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When I'm considering two options with negative consequences I generally try to imagine how I'd feel if the worst happened.
Worst case if you buy her a safe car -- it takes her longer to find a clue, or the gift of a car renders her permanently clueless and she cuts hair for the rest of her life.
Worst case if she drives an unsafe car -- the unthinkable happens and you live the rest of your life in pain and regret.
IMHO, the gift of a safe used car, in and of itself, is unlikely to tip the balance one way or the other for her. I'd leave it out of the equation -- tough love may be a good idea if your kid is a crack addict, but that's hardly what you have here.
For what it's worth I bought my first car, with my own money, at 17 years old. All it did for me was carry my backside back and forth to my fast-food job, which got old pretty darned quick. I gradually came around to a clearer way of thinking, and I'm betting that with a little time your daughter will too.
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