I feel that Im the only one that got his first car at 20. Maybe because I purchased it myself without mom or dads help? Well at least I got what I wanted.

 

I agree with Coco-bun, a used IS300 would definitely be near the reasonable top expectations of a 16yo driver. however this particular IS300 is a horrible example. Notice the salvage title disclaimer? Thats a no-go, esp for a new driver.

 

OK guys finally found something I "think" is it...

2002 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro w/75K miles for $12,500. Pretty much loaded too - has the Sports pkg, with 17" (235/45s), bi-xenon lights (w/auto-levelling) and Bose system. But I am kinda concerned with the mixed reviews on the car. I noticed the turbo lag a whole lot, and the car appears pretty slow...

What do you guys think? I got a deposit on it already and should be picking it up Monday if I want it... I still could walk away from the deal...

 

How about this Infiniti Q45

Seems like a pretty good price.

 

Don't see that as a cheap car to maintain

 

for some ideas:

http://www.wgcfloridaimports.com/under7000.htm

I would recommend a legend in a heartbeat

get her little sister to do some spying. have her ask her what her favorite cars are.

 

Come a long way from 7K to jump more than 5K up. Two problems there. One you jumped really high in the amount you were willing to spend, and two, you want to get an Audi . Stay away from the German cars. Also, not to be generalizing here, but most youngsters who get their first cars tend to drive somewhat erratically. With this in mind, you should probably get a car that wouldn't conjure up a mindset of driving fast and dangerous, something that Audi doesn't fit. Did I mention that its an Audi? Take a look at this, gives you some insight into the problems this vehicle is known for:
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/re...=Audi&model=A4

GL, and hope you find a nice car for her.

 

anything reliable, safe, and especially nowadays, good on gas is good for a first time driver.

An IS300/SC300 IMO would be a money pit not just for the driver but also the parents if they're forking over for gas money too (gas mileage and premium fuel). That insurance might be pricey too. An ES300 would probably be a better purchase.

 

I think 12.5 is way too much for that car. Your initial budget was 7k, so that was pretty limited, but if you're willing to go up to 12.5K, you have a lot more choices. Heck, you could probably get a 2002 GS430 for that much.

 

After mulling it over the weekend, I decided against the A4 - not so much about the price, but the cost of ownership, insurance and reliability concerns. Of course, my wife kicking my butt for putting $5K on the car w/out her blessing wasn't helpful But she'll get over it....

Sigh!!! I am probably going back to my original plan - $7K, and (hopefully) sticking to it. Many of your comments have made some impression on me. Am I buying the car for my daughter or a chance for me to buy another car An A4 with Sport Pkg is certainly NOT for a 16-yo.... more like for me, really... I'll keep searching for that "perfect" car with balance of style (cool looks), good on gas, and cheap to maintain/insure... I was even thinking of like a 2006 Kia Spectra5 with the 2.0L 4-banger 132Hp measly power... or a 2004 Honda Civic with ~55K miles each, in the $6-8K range.

I'll see what I find in the next 10 days cos I need it by July 2nd when she turns 16!

 

Just get a Civic... I had one in my younger years, no regrets whatsoever.

 

My first car was 98 Honda Accord V6 that was handed down from my Dad, then to my Brother, and then to me. It has a little over 100K miles and runs fairly well and has lots of room. The only things I do not like are the transmission that shifts roughly and the okay gas mileage. This is the car that I take with me to college because it has plenty of room and accompanied with Eagle F1 A/S tires, they handle great in the rain and fairly well in the snow.

Something that should be considered if she is taking the car to college with her is the amount of room. While a coupe does work, it is not as convenient as a sedan, especially if she drives friends around. A friend on mine drives a M3 to college and while it is sportier than my car, it restricts how much and what he can carry. Another side effect of him having a M3 is that he drives much more aggressively, which is not always a good thing.

 

If it were my daughter, I would narrow the choices down to 2 or 3 cars and let her choose.

Also I would drop 6k for the car, reserve the rest for a real driving school / course (for her) and repairs

Things I would look for in a car for my kid
1) safety (beat that dead horse) - both in accident survival and avoidance
2) reliability - assume your daughter doesn't know a thing about car maintanence
3) low running costs - teenagers thrash cars (unless they love cars)
4) low to moderate power - no drag racing, not fast not furious
5) unstylish car - teenagers thrash cars, low theft risk

For me my choices would be
1) Honda accord - 4 cylinder - over a civic b/c bigger body should give better crash-worthiness, drives better than a camry for the same money
2) Mazda Miata - great driving characteristics, small engine, good crash avoidance but crash survival? Buy only with a stick shift, bulletproof reliability
3) Mazda 3 - zippy, nice handling; not sure on the reliability

My guess is if you show her the Miata, that is what you are buying her

 

bluestar, I didn't understand the A4 option you considered. With respect it seemed like you were looking at the features more for you than for your daughter. She does not need an aging turbocharged all-wheel drive vehicle in sunny California even if it's "loaded"!

There should be TONS of vehicles you can get for little money right now.

For a 16 year old you want SAFE and RELIABLE, and IMO, a 4 banger because you don't want big off the line torque for an inexperienced driver.

I'd go with a used 4 cylinder Camry or something. Boring, and just right.

 

Thanks for those thoughtful comments. Truly appreciated.