 240D.
Today I would get Honda corp car (new or used) cause you can't kill them.  

da87

@johnkitchens - You've received lots of great advice, not sure I'll add much but FWIW here's our experience after two kids.

Take advantage, get yourself or wife a new car, and pass yours down.    Win/win and the newest car, usually with the highest insurance cost, goes against the "cheapest" driver to insure. 

I support the purchase of the kids car rather than leasing, as a leased car post accident can be significantly underwater at the time of lease end.

We didn't think about it at the time, but we also found that once the kids get toward the end of college helping them arrange a lease (cosign but put them first) can really help them get started in building robust credit scores

Finally, as our kids were approaching driving age we got interesting advice from good friends who could afford whatever car they wanted to give to their kids:
1. As noted above, lots of seats is a risk
2. The more power, the more risk (and tickets) for young drivers
3. Surround your child with all the steel, weight, and airbags you can afford
4. Buy used, and with the first scratch/dent already there - lowers everyone's stress level the first time your child adds their first scratch/dent
They ended up with a used F150 with the lower end motor for there son. 

Dobie

fishlessman said:

is this a lug wrench?

Maybe

JethroVA

Toyota 4Runner.  I have a 2000 with a quarter million miles still running strong and looking good.  Also have a 2013 4Runner and love it.   Agree with ^ re: RAV4. Quite a few thousand less and still a lot of car. 

SouthGaSmoker

When my son turns 16, he will be getting a cheap junker to start out with.  I've seen too many kids play bumper cars in the high school parking lot.  When he graduates high school, he will get the same deal that i got; full scholarship = new car.  Another rule in my home, i will never buy my child something nicer that what his mother and I drive.  He wants something expensive,  he has to get a job and earn it.  

Great story about a friend of mine....He and his wife were going to buy their oldest daughter a new car for graduation to replace the old used 4 cylinder mustang that she got when she turned 16.  They were looking at a gorgeous 2 door red altima.  When they carried their daughter to the dealership to look at the car, the daughter stated that she couldnt drive anything less than a Maxima to college.  What did her parents do?  Bought the Altima and gave it to their youngest daughter who just turned 16 and was going to inherit the old mustang and let the oldest daughter have the option of driving the mustang to college or take the bus.  The daughter picked the mustang and drove it until she graduated college and bought her own new car.  Think she learned her lesson???

The Cen-Tex Smoker

My youngest got his first car at 17 when he got his license. I'm not a gear head and I hate paying for auto repairs so we were going to lease him an entry model civic or corolla or something like that. The ones you see for $199 a month. Then we found out that the insurance payments were 3X the cost of the lease payments!  Our insurance company wanted nothing to do with a new teen driver in a new car with full coverage (and they were right). We ended up cashing out a used Volvo with a few dings and scratches and just carry liability insurance. He's beat the sh!t out of that car in the year he's had it. 4 minor (but very noticeable) scrapes and a mirror torn off. Our insurance would be $2000 a month if I had to claim all that on a new lease car. On top of that I would have been a nervous wreck every time he left the house hoping he didn't cost me another $1000 in body work. He's learned to keep it on the road and I just laugh it off when I see a new scrape. It's probably been the right thing for us.

Now for the downside- Even though I did buy it for KBB wholesale price ($5200) I have spent $4000 in repairs in a year and have a car with 100k miles on it that is beat to hell and now probably worth $2500. I would have come out ahead cash-wise getting him a new car lease but the insurance would have crushed us. I just didn't want the uncertainty of my insurance skyrocketing so I opted to take the risk in repairs on an older car and pay cash as I go. So far- it's been the right call. My mechanic told me that Vovlo transmissions get goofy after 100k miles and that is $5400...so we shall see (I would scrap it and start over at that point)

Legume

nolaegghead said:

If you like your doctor, you probably don't have the best doctor.

This made me laugh.  Describes my parents to a T and how they rate or vet anyone they hire for anything - plumbers, doctors, etc.  The good ones agree with what my parents aleady thought and are in the 'such a nice young man' category.  Recently heard of a plumber that was in to fix something and stayed at least 45 min after he finished "just talking about his family, I told him all about you and your kids...".  I'm sure that included that we both live in other states.  They will get themselves ripped off at some point, but there is just no telling them otherwise.  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

His Latest entry in the "Texas Pinstripe" sweepstakes 

Legume

Looks like one of those poles that just jumps out when you drive by.

Ozzie_Isaac

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

His Latest entry in the "Texas Pinstripe" sweepstakes 

He needs to take corners a bit wider.

pgprescott

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

His Latest entry in the "Texas Pinstripe" sweepstakes 

Oh I'm sure that will buff right out. 

pgprescott

In all seriousness, safety is paramount. Our oldest totaled her first car. Her fault. She was very lucky to only have a concussion from the airbags. I was really glad there were so many airbags! Good luck. The first time my kids drove away on their own were the two scariest days of my life. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Ozzie_Isaac said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

His Latest entry in the "Texas Pinstripe" sweepstakes 

He needs to take corners a bit wider.

Tell me about it. This one is covering up a smaller one from 6 months ago. Parking garage. 

Eggcelsior

Austin Egghead said:

We gave my 240D to our son because it was a diesel and the was no insurance comps (wrecks) for a 16 yr old with diesel.  Ins was really cheap and there is no such thing as burning rubber with a 240D.
Today I would get Honda corp car (new or used) cause you can't kill them.  

Oh man, 240D is the GOAT. Built like a tank and 25mpg no matter what you do. 

windnsea26

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I might be married to a girl who went 30,000 before her first oil change in a turbo eclipse.

 that's hilarious!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

pgprescott said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

His Latest entry in the "Texas Pinstripe" sweepstakes 

Oh I'm sure that will buff right out. 

Along with all the others...

Gulfcoastguy

I agree with fewer seats and more airbags. A teenage female driver pulled up to a stop sign and either only looked right or was gabbing to the passenger to her right side. She pulled out in front of me, I didn't have a stop sign on my street. My GMC hit her car at 45 which is the legal speed. I had just enough time to twitch the wheel so I hit the only unoccupied seat, the left rear. It knocked the Civic spinning into a parking lot across the street but they all walked away from it. Both vehicles were toast and I got to eat my first air bag.

Lit

johnkitchens said:

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. 

My wife loves her 4 runner. I shopped around and bought a year old model with 20k miles on it and saved about 10 grand off new price. The bad thing is it look me months to find a deal they hold their value pretty good. 

saluki2007

I got a 2015 Audi Q5 for sale.  All the safety features they sell for it.