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Suggestions on a smaller vehicle for new driver

Thatg9659 said:
Subaru stronk there’s several layers of different steel in the b pillars, demo guys up here, love them. It just might turn her gay though.

geo metro convertible.
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Pretty high proportion of girls are "gay" through their early adulthood and then come back once it's time for kids and marriage. Best outcome really....:smokin:
 
You guys are awesome. I'm always astounded at the breadth of knowledge around this place. Planning to make the rounds at a few local dealerships to kick some tires and get into a few of these vehicles to have a first hand look.

No love for anything GM here? We have a Traverse for Family trips and have had no issues with it. I know there is not alot of positive feelings on those here, but we have been happy, maybe lucky.

aron82 said:
Crown vic- mercury grand marquis. Fuel mileage is fine they are tough and safe.
Rav 4 is also a good choice, but not as safe in my opinion.
Would definitely suggest you make her have some skin in the purchase of the vehicle. Kids who get given vehicles don't seem to appreciate or take care of them as well as ones who have sweat equity in their vehicles.
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We have debated the skin in the game issue. I am approaching this as a third vehicle for the family vs. her car. Trying to make it clear it is my car that she drives, not her car. She's smart, so she can see through this a bit but she will respect this or lose the provide of driving it. She is in travel sports and is constantly in need of a ride somewhere (and her sister) as well as a straight A student. Not a lot of time for a job given the schedule we keep. Part of the "payment" to us is getting some of our time back by not having to drive back and forth to practice, after school activities, etc. The age old question of what is your time worth?
 
YJBrian said:
You guys are awesome. I'm always astounded at the breadth of knowledge around this place. Planning to make the rounds at a few local dealerships to kick some tires and get into a few of these vehicles to have a first hand look.

No love for anything GM here? We have a Traverse for Family trips and have had no issues with it. I know there is not alot of positive feelings on those here, but we have been happy, maybe lucky.


We have debated the skin in the game issue. I am approaching this as a third vehicle for the family vs. her car. Trying to make it clear it is my car that she drives, not her car. She's smart, so she can see through this a bit but she will respect this or lose the provide of driving it. She is in travel sports and is constantly in need of a ride somewhere (and her sister) as well as a straight A student. Not a lot of time for a job given the schedule we keep. Part of the "payment" to us is getting some of our time back by not having to drive back and forth to practice, after school activities, etc. The age old question of what is your time worth?
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I have a "skin in the game" mentality, but it's more of a "we all live here, these are my things that you can use if you respect them and continue to apply yourself in school, sports, etc"
Aka don't break my shit:laughing:

So far so good, oldest put 3 years on my sequoia, not a scratch or a flat. I offered her the title, she's intent on buying her own truck soon

Next one gets her license next month, and I feel she's prepared, she's smooth and takes pride in her driving.
 
Again,
E53 X5. Literally one of if not THE safest vehicles on the road. Cheap and very easy to maintain.
It and the L322 Range Rover are neck and neck for safety. For a long time the L322 had zero accident fatalities.
 
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had a friend with one, you can't kill them
 
Projectjunkie said:
I have a "skin in the game" mentality, but it's more of a "we all live here, these are my things that you can use if you respect them and continue to apply yourself in school, sports, etc"
Aka don't break my shit:laughing:

So far so good, oldest put 3 years on my sequoia, not a scratch or a flat. I offered her the title, she's intent on buying her own truck soon

Next one gets her license next month, and I feel she's prepared, she's smooth and takes pride in her driving.
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Really depends on the kid. It took me 3 rigs just to make it through highschool:laughing:

My brother sold his first car after he got outta college, an it was still in good shape.
 
Steve300xcw said:
Really depends on the kid. It took me 3 rigs just to make it through highschool:laughing:
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That's because you live in the real world (kind of, y'all don't have weather) and he lives in the driving equivalent of a video game tutorial.

He'd have to drive a day if he wanted to find a tree to crash into, let alone a hairpin turn of a 5-way intersection.
 
Didn't read the entire thread, burned out on page two....

My take on a kids future college set of wheels is a small truck, Toyota, Ford or whatever, with a single cab and a tonneau or shell. She is going to need to haul stuff. Those with cars and suv's also tend to be the ones getting stuck driving others.
 
Buick Envista ST seems like a lot of car for the money.

Getting my daughter one for College.
 
I'll be +1 on the Subaru boat - our daughter had a Extended Cab Ranger as a first car through high school & start of college before it got totaled by a French tourist (no joke) then got her into a Subaru Forester - wish we would have just started with the Subaru in the first place. Only problem now is she got her own 'grownup' car, so now I'm looking to sell the Subaru (if it were the Ranger, I would have kept it).
 
arse_sidewards said:
That's because you live in the real world (kind of, y'all don't have weather) and he lives in the driving equivalent of a video game tutorial.

He'd have to drive a day if he wanted to find a tree to crash into, let alone a hairpin turn of a 5-way intersection.
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Me? I woke my 15yo up at 5am for a light wheeling trip in the mountains, I crashed in the passenger seat while she put down 120 miles of freeway, I did the next half, and she did half the broverlanding
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The week before my 19yo gassed up her truck and met her mom 4 hours away in the mountains. I was a little bummed she didn't ask for advice or encouragement, but I guess she does just fine.

We're doing OK, but thanks
 
Ebs said:
Can't wreck vehicles that are broke in the driveway. :flipoff2:
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iirc He DD's a range rover so an X5 is reliable by comparison...:laughing: {It also drinks fuel even with th 3.0 i6, so doesn't fit in OP's parameter list)

you'd have to instruct a teenage girl to ignore the CEL ( bc it will be on 90% of the time) and that will eventually likely result in a catastrophic failure. :nuke:
but junkyard parts are plentiful and cheap when the teen knocks a bumper off.
 
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I owned two 1st Gen Scion XB's an they were great wagons that haul more than you would believe. +180K on both with regular maintenance only. Not so survivable in a collision in my experience. I put my new driver in a 99 Cherokee for a little bit more toughness personally.
 
RM222 said:
I owned two 1st Gen Scion XB's an they were great wagons that haul more than you would believe. +180K on both with regular maintenance only. Not so survivable in a collision in my experience. I put my new driver in a 99 Cherokee for a little bit more toughness personally.
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If crash survivability is the top consideration, look into the Volvo XC90. It is the only vehicle in UK history to have never recorded a crash fatality... and they are total TANKS.
 
arse_sidewards said:
That's because you live in the real world (kind of, y'all don't have weather) and he lives in the driving equivalent of a video game tutorial.

He'd have to drive a day if he wanted to find a tree to crash into, let alone a hairpin turn of a 5-way intersection.
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If you saw where my first rig was totaled you wouldnt say that :lmao:
 
CarterKraft said:
I thought Kia engines were exploding all over the road with no replacements
:homer:
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You think those baby ecotecs are any better? :laughing:

Wanting to buy a General Motors product, developed and manufactured in China/Korea... what could go wrong? I bet QC is on point!
 
TRINDU said:
You think those baby ecotecs are any better? :laughing:

Wanting to buy a General Motors product, developed and manufactured in China/Korea... what could go wrong? I bet QC is on point!
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I didn't say you were wrong...
 
When our oldest turned sixteen we bought a used 2009 Toyota Corolla. When the youngest turned sixteen she got the Corolla. A few months into her driving career she encountered a situation I doubt was covered in driver’s ed. She over corrected after hitting gravel and put the car in a ditch.

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Her only injury was a bloody nose from the airbag. Insurance was able to replace the car with a slightly older car. The kid wouldn’t even consider anything other than another Toyota.

I knew all the first responders on scene. When the Fire Captain saw me he looked a little puzzled. I pointed at the car and said, “That’s mine…”. He held up his hands and said, “She’s fine… my medic is just checking her out, that car did it’s job”.

Edit- I didn’t know it at the time, but the car was still running when I took this picture 🙃
 
smurfblue40 said:
A few months into her driving career she encountered a situation I doubt was covered in driver’s ed. She over corrected after hitting gravel and put the car in a ditch.
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I don't know anyone growing up who took a driver's education class to obtain a license. We all 'logged' hours when we turned 15 by driving with parents with a learners permit. Then went down to the DMV and took a written test we turned 16.

That was, at the time, rural Texas.
 
TRINDU said:
I don't know anyone growing up who took a driver's education class to obtain a license. We all 'logged' hours when we turned 15 by driving with parents with a learners permit. Then went down to the DMV and took a written test we turned 16.

That was, at the time, rural Texas.
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I clocked a lot of hours on gravel roads in the California foothills before I got my learners permit at fifteen (and a half). California used to have a required “Driver’s training class” that was one semester usually during a kids sophomore year in high school. Budget cuts killed that course years ago. If a kid wants to get their license at sixteen now, they have to take a licensed drivers training course from a private instructor.

I’m sure requirements vary state to state.
 
Projectjunkie said:
We're doing OK, but thanks
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I don't care how you're doing. You are not someone who's live path I want to emulate, at all. :laughing:


DRTDEVL said:
If crash survivability is the top consideration, look into the Volvo XC90. It is the only vehicle in UK history to have never recorded a crash fatality... and they are total TANKS.
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I suspect a lot of the German crossovers would be similar if the stereotypically worst drivers weren't being handed them in droves.
 
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