I'd recommend the CX-5 like most people in this thread. IMHO, it has the best interior/exterior on your list. I've driven one before, and it felt great for a mass market CUV/SUV. You also don't have to worry about those obnoxious teenagers trying to break in and steal your Kia or Hyundai based on that stupid TikTok challenge. Not saying the Mazda couldn't be broken into, but seems like you'd have a target behind your back going with a Kia or Hyundai... especially if you can't garage it. Just seems like a PITA to have that on the back of your mind all the time. Just look at the statistics for 2023. I know it only affects older models without push to start, but do you honestly think thieves will take the time to see what year it is before breaking a window?

 

I did like the CX-5 the best so far in terms of overall package for the price and I’ve heard they are more of a drivers car than the others. I also forgot about the Hyundai/Kia issue of getting stolen and in my area they are getting stolen all the time and I’m not exaggerating. I do like the dash of the Hyundai’s better than the CX-5 though but not sure that is enough to sway me. I plan to test drive all of them this weekend.

Tritonal - I see you have a Macan GTS, I just ordered a Cayenne GTS, I can’t wait to get it.

 

I may check one of these out and see how much they are because I like their AWD system but it goes against what I am providing my son. I will at least see what they are like.

 

Camry hybrid AWD
Prius AWD

 

Wouldn’t put a kid in a WRX. Way too much temptation to drive it fast/aggressively.

 

Agreed and he will get trolled and maybe he decides to race. Nothing good can come of that.

 

Especially with a boy this is the issue. The one friend of mine who did damage his car was given a 3 Series BMW coupe, and he had a car full of guys and they were being boys and he rolled it over and totaled it. I was never like that, but I don’t know how Pat’s son is only he does. You could have given me a Viper and I would have been safe, but I was unusual.

 

The new ones are not fast at all, quite slow actually. I tied with a 2022 in the tuned LS430 in a 0-100 race and beat him badly to 120

 

Since when is a WRX a fast car in modern times.
Most people drive a Model 3 which is twice as fast and they’re fine.

To the OP - I would make sure whatever you get has proper driving inputs, good handling and good driving position in order to teach your son how to drive the right way. Most CUVs don’t have some or all of these attributes.

 

It doesn’t have to be fast, it has to be sporty and fun to be aggressive in enough to get a kid in trouble.

 

fortunate for all of you but there's a reason teen insurance is so expensive.

totally right... i think people here talking about getting a used toyota have no idea how expensive they are (and often hard to find).

last year i helped someone get a used smaller car and it was miserable. ended up getting a 2 yr old (i think it had 30k mi.) jetta for $26k out the door. car drove great but of course this young person has already damaged it.

he's not driving the nurbergring.

 

​​​​​​I know someone who had their Kia broken into twice. They got so fed up with it, they just got rid of it for something else. Just something to think about.

Yeah! It's my wife's Macan and she loves it. Is the Cayenne replacing one of your other cars?

 

My son is responsible until he isn't. Boys are a wild card and they do stupid stuff and don't think of the consequences.Yes I am generalizing but I see it with some of the dumb decisions he makes and I end up asking him what he was thinking and of course he doesn't have an answer. As a parent I try and teach him better than I was at his age because if I was given a Viper I would've probably killed myself in it so I don't even want to provide any temptations. I was pretty reckless as a teen and so far he is better than I was but he is still young. He is book smart but at the same time clueless.

 

This is why I am strongly considering leasing. You should see the used RAV4's and CRV's I was looking at for $15k. In that price range I'm looking at 9-10 year old cars with 100k+ miles on them and from the pictures I have seen of cars I considered the interior looks pretty bad. Since I will be driving with him a fair amount (and sometimes driving it myself) I don't want to be in a crap car like that. I also don't want to deal with any potential maintenance problems or anything like that. It's just a hassle for me to find a good used one and I don't have the time to deal with it.

Cayenne is replacing the X7, we are downsizing now that we don't need a third row anymore (I hope). It's will be my wife's car as well. I don't like driving the X7 on a daily basis, only on road trips.

 

Totally, that just doesn’t mean every teen is going to be likely to bang their car up all the time

Exactly lol. The idea that a CUV doesn’t have “proper steering inputs and driving position” is absurd. These cars are the mainstream car people drive now. A kid can learn to drive in a CUV no problem.

Yep, trust your instincts.