Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Best Car for a 16 and a half year old?

ryannel2003 said:
Agreed, the BMW just isn't my kind of car. Didn't mean to sound rude earlier, just disappointed.

I've driven the CTS with FE2 and FE3, and FE3 is definitely perfect for everyday driving needs. A little bit on the stiff side for me (I prefer boats: Seville STS, Deville DTS, etc.) but still not a car that would jerk me around.

I have a certain thing for Lexus; yeah they're boring, but I love the styling of the 2nd and 3rd Gen GS, the latest IS, and the LS. I've had such good luck with my Toyota, it would really be hard for me to purchase anything but a Toyota product. I will admit the BMW had a nice sounding engine note, at least compared to my anemic 4 cylinder. :D
Click to expand...

You sure you got the suspension tunings right? FE1 is the softest and FE3 is the stiffest. A lot of reviews have put FE3 on the stiff side so I am surprised that is the setup you prefer.
 
I would suggest a smallish SUV type. Boring I know... but it will cover most of your needs for the next several years. Small enough that the mileage isn't horrible, large enough to move all your stuff to college, many loads of laundry back home... and even tow a small trailer, if nesessary. Large enough to pack up 3 friends and all your camping gear.. [skiing/boarding/beach gear] for the weekend; small enough to park in tight city parking spots. Large enough that you and those 3 friends can sleep in the car, if you have to, and not be tempted to hitchhike, because everyones legs are cramping up... small enough that, come morning, it only takes 3 of you to push it out of the mud or snow you got it stuck in at 2am last night, after you got lost.
And most important big and tall enough that all those big SUVs won't run right over it. Trees you can't do much about, but I've seen a chevy tahoe vs cooper mini crash and it wasn't pretty. You don't want to be looking the grill in the eye.... you want to be able to look the driver in the eye.
I understand why your folks want you to have a new car... less likely to have problems, latest safety, etc.... but a 2 year old lease turn in isn't a bad idea either.
My niece is getting my 2003 grand cherokee for her 17th birthday, for the above reasons and because it's a tank that will go through snow wind and flood like a champ and have big chunks of sturdy metal around her if there is a mishap. [ I've also upgraded the sound, added GPS, sat radio, Ipod jacks, push bar and winch]
It's kinda awful to say, but if there is an accident, I want my darling niece to be in the big bad gas guzzling SUV, not the energy efficient cute little buzz-bomber.
Just my 2 cents
 
Well, I'm STRONGLY liking the Saturn Astra 3 Door for myself

08-saturn-astra-013-600.jpg
 
quagmire said:
Lexus's won't have that growl. Lexus( and Mercedes for that matter) is all about isolating you from the road. They will keep the engine muffled, they will give you a soft suspension to absorb the bumps. But, they are certainly not going to be as fun to drive as a BMW will.
Click to expand...

I don't know, my bosses MB CL600 growls and handles pretty damn well. Of course it's also more expensive and more powerful than any car BMW makes. BMW's do definitely have their allure. Wouldn't mind having a 335 coupe or an M3 for that matter, probably the best casr with the most power and best handling at their prices. There really isn't anything else out their in the coupe category that competes with either one. Pretty sweet car, good handling too. Their sedans are nice too, but for me the A4 or S4 or A6 or E350/550 are just more appealing, I've even been attracted to the IS350 as of late. In the larger size range I'd prefer an S550 or S600 anyday to the BMW 7 series. I don't know, it's not like it matters a whole lot, they're all good cars.
 
quagmire said:
You sure you got the suspension tunings right? FE1 is the softest and FE3 is the stiffest. A lot of reviews have put FE3 on the stiff side so I am surprised that is the setup you prefer.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it was FE3. It was stiff, but not as stiff as the BMW (at least from what I can tell). But if I were to buy a CTS today, I'm pretty sure I would get FE2 for the best ride and performance.
 
Sporty cars always have stiff suspension. Its always a soft comfortable mushy ride, or a tight, stiff, make a 90 degree turn on a time type of ride, or somewhere inbetween.

A few of my friends have 3-series. My mom has an X3. Two of my friends mom has a 330xi's. I think they are fantastic little cars- fun to drive, fast, and agile. I've never been a huge fan of BMW interiors- they're just spartan. Well built, but just dull. That said, the seats are amazing and the quality is definitely there. No cheap shiny plastic junk.

I wouldn't recommend the car to a 16 year old driver because
1) Insurance (it'll be a lot unless you can pay for it in which case it doesn't matter)
2) Reliability/Repair Costs (it'll be a lot unless you don't mind paying for it)
3) RWD/where you live- I live in CT so it snows here. My friend refuses to drive her 325i in the snow because its RWD and its just dangerous. I really need AWD or FWD to actually feel safe while driving in the snow. Otherwise your likelihood to spin out is much great, you have much less traction because there isn't any weight over the rear tires, and your ability to get out a skid is harder.
 
rhsgolfer33 said:
Only $20k? I went to school with a girl who drove a Bentley Continental GT that her father gave her for her 16th birthday, man was that a hot car, but the interior was the ugliest orangish color. There were some nice older porsches, a few bmw's (one nice M3), some G35s, I think the student parking lot had nicer cars than the faculty. We had our share of slight above average (me) and average high school student cars as well. Don't get me started on the cars at my college (Lotus, BMW (6 series, M3), new Land Rovers, Porsches (Cayenne, Turbo), seems like everyone is rich there, oh well, welcome to private school I guess.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's more than $20k. Some kids will get Porsches (Cayenne is the most common car at my school) but my friends brother got an old Chevy pickup. (Old like 60's or so) I would personally get a 1998 Volvo S70 and mod it like mad.
 
Maybe you could get a small truck like a Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger? IMO, these little trucks are built to last, and you can get a crew-cab Tacoma in case you need to haul some friends around. (Although that's over $16,000)

Of course, if you want to go cheap, a Kia Rio would work.
 
Cassie said:
Maybe you could get a small truck like a Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger? IMO, these little trucks are built to last, and you can get a crew-cab Tacoma in case you need to haul some friends around. (Although that's over $16,000)

Of course, if you want to go cheap, a Kia Rio would work.
Click to expand...

Are you suggesting he puts friends in the bed of his pickup?
 
Cassie said:
Maybe you could get a small truck like a Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger? IMO, these little trucks are built to last, and you can get a crew-cab Tacoma in case you need to haul some friends around. (Although that's over $16,000)

Of course, if you want to go cheap, a Kia Rio would work.
Click to expand...

We are planning on a nice used Ranger 4x4 for our daughter. It's a good strong little truck built to last. I'd feel better if she has the 4x4 for all this dang snow we keep getting up here. (Plus I get to use it if I have to get something from Home depot. :) )
 
Well, if you do decided to get a truck.
Make sure to get a camper shell for it.
and tint the windows!
:p

It'll come handy on Prom night....


... I KEED!!!
:D
 
Ranger is a decent vehicle, treated me well for 120k miles -- until my brother totaled it.
 
Well my parents have landed on either a Mini Cooper or a VW Rabbit.

They also said if there were any other alternatives that would be great.
 
G5Unit said:
Well my parents have landed on either a Mini Cooper or a VW Rabbit.

They also said if there were any other alternatives that would be great.
Click to expand...

Rabbit, no premium unleaded ...

Though a Cobalt XFE might gain you a few mpgs.
 
G5Unit said:
Well my parents have landed on either a Mini Cooper or a VW Rabbit.

They also said if there were any other alternatives that would be great.
Click to expand...

Is it a used Mini? As Mini's are above the $16K requirement you originally posted( new one is at $18K base). I still recommend checking out the Saturn Astra. It's not too bad of a car. If not I would go with the Rabbit, IMHO. The Mini is too cramped for me( I am 5'7) as a passenger( front or rear are tight legroom wise). While you would be driving it, your passengers would be wishing for the ride to end. :p
 
With gas prices the way they are now, talking them into a Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt over a bit of luxury may be worth it. :p

As well as looking at some of the other traditional powerplant high MPG vehicles.

---

All in all the Rabbit is a good mix of MPG and quality.
 
An older Dodge Caravan is also a pretty good option. You can haul around lots of crap by pulling out the back seat, or haul around a bunch of your friends. Parts are easy to come by if you need them, and they run rather reliably. Just keep the maintenence up!

And then spend the remainder on a nice Mac. :3
 
G5Unit said:
Well my parents have landed on either a Mini Cooper or a VW Rabbit.

They also said if there were any other alternatives that would be great.
Click to expand...

The Mini's are great little cars. Decent gas mileage, fun as hell to drive, and well built. You're basically buying a cheap BMW, which is never a bad thing. We've had a few of them at my dealer, and I actually learned how to drive a stick on one. Are you going for the stick or CVT? The stick is extremely easy to shift on, and there are many more out there. CVT is rare, and much slower from what i've read.

As for the Rabbit, I don't know anything about them. They seem to be fun little cars, with more room than the Mini has. Plus, they have a cheaper base price (when purchased new) than the Mini. However, VW reliability is spotty at best. You either get a good one, or one that has endless problems. It's the same situation with the Mini. Hatchbacks are few and far between in this country, but I agree with quagmire and suggest you check out the Astra, which looks to be a fair contender in the market.
 
ReanimationLP said:
An older Dodge Caravan is also a pretty good option. You can haul around lots of crap by pulling out the back seat, or haul around a bunch of your friends. Parts are easy to come by if you need them, and they run rather reliably. Just keep the maintenence up!

And then spend the remainder on a nice Mac. :3
Click to expand...

Hah. I'm going this route. When I start driving, my parents basically said that I'm going to get one of our cars, and I'm going for the minivan. It's a 1997 Honda Odyssey, it's a little beat up, but it works. It gets better gas mileage than our '01 Olds, mostly because it has a four-banger in it. I imagine the insurance will be appreciably lower for that than the V6 in the Olds. Slow + Older + Minivan + Purple = cheaper insurance than Fast + Newer + Compact + Black, and 4-cylinder = less gas, whereas 6-cylinder = more gas. Plus the reasons you stated makes for a happy teen in a minivan.
 
Get a used Nissan Altima. They look alright and should be reliable. Be sure when you get one to get the windows tinted and make sure it's the black tint ( it will look way better with tint) Don't make it look like a ricer with that cheap exhaust that sounds like people farting and not a huge spoiler that you could use for a clothes line. The altima is a nice looking car but i have never owned a nissan car.


OR Get a used Dodge stratus. They look good and they are reliable. Be sure when you get one to get the windows tinted and make sure it's the black tint ( it will look way better with tint) Don't make it look like a ricer with that cheap exhaust that sounds like people farting and not a huge spoiler that you could use for a clothes line. The Stratus is a great looking car as long as you don't get one with the wheel covers.



That's what i think.

The stratus will be about $8,000-12,000 and the altima will be the same price

Good luck with whatever you pick. :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back