Car for teenager grandson

[Jerry1]

I’ve started looking for a car for grandson who is just starting drivers Ed so no hurry. I’ve been looking for something under $5000. I’m wondering what folks here think about a couple things.

First, what is your opinion on a car for a new driver in the low price range. Probably could get a very high mileage car like a Camry or a Civic that has a great reputation or could go with a cheaper car like a Ford Focus and just make sure I have a good mechanic.

Second, what about those high mileage cars? Is it really worth getting a car with 200K miles on it for $5K? Seems like even a highly rated car would be pretty well used up at that point no matter how good a car it is/was.

Just trying to get my thoughts together so that as I keep my eye out I can know what to look seriously at.

Thanks.

 

[Car-Guy]

Initial thoughts...

200k miles is a lot for any car... Sure many make it that long but most start having lot's of problems by then... It might help if you know how the car was taken care of... (an acquaintance car)

Boy's aren't easy on cars to begin with. (well many of them) So that's something to consider too buying an older/high mileage vehicle...

Also, consider a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder.... Less power to get into trouble with.

 

[braumeister]

Listening to Click & Clack on Car Talk radio, they used to frequently recommend an older used Volvo for that sort of buyer. Reliable, extremely safe, and you should be able to get a decent one for that price.

 

[Aerides]

The only thing about older/cheaper cars is they will have less safety features - no rear view cameras and the like, maybe no airbags. Since this is your GS, you might want to have a chat with his mom/dad about minimum specs. Not sure either if an older model might be a higher insurance premium than newer - either way expect sticker shock on insurance for a teenager.

I'd think less about mechanic costs than the cost of fixing up collisions...or not (you wreck it, that's it, kinda thing).

 

[Jerry1]

I’m only going to supply opinion and some money. One of my opinions is that a teenager is going to damage a car and with insurance being so expensive, it’s only worth getting liability insurance (no collision) and buy a cheap enough car to be willing to walk away if a collision does occur. More likely is something cosmetic and he’ll just have to put some duct tape on it and keep on rolling.

 

[Bamaman]

I agree about getting a car that you can get by without collision insurance.

We've been going thru this with our daughter for the last year. So far, she's bought 4 junkers with high mileage and not a one of them has ever made it to the road.

As a 24 year automobile co. professional, she won't listen to me.

I would look in local want ads, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
Only buy a vehicle that runs great--without any repairs needed.
I would only buy from an individual that's had the vehicle for quite a while. (Don't buy from flippers or local auctions.)
Look for vehicles with 100-110K miles, and with good tires.
Obtain a title immediately upon payment. If they don't have the title, walk away.
Look for senior citizens' cars that have been well taken care of. They are often not too up on market pricing and are willing to accept a lowball offer.
Stay away from full size pickup trucks that use too much fuel. (Popular w/young men.)
Deciding on a brand and model is very difficult. Second tier brands are sometimes great buys--like a Mazda 3 or some Subaru's. Avoid Nissans with problematic CVT drives.

 

[Ready]

I think you will be surprised to find out how many good buys you can get for around $5,000. Doing a quick search on autotrader.com I found a 2001 Prius with 32,000 miles on it for $4,200 or a 2011 Nissan Sentra with 94,000 miles on it for $5K. You can easily find plenty of cars with less than 100,000 miles in this price range.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I went through this process with my two sons in the past three years. In our neck of the woods there was no such thing as a Camry or a Civic for less than $5,000 that had less than 150,000 miles on it. Just didn't exist.

One of my sons ended up buying a 2003 Acura TL with 202,000 miles on it for $2,800. It had receipts showing a transmission rebuilt at 170,000 miles and a receipt showing a timing belt change at 110,000 miles. In the three years since he's bought it he's replaced 2 tires, the battery, and gotten a brake job, all expected repairs when he purchased the vehicle. It's actually been a good car for him.

The other was starting a full time job in Arizona and a relocation to Oregon within months so needed a dependable vehicle. I didn't feel comfortable having him driving a 10 year old car with 150,000 miles on it. He ended up leasing a new Civic for $280/month, with absolutely nothing out of pocket. I sleep a lot easier knowing he has the safety features like lane avoidance, lane assistance, adaptive cruise, air bags, Apple Play, etc.

To answer your question, I'd be inclined to go with the more dependable Honda or Toyota than a Ford or other domestic make. Knowing the past history, including receipts would be a valuable bonus. Buying a less reliable car to save some money and having a good mechanic is certainly nice to have but getting car repairs is always a hassle.

 

[OldShooter]

I’m only going to supply opinion and some money. One of my opinions is that a teenager is going to damage a car and with insurance being so expensive, it’s only worth getting liability insurance (no collision) and buy a cheap enough car to be willing to walk away if a collision does occur. More likely is something cosmetic and he’ll just have to put some duct tape on it and keep on rolling.

We have some friends that made what I think was a genius move with their daughter: An old, non-electronic pickup truck. To your point, being able to walk away from a collision implies being able to walk. That big old pickup was a tank -- she never did have a serious accident but in a tangle with one of the typical econobox grocery-getters, she wins every time. Gas mileage? Not a primary consideration IMO unless there are a lot of highway miles planned.

She could also work on it. At one point she changed the radiator. That kind of thing is great for future self confidence, doubly so for a young woman.

 

[MarieIG]

We have some friends that made what I think was a genius move with their daughter: An old, non-electronic pickup truck. To your point, being able to walk away from a collision implies being able to walk. That big old pickup was a tank -- she never did have a serious accident but in a tangle with one of the typical econobox grocery-getters, she wins every time. Gas mileage? Not a primary consideration IMO unless there are a lot of highway miles planned.

She could also work on it. At one point she changed the radiator. That kind of thing is great for future self confidence, doubly so for a young woman.

^^^

A vehicle which increases his chance of surviving a crash intact. Everything else at this point is secondary.

I have six sons. We also went for sturdy. The eldest held the record for totaling a car - 16 days following the receipt of his driver's license.

I warned a good friend, but no, his son was intelligent, an honor student, reliable, trustworthy, etc. Got that son a newish car which luckily was sturdy. Took his son a bit longer than mine to total his first car - in an intersection that his father warned him to always avoid. Luckily his kiddo was not injured in that crash - or his second. (No alcohol or drugs involved.)

 

[mpeirce]

I also would focus on a safe car. What else really matters?

Short story: DS was stopped at a red light. Driver slammed into his car because they were distracted and didn’t notice the red light and car stopped in front of them!!!

This was a Toyota Camry. The trunk was completely crushed, but that crumbly zone did it’s job. The airbag also deployed and DS walked away with nothing more than a sore neck for two days. Thank goodness!

 

[Sunset]

Hyundai is also quite a reliable brand that depreciates fairly quickly.

I agree with the 4 cylinder idea, as a powerful car will lead to too aggressive showing off.

A caution note: Young relative bought a car from a guy 400 miles away, the car only made it 1/2 way before dying on the side of the road. Needed a tow. Buy fairly local.

 

[travelover]

Look for an old Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis that has outlived its owner. Pretty reliable, definitely crash worthy and not flashy.

 

[rodi]

I'm the parent of an 18 year old and 20 year old... so this subject is familiar to me (as a parent, vs grandparent.)

First: Talk to the parents. There are a lot of expenses associated with having a kid assigned as primary driver on a car. Not just the car, but insurance, maintenance, etc. Make sure they know this is coming and budget for it. It might fit their budget better to let the kid be a part time driver on one of their cars... Cheaper insurance.

Second: Consider the safety/size. We went with a beater old pickup with just over 100k miles on it. We've had to put some work into it - making the boys be involved in anything we do at home. (We farmed out the fuel pump job - but they recently did brakes and some other work.) The bonus of the truck is that hubster can borrow it to do Home Depot runs.

Again - make sure the parents are on the same page with this!!!

 

[Jerry1]

Look for an old Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis that has outlived its owner. Pretty reliable, definitely crash worthy and not flashy.

Yeah, I live near Dearborn MI (Ford country). There’s still a lot of Crown Vics and Grand Marquis around here. Unfortunately, I think they’ve outlived their usefulness. Rear wheel drive in Michigan isn’t too great a few months of the year and driving a large car is a bit more challenging for a new driver. I wouldn’t rule it out though. My first car was a Chrysler Newport, followed by a Dodge Polara so I’m a big fan of land yachts.

I think if I went with a Ford I’d go with a Fusion. There’s plenty of them around and plenty of people that know how to work on them around here.

Re: Being on the same page with the parents, my daughter, and the budget. Yes, these conversations are taking place. Grandson is being included. DD is doing okay, but DGS is definitely going to have to step up if this is going to happen. He’s a good kid but there’s a great learning experience here and handing him a car negates that - something I’m not going to do. Help, yes. Do it for him, nope.

 

[harley]

Make sure you get him a manual transmission car, and teach him to drive it. That should guarantee that none of his schoolmates or peers will be able to steal it.

We've been planning to pass our 2002 VW Beetle diesel (manual) on to DGD next year when she turns 16. It's cute, bright green, gets great mileage, and it's fun to watch the old white men come running over screaming when she (or DW) starts filling it with diesel. It's only got 125K on it. The engine is just getting broken in, but as usual with VWs the body/interior is starting to go. But if she wears it out, no biggie. It's not like it has any real trade in value.

 

[travelover]

Yeah, I live near Dearborn MI (Ford country). There’s still a lot of Crown Vics and Grand Marquis around here. Unfortunately, I think they’ve outlived their usefulness. Rear wheel drive in Michigan isn’t too great a few months of the year and driving a large car is a bit more challenging for a new driver. I wouldn’t rule it out though. My first car was a Chrysler Newport, followed by a Dodge Polara so I’m a big fan of land yachts.

I think if I went with a Ford I’d go with a Fusion. There’s plenty of them around and plenty of people that know how to work on them around here.
............

Fusions are not a bad car. I suggested the bigger Fords because they are just inherently safer by virtue of their bulk and a lot of old people own them until they can't drive anymore - so bargains. The big Fords owned the police car market for many years. Having lived most of my life in Metro Detroit, I drove RWD cars for most of my time there. I actually think RWD cars force you to be a better driver, as FWD and AWD make it easy to over drive your steering and braking abilities in bad weather. YMMV

 

[aaronc879]

So many options. I would go with a Camry, Corolla or Prius unless the kid will be driving in snow then I would go with a Subaru(non-turbo).

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

With an older car in the salt belt, it might pay to have a mechanic put any prospective model up on a lift for a pre-purchase inspection. Rust in the subframes (or the frame if a truck) can render a vehicle unsafe even if it looks pretty decent up top.

My sis had a Mercury Montego, which was also sold as the Ford 500. It had AWD and a CVT transmission, which would preclude any stoplight races. I drove it and found it gutless, but it's still on the road as a hand-me-down. It's built on the D3 platform, which is the foundation for the most recent Tauruses. Volvos also used a version of the D3 platform when Ford owned them.

Edit: Actually, it looks like the D3 platform was used only for the 2007-2009 Tauruses.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

Second, what about those high mileage cars? Is it really worth getting a car with 200K miles on it for $5K? Seems like even a highly rated car would be pretty well used up at that point no matter how good a car it is/was.

Two years ago, we bought a 1998 Camry with about 160k miles. The engine and transmission were fine. However, you're right other parts start to go just because of the miles and age. After a year, the muffler and tailpipe went, and some of the suspension parts needed work - suspension bushings and struts. The passenger side power window also worked slowly, maybe on its way out.

It also had a trunk water leak that I was never able to successfully chase down completely. It drove me crazy trying to find the source.

Unless you're handy, an older 5k car probably needs at least $500 in deferred maintenance - things like spark plugs and wires and some fluid changes. Unless you're lucky to find a fastidious previous owner with receipts.

 

[Dtail]

The grandson should probably also be covered under some umbrella policy.

 

[teetee]

I think a small car under 50k miles for less $8k is doable and will be a lot easier to live with than something that $5k can buy.



2016/2017 Ford Fiesta is relatively reliable and safe.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Fiesta/2017/
Example:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/833718699/overview/


I think the majority of effort and research should be put on test drive and knowing the specific car you want to buy (aka have a competent mechanic you can trust to go over the car). Choosing which car to buy is easy but can be addictive. I got my current daily driver a year ago for $10k. It was 70k miles and 5 years old when I got it. But I already know a lot about it since the car I owned before it was an older model of the same car (got totaled by a drunk driver). If you don't have a specific car in mind, do the search with the scope of reliability (I used the list from https://www.carcomplaints.com/best_vehicles/ ) and safety, plus the mileage and age of the car then there is really not many choices after filtering out the price and distance range of the dealer / seller.

 

[teetee]

The passenger side power window also worked slowly, maybe on its way out.

20+ years old car window tend to stick because of the dust / dirt on its track and the rubber rot due to old age. The only way to know is by removing the panel and clean the track.

 

[nobody]

I would talk with the parents and then give the grandson some money to help him pay for the car. I honestly think every kid should work and pay for his own car. If they pay for it they will take more ownership in it knowing it is money they earned to buy it and they will lose that money if they are careless. Kids in my high school who got their cars paid for didn't take care of them. Those of us who bought our own cars took care of them. Sure I had to work summers off of school starting at about 13 detassling corn and mowing yards to get the money.

 

[ncbill]

20+ years old car window tend to stick because of the dust / dirt on its track and the rubber rot due to old age. The only way to know is by removing the panel and clean the track.

I use silicone spray lube on windows...a little messy (run the window up & down several times, then wipe off the excess) but it works well.