I need some car buying advise.

[URIT]

I'd opt for a 2000s era Toyota Corolla CE. This car does not die. Its engine is simple with no expensive service intervals, has room for 5, uses cheap tires, cheap fuel, parts are plentiful, and it doesn't look half bad. This car is below budget and rivals brand new Toyotas for reliability.

It's the most dependable car possibly ever made, and a shining example of why people should never, ever go into crippling debt for a car they think is reliable and safe when you can get this car for 1/10th of the price of new. -Jalopnik

 

[chaparrito]

Son's first car @ 16 was my 84 Mercedes 240D, a car so slow it can't get out of its own way. He learned to wrench on it and driving 18 miles one way to school, he saved fuel money as it gets 36mpg. Safe, heavy and simple. It now has over 400K miles and purrs like a kitten. It's a euro taxi model, not one of the tarted-up models designed for the U.S. market. Crank windows and a 4 speed. He still drives like your grandmother and at 25 has no tickets. They've gotten very hard to find these days and mine's not for sale.
If he was 16 today, I'd have zero qualms putting him in my 04 Honda Element with 206k miles on the ODO. Great IIHS crash tests, reasonable economy, bombproof reliability and huge space in the back.

 

[tlawler]

I'd opt for a 2000s era Toyota Corolla CE. This car does not die. Its engine is simple with no expensive service intervals, has room for 5, uses cheap tires, cheap fuel, parts are plentiful, and it doesn't look half bad. This car is below budget and rivals brand new Toyotas for reliability.

It's the most dependable car possibly ever made, and a shining example of why people should never, ever go into crippling debt for a car they think is reliable and safe when you can get this car for 1/10th of the price of new. -Jalopnik

Funny you mention the Corolla CE. When my son started driving 3 years ago, he had about $2K saved up and I had a former Co-worker that had the proverbial "little old ladies car" it was a '99 Corolla CE with right around 60K miles on it. He had picked it up cheap and was trying to flip it for around $3K. He let my son have it for the $2K because we are good friends and he knew Josh was college bound. I'll have to say that was the best $2K we ever spent! He has put almost 30K miles on it and driven it between Tallahassee and SW Florida at least 10 trips and the thing has run great with nothing but GTO...(Gas, Tires, and Oil). Faith doesn't like it because it "looks" too old, we had knocked around the idea of her "inheriting" it so Josh could get something else, but she was having none of it. I think I might try and steer her in the direction of a Corolla or Camry.

 

[tlawler]

Boy, she is picky! I just sent her a few CL links of private owners Camrys in the 2004 to 2006 range that are within her budget, and she replied "they're so old looking"
I have another question about the Versa. I think the new ones are all CVT, but in the year range she is looking (2007 to 2009), were they normal automatic trannys?

 

[acco40]

Toyota Avalon. My brother in-law had two of them that both went over 300K miles without an engine or transmission problem. Wouldn't hesitate to bit one with 200K miles on it.


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[kozmic]

I've had great luck leasing cars for my 2 boys. My eldest is on his 2nd Chevy Cruze and has been under warranty for everything (3/36k leases). He gets 36 mpg and both have been extremely safe, technically advanced, reliable and comfortable. All important when he is away at college. My youngest is in an Equinox and has had no issues with his although his mileage is close.
If the numbers and terms works for you, leasing isn't a bad route to go. It has proven to be the right move for us.

 

[Farmer17]

We bought a red Dodge Charger for my wife when they first came out in 2006 and was one of the first ones in Oklahoma City and we got more compliments on it than any other car. Gave it to my daughter when she turned sixteen and she will be finishing her masters next year in Occupational Therapy. I don't think the car has been cleaned or washed since the day we gave it to her except for the few times I did it. People have hit it a few times and someone tried to break into it through the sunroof and it looks really ragged now, but still running with 190K miles and it has been a good car. My wife's 2008 Buick LaCrosse was babied and well maintained and we got rid of it at 150k miles because it was costing way more to keep running than buying a brand new car and we would have been money ahead if we had got rid of it a lot sooner.

 

[URIT]

Have your daughter go online to Autotrader and punch in your zip code, budget, and wants to see what is available in your area. This should give her an idea of what she can and cannot afford. Plus, she needs to talk with the insurance man to determine how much car x will cost her over car y. Let her do the legwork (online browsing) and have her present you with her top three picks. Then, you get to have your input and a test drive.

 

[vonn]

Condition is everything when buying used cars,have whatever you are looking at checked over by a good shop from top to bottom and expect to pay at least a couple of hours of labor time. A good condition anything is better than a preference that is in poor condition.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

If safety is a top concern look at Subaru. I have a friend that's firefighter and he said they almost hate doing Subaru extractions because the car is so over built it can be difficult for their cutters and jaws-of-life to pry open. With most Japanese and American cars it's like a hot knife thru butter. Subarus take some effort.

 

[forindooruseonly]

Budget is the thing here. In your price range, stay away from Subarus, Lexus, Infinities, Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, and so on and so forth, the only ones you'll find cheap are going to need work, and they are expensive to work on in relative terms. You may find what seems to be a good deal, but the first time you have to fix it, be prepared. No teen needs that.

For 3.5k, really, the options are going to be pretty limited. However, there are good cars out there for that price if you aren't scared of a little mileage. For example, 7th generation Honda Accords (03-07) should be available at that price. Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas and Camrys, so on and so forth should all be fine.

One of my old friends had a Versa. It was a good car for her, it was a good car for her daughter when she became old enough to drive.

I think more than brand, model, or mileage, you need to look at each car as it comes. If you inspect it and it has been taken care of, that is first priority. A poorly maintained "good" car is going to be a worse car than a well maintained "bad" car. See if they have records, check the fluids, look for damage, look at the tires. If it looks abused, walk away, no matter what it is. Once you find one that looks well taken care of at a reasonable price, take it to a mechanic or someone knowledgeable and let them check it out.

Basically, keep your eyes open, and buy the car, not the brand or model.

 

[steelslaver]

Consider a full sized sedan. Thing is there are a lot of them out there for great prices. Cars like Buicks, Cadillac, Lincolns and the like that. Most were owned by older people who had some money and took care of them and they didn't get hot rodded. Lots of them with low mileage because these people trade them after relatively short ownership. Nobody wants sedans anymore, the SUVs are in.

I was looking around for a full sized car, and wanted rear wheel drive because they are usually way easier to work on. I found tons of semi luxury sedans on Craigs list with fairly low mileage. Bought a 2005 Mercury Marquis with 70,000 miles for $4000. Gets 23 miles to the gallon on the highway with a 4.7 V8, huge trunk and is comfortable. Plus its a long ways from the front bumper to me and mine. Plus you can get one with under 150,00 miles vs a economy car with around 300,000.

Gas mileage. 10,000 miles at 23 mpg is 435 gallons at 40 mpg its 250 so if she averages 10,000 per year that's 185 gallons divided by 12 months is 15. gallons a month for 833 miles a month or 28 miles a day.. At $3 a gallon less than 50 bucks. Its not that bad, but might keep her from just cruising around as much. If the gang wants to ride in comfort instead of all cramped up they should pony up the gas. Might mom and dad pony up a tank full now and then to keep their princess inside a more crash resistant boat?

Just my thoughts. She might not like the not cool factor though

 

[chief38]

My advise and what I did for both my Kids when they started to drive.......

I bought them both brand new Chevy Impala's (2004 and 2007 respectively). They are large, had 5 star crash ratings, had a warranty good anywhere in the USA, hauled lots of stuff so they could drive back and forth to College, and had a great rating. Now you don't need to by an Impala of course, you could get any car that fits your budget as long as it is on the larger side and safe.

WHY I STRESS A NEW CAR VS A USED ONE:

When you buy a new car you KNOW all the air bags are from the factory, all tires and brakes are new and perfect, everything is in 100% working condition. When you get a used car you don't really know the history, what has been replaced, cheaply or incorrectly repaired, etc.

To me a car can be replaced - my Kids can't! Thankfully my Kids never had any major accidents and those Impala's have been sold. They had them for 9 & 10 years and got many trouble free miles out of them. My kids are grown now and they buy their own cars - but when I was responsible for them that is what I did. I could not have laid awake at night worrying if ABS brakes, air bags, safety devises, crumple zones, etc. would have worked if called upon in a used car and a new model is always safer than an older one - due to new reg's and technology design.

YOUR KIDS CAN NOT BE REPLACED!

ADDED: BTW when I bought my kids their Impala's I told them "this is the first and last car I buy you" so take care of it and it will last you a long time - which they did and the cars did. I also supported them 100% financially up until the day they graduated College. I told them the day you graduate you are off the payroll - and I did not flounder on that either. After College both kids paid their own freight. I believe they are better off for it too. The are now young adults and both self sufficient.

 

[squidsix]

In your price range have you looked at VW? A Rabbit 2.5 (Gas motor, non-turbo five cylinder has been indestructible) can be had for that price range.
They have excellent safety ratings and have been very reliable. Avoid the turbo versions, as they are far more maintenance intensive and also cost a bit more.
If your kid can drive a stick (she CAN right?) the 5-speed is rock solid, as is the 6-speed in the diesels.

 

[86ed]

I bought a 1997 2.4L 5 Speed Manual Tacoma In 2011 for $2200 with 150k miles.

I still have it. However, it's mostly idle and used for takig the motorcycle to the track and the occasional truck load these days. I will be teaching the wife's little sister (17) to drive stick in it and it'll be her car to use. It was my non motorcycle DD for many years though.

The wife's car is a 2002 Accord Ex Coupe V6 for $3k in 2013. It's still her DD.

I'm still riding my 2007 Yamaha FZ1 purchased in 2008.

Buy the right used car and $3k budget is perfectly doable.

A maintained [Japanese Make] car that fits your budget and use will be fine. I recommend buying a model year that's at the end of the generation. Those are the ones where all the design and manufacturing bugs (if any) were worked out and generally the best equipped for the dollar.

My current DD is a Prius C. Most horrendously boring car on the planet, but 150k trouble free miles (I drive A LOT), very low maintenance, cheap to insure and 50MPG is pretty sweet. I couldn't drive the thing if I didn't have a liter motorcycle that does 0-60 in 3.2 seconds to rip into on occasion though.

The Tacoma has had no repairs other than a cracked exhaust manifold (wasn't leaking). Fixed for $80 part via Amazon. Replaced the front wheel bearings once.

The Accord had the in dash CD changer die. Replaced with a nice JVC unit for $100. The power steering pressure line started leaking recently. Replaced the line and some related hoses for $150 parts including fluid.

Everything else has just been maintenance.

 

[Huskerguy]

Well, I have a slightly different take. I had two teens, both grown now. We told our kids they would not have their own cars while they were still at home. I saw too many kids buy their first car at age 16, usually a beater, for 2k or whatever they could scrounge up. It had a bazillion miles and of course they had to put a $2,000 stereo in it. Two or three years later it is time to go to college or leave home and their heater now is not as road Worthy and the kid has no money because they dumped it all into the heater.

We told them they could drive what we had, at the time I had a mini van, old Subaru hatchback with no results and an older Chevy pickup. They manage just fine, saved all of their money and our son bought a S-10 extended cab pickup and it lasted him many many years and he got it the week he graduated. Daughter went to college several states away and she ended up with a nice Pontiac Grand Prix that she drove the wheels off of through college and into her first job. They both saved their own money and we helped a little, but not that much as I was a lowly teacher at the time. Today they both view cars as utilitarian and know how to shop.

 

[wingriderz]

30 years in auto service A S E. Tech. half of those in managment. Versa is good reliable car. Any customer. Asking my advice on autos Honda , Nissan, Toyota would always be my top three.

 

[rond]

Look for a Mazda 3.

 

[vytoland]

read the reviews in the april issue of consumer reports or edmunds web site

 

[amazingflapjack]

The Kia Soul is not only very popular, but carries a 5 star crash rating, the last time I looked. I have a friend who is on his second Soul. It realy hits most of the buttons you mentioned, plus some more. One of the major car magazines recently rated it the best sub-compact SUV/crossover. A neat smaller car IMHO.