Buying for 16 year old son... decisions...

[Vindicator3]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Civic. Perfect balance for what any 16 year old could ever need. They may be expensive on the used market, but it'll still be worth something years later and likely get him through college and beyond. No brainer in my opinion.

This is what we did. We bought new because we have multiple kids it had to last through - and it has. Youngest is now finishing grad school and still driving it, though she will certainly be ready for something newer once she starts drawing a paycheck!

[chassis]

Originally Posted by TXGrey

Good morning fellow car-peoples. This is my first post on this topic, as the window of opportunity & judgement has finally opened (more or less). As the title suggests, I will soon be in the market for a used car for my son, who turns 16 next fall. I plan to buy something in June or July of this year so he can spend a few months leading up to the big day getting used to his ride. I've spent the better part of the last year watching the market, looking at options, and going completely back and forth on what makes sense... Here me out before letting me know your thoughts.

Originally, it was hey, let's get a nice used Tacoma and put a lift on it. I shopped that market for over half a year. Stupid/ridiculous pricing on the used market... and just not worth it.

Then I went to normal bland-mode... a nice used Civic or Accord perhaps. Still like this idea, BUT, as most know, they are also certainly proud in the used market (with good reason for reliability and low overall issues), and most are boring (again, it's a Honda).

Then for a bit, I went dead opposite... well, what about something fun to drive for a few years? I nice used 2 series with relatively low miles or something of the sort. Or what about a used Alfa Romeo Stelvio? Super depreciation and a helluva drivers car. We can tackle our own maintenance... no biggie. Then I thought about electrical gremlins... I'm not chasing that dragon.

Then I went back to Toyota stupidity... what about a high-mileage 4Runner? I've owned three of them... reliable dinosaurs. But in my price range (basically 20K), it'd have to over 100K on a basically 10 year old Runner. That seems totally nuts and is a really tough pill to swallow.

I'm literally all over the map... One day, I'm searching used Macans (the 4 cylinder base can be found really cheap with 70-80K miles)... then next, I'm back to trying to find a nice Civic.

Not afraid of DIY maintenance... I do half the maintenance on my cars (currently BMW and Porche SUVs). But we all know the price to play for used Lux German or Italian machinery. It can be steep. Fine for a few years while he's here in town for HS.... but not applicable for leaving off to college.

Life is too short to drive boring cars... I know, I did it for years. BUT, there also has to be some practicality and sensibility in this situation. We are blessed to be in a scenario where I can brainstorm different options. But I'm not blind to the fact he'll be a new driver and will most certainly have some mishaps early on.

For those who are parents with freshly-crowned drivers... what did you all choose and why?

My two teenage drivers had hand-me-down early 2000s Japanese SUVs - a RAV4 and Murano. Reliable enough and served the purpose at the time.

Don't get a Macan of any year or mileage, because PDK.

You didn't give us any requirements, but rather only shared the vehicles you have looked at. You have mentioned examples of a truck, SUV and sedan.

What are the requirements for your son's proposed vehicle?

[TXGrey]

Originally Posted by chassis

My two teenage drivers had hand-me-down early 2000s Japanese SUVs - a RAV4 and Murano. Reliable enough and served the purpose at the time.

Don't get a Macan of any year or mileage, because PDK.

You didn't give us any requirements, but rather only shared the vehicles you have looked at. You have mentioned examples of a truck, SUV and sedan.

What are the requirements for your son's proposed vehicle?

No said requirements (minus budget). Safety counts, but there isn’t many made in the past 15 years that aren’t. Nothing practical is off the table, more or less. All choices come with positives and negatives; Those are all to be weighed and measured.

[M5Rick]

Honda Civic.

[TXGrey]

Originally Posted by silvermanor

16 year olds having their parents buy cars for them seems to be common these days. Sad.

Thank you for your input.

[dcstep]

Used Hyundai Sonata or Tucson. I'm working on my third Hyundai since 2006.

My 2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy is superior to the X3 loaners that I've driven when I take my BMWs in for service. Hyundai and Kia deliver incredible cars.

[Socal_R8]

I learned how to be a mechanic after buying my son a used E90 ....lol


Now he has a Honda Cr-V and loves it ....

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by TXGrey

I will soon be in the market for a used car for my son, who turns 16 next fall. I plan to buy something in June or July of this year so he can spend a few months leading up to the big day getting used to his ride.

I've gone through the same debate about 1.5 years ago.
Key question - where do you think you teen will go to college? Many schools (outside of TX) do not allocate student parking spots to freshman, in which case, you may be shopping for a 2-year fill-gap transportation. Leases are perfect for that purpose!
If you expect him to need the car in college, then buying (new or used) is your likely direction.

Originally Posted by keg97

If you haven't already done so, check out insurance rates on every car. you're considering. [...] I have three kids, two driving- 21 YO girl, 17 YO boy, 15 YO girl. None of them have any demerits on their record, yet the boy's rates are significantly higher than my daughter. And he's driving a 2017 Camry while she's got a newer A5 cabrio.

Not just significantly higher - our insurance rates have gone up 2.5x once we added my boy to the policy. Even though his driving record is perfectly clean 1.5 years later. Regardless of what car he drives, insurance company will correctly assume that he will get access to all the cars in your family fleet.
If your teen will NOT be driving freshman year in college, THEN you could remove him from your policy and save multiple thousands $$$$ / year!

Originally Posted by TXGrey

Not afraid of DIY maintenance... I do half the maintenance on my cars (currently BMW and Porche SUVs). [...]
For those who are parents with freshly-crowned drivers... what did you all choose and why?

I enjoy DIY-ing my cars, but really did not want to become a part-time mechanic for my kids. And even though they are capable (helped me with brake jobs and wheel swaps), I was pretty sure they would not be prioritizing DIY-ing on their used cars. That he has proven to be true as my teen doesn't ever bother washing his ride - not a priority for him!

I quickly discarded idea of buying a used BMW/Audi/Mercedes as all of them have turbo engines that had been neglected and abused under factory-recommended 20K mile oil change intervals. And are full of self-destructing plastic components in the engine bay.

Long story short, I went the leasing rout. Lease rates on Civics turned out to be higher than those on a Lexus and other luxury cars!
We test drove a dozen or so cars, formalized preference for an SUV, and then I timed things to end-of-quarter and snagged RZ300e lease for $278/month for 10K/36m, including taxes, reg, and fees.

That was way cheaper then leasing a Civic or a Rav4! I do know friends who got their kids CX5's for almost the same money, and those were the two cheapest rides to lease the summer before last.

Originally Posted by keg97

Point being- we typically focus on initial purchase and perceived reliability. But really the insurance rates are going to be the biggest cost year in and year out.

Very true.
I pay way more for the insurance after adding him, then the lease rate on the Lexus!

Really looking forward to him going to college this fall and getting off my insurance (no cars for freshman), right in time for my daughter to take his spot, and hopefully cost less to insure!
For all practical considerations, the cost of the car is secondary to the cost of insurance for your teens.

Originally Posted by DrewNewM2

Get your kid the cheapest, slowest car with the best crash test ratings.

I disagree.
Get him something nice and safe, and sign him up for Street Survival Teen Driving School and then for proper DEs! Therefore - get something safe and well handling. Something you will enjoy driving yourself, because you will, on occasion.

https://www.tirerack.com/sponsorship...gaAtxTEALw_wcB

Originally Posted by silvermanor

16 year olds having their parents buy cars for them seems to be common these days. Sad.

Sure, get him a donkey, make him work the farm, and ride it home after sunset.
Might be cheaper to insure!

But if you are paying for his insurance, the cost of the car is a second-order problem!

YMMV,
a

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by TXGrey

Great point; will certainly do just that. I believe I read somewhere in the past, that some of the insurance cost isn’t necessarily the price of replacement, but also has a lot to do with incurrence rates (both accident and theft). So, a Macan (rate) may not be as bad as say an Accord, because the incidence ratio of “Accords” are statistically much higher than that of a Macan. Who knows if there’s much truth to that theory.

Obviously different markets, but insurance for my X5 was more than my AM Vanquish. Similar insured values, same average distance noted.

My first car was a manual crappy hatchback that I bought myself, and I worked my way up to the fun stuff. A lot more learning and appreciation for it IMO.

If you’re buying it for them, I’d be going safety as the priority, and let them work up to the fun car themselves.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by MJBO

Obviously different markets, but insurance for my X5 was more than my AM Vanquish. Similar insured values, same average distance noted.

My first car was a manual crappy hatchback that I bought myself, and I worked my way up to the fun stuff. A lot more learning and appreciation for it IMO.

If you’re buying it for them, I’d be going safety as the priority, and let them work up to the fun car themselves.

Insurance in USA and Canada is absurd, like $9K a yr for a 19 year old male with a clean record.

On pricing each car, my cheapest one to insure is the 2009 - 911, accident rates and near zero I was told so way marked down.

My boy is 14, I was actually thinking BRZ/FRS stick. Kinda sporty, cheap to run and stick means he cannot use his phone and drive. What I cannot make up my mind about is do I want him being the primary driver amongst his mates or as a passenger? I suspect driver..... 'cos I trust him..... then he'd need a bigger car.

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Insurance in USA and Canada is absurd, like $9K a yr for a 19 year old male with a clean record.

On pricing each car, my cheapest one to insure is the 2009 - 911, accident rates and near zero I was told so way marked down.

My boy is 14, I was actually thinking BRZ/FRS stick. Kinda sporty, cheap to run and stick means he cannot use his phone and drive. What I cannot make up my mind about is do I want him being the primary driver amongst his mates or as a passenger? I suspect driver..... 'cos I trust him..... then he'd need a bigger car.

Yeah that’s so crazy.

Part of the “benefit” when I was younger was my first few cars weren’t expensive enough to comprehensive insure, so 3rd party with fire/theft was enough and reasonably affordable.

I was always the driver in my group, and I was happy about that (and I think my parents were too).

Three of my friends stacked their first cars, all big RWD cars their parents bought them.

[KevinC]

Leftover ‘25 base Jetta.

[gunsmoker]

Last year I bought my 16-old daughter a 2019 Mini Cooper S Countrynan All4 at 55k miles with electronic dampers, adaptive LED lights, and racing stripes. 20k including tax and registration. I added a Dinan Sport Tuner dongle. We love it! If I am to retire and get rid of my F80 for some reason tomorrow, that's the car I want to have until I can't drive anymore.

[jaffles]

Got a 16yo son, and we settled on a 2010 E92 330d m sport for his first car. Wife and I liked it so much we bought exactly the same car two weeks later but E93 variant.

There is a lot going on hear from
a teenager feeling good within themselves,
a teenager that has presence with mates, girlfriends, and parents,
a teenager learning about a deeper level of appreciation, respect, position and responsibly rather than cheap accessories, hot dog exhausts, and burnouts leaving the gas station,
a well built and safe car, one that can handle rather than wallow, slows as fast as it speeds,
a reasonably quick factory engineered car sporting 240hp,
more reliable opposed to the 4cyl counterpart, and has economy that won't break a teenagers budget,
has brand aura that helps with schooling to encourage commitment to reach for more, an M3 or Lamborghini is not cheap.
enhanced a father son relationship that has strengthened bond and deepened understanding, wants, dreams, communication and trust.
a willingness to pursue driver training and car control,
a 12 month lead in around car maintenance, repair, appreciation of asset and awareness of speed, trees, available parts, and how easy it all comes unstuck.

He started with a lust for 3rd party accessories, but has gained an understanding of buying a fast factory engineered car is better than build something with marketed aftermarket crap designed to pay someone's mortgage off rather than his car. It goes plenty for his skill level and looks the goods.

I have mates who feel I have provided him a coffin. I under stand that, I fear that, I put all I have into making him love life but respect it. I know he will scratch it, probably dint it, but I also know if he drives some hand me down shit box that is cheap to run, boring to drive, and just a car; than I feel all the things I fear are far more likely to happen.

That's my 10c.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by TXGrey

Trust me… I did much of the same growing up. I’m lucky to be in this position as a parent, and I don’t take it for granted at all. He’s a good kid; does fantastic in school and has some lofty goals in mind for himself. If any of these items becomes untrue, he will find himself in the Gen X method of life rather expeditiously…

There are multiple ways to approach this. Old/slow/etc. Newer/nicer/lots of safety features/etc. How you parent your kids shouldn't impact how I parent mine.

I'm cheap/thrifty and wish to impart all those lessons of hard work, etc. upon my kids. But I sure as hell don't wanna be staring that their faces in a hospital bed/coffin b/c I was too caught up in my own self-righteousness to provide them something better/nicer/safer.

In the end, God forbid, if something happens and your kid is in an accident with major injuries, you don't want to look back and wish you had purchased a more substantial/larger/better vehicle.

We don't make our kids sleep over on the other side of town just to prove a point. I'm not going to do the same in terms of vehicles.

[DrFerry]

2013 to 2025 Subaru Outback 4cyl 2.5L
Why = Safety ratings, low powered, AWD, easy to DIY maintain and OEM A&B pillar safety cage internal construction. It's basically a Japanese Volvo tank. I bought two of them because I have twin boys.
>
The 2013 Subaru Outback is a top-tier safety choice, earning the coveted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ award. It achieved the highest "Good" rating in moderate overlap front, side, and roof strength tests. Optional EyeSight driver-assistance system adds pre-collision braking and lane departure warnings.

Key Safety Ratings:
IIHS: Top Safety Pick+. Rated "Good" for moderate overlap front, side impact, and roof strength; "Acceptable" for small overlap front.
NHTSA: The 2013 model is generally considered a 5-star vehicle overall, though some reports indicate a 4-star rating in specific, possibly re-tested scenarios.
Safety Features: Standard features include six airbags, electronic stability control, and a rearview camera. Optional features include EyeSight, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and pre-collision braking.

>
The 2013 Subaru Outback features a reinforced ring-shaped frame design that strengthens the roof, pillars, and body sides to provide high-impact protection for the cabin. This construction helped the model earn a Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) rating, incorporating high-strength materials and advanced airbag systems.

Key 2013 Outback Safety Cage Components
Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame: The body structure is designed as a rigid, connected ring (roof rail, B-pillar, sill, and floor) that surrounds the passenger compartment to divert crash energy around the cabin rather than through it.
High-Strength Steel: The structure utilizes high-tensile strength steel in critical areas to enhance rigidity and safety during side impacts and rollovers.
Collision Energy Management: The design includes specialized front and rear crumple zones that work in conjunction with the rigid central cabin.
Safety Cell Features: The structure was tested for occupant protection, resulting in high ratings for roof strength in rollover situations.

The 2013 Outback was one of the first models tested under IIHS’s stricter crashworthiness standards, which highlighted the effectiveness of this structural cage.

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by jaffles

Got a 16yo son, and we settled on a 2010 E92 330d m sport for his first car. Wife and I liked it so much we bought exactly the same car two weeks later but E93 variant.

There is a lot going on hear from
a teenager feeling good within themselves,
a teenager that has presence with mates, girlfriends, and parents,
a teenager learning about a deeper level of appreciation, respect, position and responsibly rather than cheap accessories, hot dog exhausts, and burnouts leaving the gas station,
a well built and safe car, one that can handle rather than wallow, slows as fast as it speeds,
a reasonably quick factory engineered car sporting 240hp,
more reliable opposed to the 4cyl counterpart, and has economy that won't break a teenagers budget,
has brand aura that helps with schooling to encourage commitment to reach for more, an M3 or Lamborghini is not cheap.
enhanced a father son relationship that has strengthened bond and deepened understanding, wants, dreams, communication and trust.
a willingness to pursue driver training and car control,
a 12 month lead in around car maintenance, repair, appreciation of asset and awareness of speed, trees, available parts, and how easy it all comes unstuck.

He started with a lust for 3rd party accessories, but has gained an understanding of buying a fast factory engineered car is better than build something with marketed aftermarket crap designed to pay someone's mortgage off rather than his car. It goes plenty for his skill level and looks the goods.

I have mates who feel I have provided him a coffin. I under stand that, I fear that, I put all I have into making him love life but respect it. I know he will scratch it, probably dint it, but I also know if he drives some hand me down shit box that is cheap to run, boring to drive, and just a car; than I feel all the things I fear are far more likely to happen.

That's my 10c.

Dunno, to me giving a kid a car, especially a “nice” one, doesn’t sound like a way to make them work harder or appreciate hard work, since it’s just a hand out.

My parents (my dad in particular) encouraged me and helped with opportunities to earn my way. Both my sister and I bought our first cars with money we earned while working around our studies.

Started with a 1994 Holden Barina (Opel Corsa in EU). Not flash, not fast, but was my ticket to freedom and the first step on my auto journey.

It made me want to work hard to have better, and I did.

[StradaRedlands]

Highly recommend an E90 with a N52. Solid good cars. Yeah, you have to DIY some stuff, but I would argue those are great skills for your kids to learn. Plus they will appreciate the vehicle more IMO. Find something from a private seller with records and not a lot of deferred maintenance. Bonus points for a manual transmission. Two-thirds of my kiddos have such cars, and I feel great with their driving them. They have actually turned into motor heads a bit, so a blessing and a curse there!

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Highly recommend an E90 with a N52. Solid good cars.

Great engine, but any BMW with an N52 is 15-20 years old needs work or will be needing work. I have a2012 X3 with N52 that I gave to a niece 3 years ago and just did a complete front and rear suspension replacement because it would not align - frozen or corroded parts. Big job, but my garage is about equal to a small automotive shop…. If you are in a no rust area, that definitely helps. 3 years later for the next niece, I bought a 2020 X3. Cost a lot more but will not need as much work as soon and I like blind spot detection.

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by silvermanor

16 year olds having their parents buy cars for them seems to be common these days. Sad.

I did not want you to be upset with the parents, so I bought cars for my nieces when they turned 16….

[Colemme]

A child first car should be reliable (Toyota, Honda, Chevy, Nissan, maybe a Volkswagen Golf/Jetta). However, it's what we call in our family a "hooptie." That is a car that takes you from point A to point B. They're learning how to drive and you're not too upset when they hit something. They are learning speed, braking, turning, backing, mass/weight, distance and inertia. Placing a new driver in a performance vehicle is risky at best and as someone has already mentioned the insurance is going to be expensive. Good luck, it's a fun time when a new family member starts driving and growing up!

[pbonsalb]

My niece with the 2012 X3 recently backed into a granite block. Luckily it just temporarily deformed the lower bumper above the exhaust. But it actually bent the exhaust before the muffler so the exhaust was hanging oddly. I had to cut out a section and weld in a new one. That was several months ago. She scuffed the driver’s corner of the front bumper cover a few weeks ago, but we will just leave that.