Teen's first car

[Matt Meiser]

Since things have changed from when I was that age I'm interested in hearing others' recent history approaches on cars for their teens.

One thing I will mention since someone will likely suggest this option--given that we live in the state with the most expensive insurance in the country a cheap lease is out of the question due to (un)affordability of insurance. Those living elsewhere would probably have a heart attack if they found out what we currently pay for two 40-somethings with good credit, safe driver credits, and 5 mile and 0 mile commutes.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have many years to go before my daughter is driving, but my deal will be this:
- If you help build a classic car, I will pay for it.
- If you want a modern car, or don't want to build a car, I will pay half.

I'm hoping she choses option 1. I'm itching to build another classic VW.

[Harold Balzonia]

You've touched a bit of a nerve with me so please forgive me if I hop up on a soap box...

driving modern cars is ridiculously easy... you steer with one finger, enjoy crazy quiet interiors, never shift a transmission except for reverse, perfect air temperature year round, back up cameras and huge touch screens, some of the damn things will even parallel park for you! etc etc....

what all this means is the SKILLS of actually driving a car are falling away quickly. I want my kids to know how to correct/control a slide. I want them to know how to shift a manual transmission and WHY drivers need to know which gear does what. I want them to know how to back up without all the nanny assisting crap. I'm going to teach my kids how to back up with a trailer asap. They need to hear an engine work. They need to drive with the windows rolled down and feel everything.

my kids (both girls) are 9 years old and I have them riding quads to learn how to handle and control motorized vehicles. Kids need to learn to drive by the feelings in the seat of their pants, not by the computer simulations that cars are becoming. My kids will learn to drive on my 1974 BMW 2002. As soon as they prove competent there, I'll move them on to a modern "golf cart" type car if that's what they want. But they will know how to change the oil, they'll know what a car with low tire pressure feels like, how to fix a flat, etc etc....

most of all, no matter what car you get them, teach your kids to DRIVE.... not just press buttons and pedals.

[Wayne Lomman]

I with you Harold even though my kids are somewhat past the learn to drive age. Kids need to be taught to drive, not just be steering wheel attendants. Too many like that out there already. Cheers

[Jason Roehl]

Matt, we're working on teen car #2 right now. For my daughter, she bought her car about 16 months ago. I shopped, she paid. It had been a while since I had bought a car--her's was under $2000, and we saw a lot of total clunkers in the $1500-$2500 range, stuff that I didn't think was worth $500. Her's is no peach, either, but it's functional for getting her to work and school, and even though it's high mileage (170k), it's an '01 Nissan Altima. My son (#2 child of 3) recently got his license, and his avenue to wheels is going to be a little different. We came into an essentially free car due to it being non-functional. It needed an A/C compressor, because the clutch had locked up and shredded the serpentine belt. No A/C delete option available. We put in a junkyard compressor and got it running, but have since found a few other problems that we're working through to get it on the road. Bent rim, no cabin heat (in the process of flushing the coolant now), and I will give the A/C a go--we won't have to put much money into it. This is an '01 Dodge Stratus with 146k on it. I'm making my son do most of the work.

His insurance is pretty expensive, but I also remember looking at potentially my first car in Michigan 24 years ago--it would have been $4k/year for insurance! As it was, my first car ended up being here in Indiana, and it was $1300/yr for liability and comprehensive only--no collision. That was of course with a ticket and an accident already on my record. He'll be paying that much without those blemishes.

Harold, I tend to agree with you, but the reality is that there aren't many "driver's cars" out there any more. Even after years of driving, I found that driving a plow truck (in an old, large truck--thankfully not a manual) helped my driving in many ways--attentiveness, slide control and recovery (ever drifted a dump truck?) and fatigued driving (up to 32 hours driving straight through). My kids have been driving a little while now, but I still plan to take them out to a large, snowy parking lot this coming winter and let them have some fun--and learn control recovery skills.

[Matt Day]

My kids have a long time before driving (3 and 4 yo), but if they were driving now I'd look for an early 2000's Subaru like I have. Manual transmission, no backup cameras or anything, no touch screens. Mine is a 2004 Forester XT, the first year they were offered with a turbo. Plenty of other manual Subaru out there. Safe too.

[Matt Meiser]

Why spoil them with comforts like a roof, heat, and an internal combustion engine? Manual transmissions are just about gone. Yeah, I learned to drive one and my first new car had one. But reality is today's teens will probably will never drive one and likely their days of even really driving are pretty short. Its reality, like it or not.

Matt, I like backup cameras. I will add one to her car if I can do something reliable (not a Walmart-special wireless one.) As a person with no depth perception, backup cameras have changed my life because I can now actually maneuver a car in a tight parking lot. We will probably put a Bluetooth enabled stereo in her car as well--no "I was driving, I couldn't answer" excuses.

What I'm really interested in hearing about is strategy for who buys, whether you went with a "beater", mid-range, or whatever. We are a Ford family so we've looked at a couple mid-late 2000's Focuses (Foci?) and so far I've seen about what Jason has described. I also looked at one Fusion and one Escape of similar vintage on a lot but both were $4500 and that's getting up there for a vehicle that we'd potentially be throwing away if it got damaged beyond being driveable.

Michael, this thread isn't about cell phones. Please start your own thread if you want to talk about them.

[Robert Engel]

F350 4X4 w/ cow catcher grille. Just kidding.

The dilemma is do you get them a beater or a car worth carrying collision, because that's where the cost is. With a beater, repairs can eat your lunch, with a decent car more money up front (NEVER finance a teen's car) but the premiums are higher. Ultimately I think it depends on the kid.

Both my sons have had Honda Civics, Subaru and Hyundai. The first one was manual shift/no power anything even steering. IMO the Civic has be the most bomb proof mechanically, but safety wise, there isn't much short of a Volvo or a pickup. The one with the Hyundai totaled his in an accident all it was a fender bender. We paid $3000 for the car the insurance company valued it at $1800.

BTW, all the accidents were the result of texting while driving. They all were rear enders.

Expensive lesson learned but we end up paying. In 43 years of driving I have never been the cause of an accident. But I guarantee my father would not have done what I've done for my kids if I had.

[Erik Loza]

We don't have kids but if we did and if we needed to buy a car, I would probably buy a used (2000's) Civic or Camry. Or perhaps a Kia or Hyundai. My feeling is that they're going to scratch/damage/otherwise ruin it anyhow. Just something reliable, good on gas, and with modern safety features.

Erik

[Matt Meiser]

Robert, that's the exact conversation my wife and I have been having, except more along the lines of how much risk are we willing to put into this since collision in Michigan is out of the question.

[Stan Calow]

There was no way our kids could have afforded to buy a car and pay for insurance on the part-time money they could have made working while in school. They got our hand-me-down cars until they got out of school. Then they traded up when they had some cash. I see a lot of kids now who don't get their licenses until they are in their twenties, because they can't afford the insurance, even those working full-time.

[Jerome Stanek]

When my boy started to drive I had a Bronco II that was an extra for my business and when My daughter started to drive I added a Ranger pickup that she saw and liked. When she took her test that was what she drove and when she had to do the maneuverability part she did not look back over her shoulder and the tester asked her why and she said I learned to use my mirrors to back up

[Matt Meiser]

I then gave the Escort to a friend of mine at work (at 150,000 miles) and it is still running today. My youngest daughter ended up with an S-10 Chevy pickup that was handed down by my Dad.

Those older cars are long gone here, literally...they've rusted away to nothing! That causes a dilemma here because even mid-2000's cars, many are starting to rust, and its than just cosmetic issues as rusted rocker panels and the like affect the structural integrity of the vehicle in an accident.

[Matt Meiser]

There was no way our kids could have afforded to buy a car and pay for insurance on the part-time money they could have made working while in school.

This is the reality. Add a couple sports and volunteer activities and they are also very busy by the time you add at least a couple hours of homework each night. We've made it clear she WILL get a job next summer (still 15 right now so not many options yet.) Adding working to that load would inevitably affect grades, which would inevitably affect the net cost of college in a much bigger way than in the past. As well, the money kids make has a pretty big impact on the FAFSA than in the past so you have to be careful you aren't robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[Jerry Bruette]

Matt,

Is it possible to insure your daughter with a "rider" on your policy. When my kids got their licenses our agent let us insure them with a rider on our policy. My son had his own car and my daughter used one of ours. The cost of the rider was a fraction of a full policy in their name.

In do remember some legality of primary driver and occasional driver status.

Been a while since I've had experience with the lovely FAFSA, but if the car is titled and registered in your name I don't think it affects the FAFSA.