Help me buy car for daughter...

[sneaky_pete]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 3. BUY A USED CAR.)</font>

I agree completely, for all the reasons Mike stated, plus I personally just don't think it teaches a young person anything to hand them a brand-new car. Let them learn to take care of and appreciate an older car first. My kids probably think I'm the biggest tightwad dad in the county, compared to what other kids they know get, but that doesn't bother me. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

The most recent kid's car I bought was a '96 Nissan Maxima, with a V6, air bags and etc. for $3,000 cash. It's got a few miles on it but runs like a top, doesn't leak or burn oil, is plenty powerful, and gets 30 mpg. I drive it myself when my daughter isn't using it.

In my opinion you could hardly go wrong with either a Honda or a Toyota. They make great used cars too as long as they have been reasonably maintained.

 

[Jagmandave]

Have to agree with most of the advice above, if you're going new you might also consider one of the Korean brands, 10 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty that goes wherever she does, and generally cheaper to buy than either of the Japanese "big three"...........

If used, I would stick woth Honda or Toyota, but move up to the Corolla or even a Camry, much more car for the $$ than the Echo........

 

[RedDog]

I've still got a couple of years to look forward to this. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

My daughter has already stated what she would like to have, and I must say I agree with her!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

99 to 05 VW Jetta TDI, 5speed MANUAL.

She wants to shift!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

RedDog

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue">( I've got to get Chelsea (our daughter) a car in a few months. ) </font>

Why do you have to get it? I'm a believer that if one has to earn the money for a car, they are much more apt to appreciate and take care of it rather than when someone just gives it to them.

But, if you must, I'd recommend the Honda Civic as well. My '97 Civic has over 150,000 miles on it and I've just mainly changed oil, and tires. I did however have a new timing chain installed at about 90,000.

The Scion xA is another car that is relatively inexpensive and seems to be a hit with the younger generation.

 

[RedRocker]

I've had the same experience as MikePA, both my daughters cars were wrecks when they were done, the youngest, 21, is well on her way to making her second car a POS.

 

[HGM]

Just to add acouple of things. Be carefull of the VW's, I know alot of people have them and love them. I have worked in the automotive industry for quite a while and have worked on some German tech. and frankly I'm not impressed. I know VW Field Service Engineers that flat out refuse to own a VW because of the assembly quality. Make sure you do your homework, this would surely qualify as hear-say only.

As for the Toyotas and Hondas built in the USA, 99% of the parts are manufactured and assembled in Asia for cheaper wages then assembled here at the factories to give the public the impression that they are getting an American car. Dont get me wrong, the "Big Three" also have alot of import and over the borders assemblies but to a much lesser degree. If one of our companies was to go out of business the country as a whole would change, it's hard to fathom how many people the American atuo companies employ. The more support the compettition gets, the less likely it will be for them to survive and that will effect everyone wether you realize it or not. Years ago quality was an issue and I could see the debate, that is simply not the case nowadays. Maintenance is the key, you will find as many high mileage vehicles of any brand you choose to look at as long as they have been maintained. Toyota and Honda warranty depended on your servicing at a dealer at regular intervals, this is something the American companies never pushed resulting in past quality differences.

Some will surely disagree, it will always be..The debates between which car company you prefer, religion, politics,etc. will always be sticky ones. Hope I could add another point of veiw to concider.

 

[Dargo]

It seems like you have a couple of statistically reliable cars in mind. Someone earlier mentioned that any car built in the last 10 years would be reliable if maintained. I won't go into great detail, but if that were true, I'd probably be talking about retiring already. I simply felt that I should point out that that comment is factually just flat wrong. Contrary to what people may want you to believe, there is indeed a considerable actuarial difference in vehicle reliability statistics. Rather than mention some of the worst offenders, I'll simply comment that you would be taking much less of a reliability risk with either of the two car brands you mentioned than some of the others available. And, yes, if you do want to buy American (although as correctly pointed out, that line is blurry at best), there are some very good "American" cars. However, don't be fooled into thinking that there are no duds out there.

This is further complicated when there is an absolutely huge difference just between certain models within the same manufacturer. In other words, Widget corporation may have a model called a Zinger that has proven to be absolutely great. However that same Widget corporation may also have a model called a Flinger that is a flat out unreliable dud. To make it simple, two basic, but big, factors attribute to the overall cost of owning an maintaining a car over time. One is the frequency of repair (how often if breaks), and the other is the severity of the repair (how expensive it is to fix when it does break). In over simplified terms, those two factors play a major role in determining which cars have statistically proven to be winners, and others have proven to be losers.

Before I get anyone fired up, I'll just say that taking into consideration hundreds of thousands of repair statistics, I'd recommend a nice used Honda Civic; or even a new one if you want. On a used one, I'd just tell you to turn and run from one if it has been lowered, has a modified exhaust system on it, has 20" wheels on it, or if someone has put a giant spoiler on the trunklid. There are gobs of these cars out there that fans of the "B" grade movie "Fast and Furious" have destroyed by doing what they call customizing their car. If the car has been tampered with in that manner, I'd deduct a minimum of 50% of what you think the book value is for the car. Even at that, I wouldn't consider one like that. But that's just me. Maybe I'm a bit too analytical. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Good luck!

 

[HGM]

Dargo,
Good point, I will admit since reading your post that there have been a few vehicles in the past few years that I would just assume didnt exist. This may be why I made that comment. With that being said, you are also correct about the modified or "customized" vehicles. I still stand behind the models I recomended and regardless of what brand you end up concidering, you need to do your homework. They are all capable of making "duds", wich is why one may recomend one model over another.

 

[RedDog]

<font color="blue">Be carefull of the VW's, I know alot of people have them and love them. </font>

Well I'm one of the ones that happens to like them. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I drive my Golf diesel almost daily and know I could easily sell it for more than I paid for it, especially with the crappy fuel prices. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

As for the Honda's,,, I like them also. Had a Civic long time ago, (79) I think was the year of it.

I have no experience with Toyota's but my brother has (trucks and cars) and has put them both through pure h_ll!!

He swears by them, but definitely prefers the 4 cylinders.

RedDog

 

[Dargo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I will admit since reading your post that there have been a few vehicles in the past few years that I would just assume didnt exist.)</font>

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Isn't that the truth!! Some completely disappear rather quickly. When is the last time you have seen a Chevette, a Dodge Shadow, a Yugo, a Plymouth K car, or a Ford Aerostar? Also, for as many as they sold in a short time, where did all those Daewoo cars go? Spotting one in a junk yard or on a "buy here, pay here" lot doesn't count! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( regardless of what brand you end up concidering, you need to do your homework. They are all capable of making "duds")</font>

I couldn't agree more.