Looking at used cars with my son

[n55jb4]

My neighbor has Mini Countryman and he is selling it and couldn't sell, no one wants to buy that car. It already has rust on trunk door and rear wheel arch. BMW or VW have way better corrosion protection. I'm with practicality side - for teenagers there is nothing better than a reliable, indestructible car that is cheap to maintain, cheap to insure and is easy to resell after he/she grows out of it. Go with Honda Civic, Corolla and such. Less headache for you and for them.
Time for more powerful cars will come later when he/she will learn how to properly drive and be safe on roads. If it will ever come that is, as not all kids are into cars to be honest, some just will stay with practical side of Honda and to be honest I would never encourage them to go through what I have gone with all these BMW mods and previous powerful cars. There are other sides of life too lol
Now, if he/she is into cars as hobby - then its' a different story. Then go with whatever he/she likes to have, but of course you need to avoid some headaches still - I won't recommend any 335 for that reason, because eventually it will be you dealing and fixing all issues, it's like with puppies, they promise to take care of everything, but its parents who end up dealing with all the crap

[3GFX]

I stand behind VW's. I've had 4 in the driveway at one time, and still have 2 in the household. They are great for what you'd expect, but cost of maintenance is German instead of Jap or Domestic. So be prepared.

Something for consideration...GTI/GLI will cost more on insurance. You can get the "Highline" model of the Golf or Jetta that will come similarly spec'd but without the pizzaz sport springs, rims and seats but would save on insurance. If your son isn't to much of a car guy this could be helpful. If he intends to modify, then why pay for the GTI/GLI springs and rims if he's just going to change them!

The motors on the upper specs are all 1.8 or 2.0 T depending on the model and year. No change to the GTI or GLI's. So that won't have to be a consideration.

The build quality of Mark IV and Mark V (2000 - 2010ish) GTI/GLI/Golf/Jetta's are higher quality over all. Better materials, and standard finishes. The MarkVI started to dwindle a bit as VW sacrificed quality for lower entry prices levels. GTI and GLI were the only models that maintained the high quality overall. It is yet to be seen their long term durability. Still high quality but worth a consideration in your price range.

Mini is a niche brand, and entry level BMW. Generally the latest and greatest is what you want and only a true enthusiast would look into the used market. There have been some notable mechanical issues as milage gets up there. Cost of ownership is higher than other options for a first car.

Tell us more about what your son is leaning toward (desires), and what you're looking for (desires) this would allow for better recommendations.

Back in 2005 I wanted a used E36 328is for my first car, and dad steered me over to an almost new Mazda3, made sense for insurance and operating costs. In the end I really loved and miss that car (yes I modified it).

One final thought...

... with a VW a check engine light will eventually come on. You could drive it to the ground with that light on. The thing about the light, is at least you'll know whats wrong. It's when you don't have a check engine light that you should be worried because you don't know whats coming or how much it will cost.

[Buddy628]

Having owned both GTI and Subaru wrx, Subarus are less expensive when it comes to replacement part's and they are tough as nails, resale value also makes them very attractive as well.

[JsL]

Viper ACR is the perfect first car.

Joking aside, I think the G35/G37 is a good car for the price. Just make sure traction control cannot be turned off (disconnect the switch, cut the wires at the ecu haha)

[OUGrad05]

Going outside the box here, how about a good condition E46, 330i ZHP? Those are rare, good performers, reliable, look great, are cheap to insure and you can probably find one for 10k or less.

[fkim119]

I'm not a parent yet or anytime soon but wouldn't you want to get them something underpowered, safe and something really reliable?

I would get them a short cab truck where they can't fit a party full of people. Hopefully they get to wrench it themselves since trucks are easy to maintain and ding it up a little without much fear...

[lennyf]

Thanks for all your valuable input.
MUCH APPRECIATED.

Gonna look for 10 yr. old cars that I'll just get liability insurance on.

[3GFX]

My beater car is a 2006 VW Passat Wagon 4 Motion.

ITS A TANK....reliable, cheap, easy to insure. Decently optioned. 4Motion 4WD is why I've got it (for the winter). Aim for the 1.8T motor, easier to run than the V6. Just make sure the waterpump has been done at 120k intervals.

Otherwise, any old Subaru would do! (my other choice as per the reasons above)

[Yeineken]

If your kid is like any other teenager don't get them anything super nice. Yes it hurts to see your kid not driving the best; but they're either going to beat the crap out of it or not respect the machine. They'll likely break stuff like me and my brothers did to our Honda Accord and Acura RSX as teenagers.

It also teaches them respect once they finally get their first nice new car.

[bb1857]

My son is 17 and his first car was a 00 Jeep Cherokee that we lifted which he had a lot of fun with. He decided that he wanted something more fun to drive so he sold the Jeep and we found him an 07 335 coupe. He has done some mods and absolutely loves his car. Shockingly the insurance on the BMW is a few bucks cheaper per month than the Jeep was. The HP is up there but it makes him respect the power because he knows it will bite him back in a hurry. Not saying he's an angel driving but definitely understands the consequences if he goes over his head.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

You could do a lot worse than a 2010 9-3. Power and leather everything, built like a tank safety wise and looks good enough. Servicing schedule is extremely owner friendly. Mostly GM parts too.

OMG no. The parts that aren't GM are Swedish, even more ridiculously priced than German.

Originally Posted by Germanauto

OP I'm not sure if you remember all the stunts kids pull at that age, even rational kids with a good head on their shoulders.
Heck i'm in my mid-20s and still do some questionable things on the road.

I'd recommend a used V4 Civic, Accord, or Camry. Safe, reliable, cheap to operate, and most importantly they don't encourage any hooliganism.

Yehbut boys will be boyz. My son (now in his 40's) crashed his mom's Nissan Sentra with cloth seats and manual window cranks. Oh and V4 LOL.

Originally Posted by Buddy628

Having owned both GTI and Subaru wrx, Subarus are less expensive when it comes to replacement part's and they are tough as nails, resale value also makes them very attractive as well.

This. Subies pass the teen sniff test, are safe as houses, and won't break the bank.

Originally Posted by lennyf

Thanks for all your valuable input.
MUCH APPRECIATED.

Gonna look for 10 yr. old cars that I'll just get liability insurance on.

Think about keeping comprehensive. It's come in handy for me on many occasions. Also I carried my son for a year or so IIRC at which time I was able to spin him off onto his own plan. Saved a bucketload of money that way.

[n55jb4]

Originally Posted by 3GFX

I stand behind VW's. I've had 4 in the driveway at one time, and still have 2 in the household. They are great for what you'd expect, but cost of maintenance is German instead of Jap or Domestic. So be prepared.

Something for consideration...GTI/GLI will cost more on insurance. You can get the "Highline" model of the Golf or Jetta that will come similarly spec'd but without the pizzaz sport springs, rims and seats but would save on insurance. If your son isn't to much of a car guy this could be helpful. If he intends to modify, then why pay for the GTI/GLI springs and rims if he's just going to change them!

The motors on the upper specs are all 1.8 or 2.0 T depending on the model and year. No change to the GTI or GLI's. So that won't have to be a consideration.

The build quality of Mark IV and Mark V (2000 - 2010ish) GTI/GLI/Golf/Jetta's are higher quality over all. Better materials, and standard finishes. The MarkVI started to dwindle a bit as VW sacrificed quality for lower entry prices levels. GTI and GLI were the only models that maintained the high quality overall. It is yet to be seen their long term durability. Still high quality but worth a consideration in your price range.

Mini is a niche brand, and entry level BMW. Generally the latest and greatest is what you want and only a true enthusiast would look into the used market. There have been some notable mechanical issues as milage gets up there. Cost of ownership is higher than other options for a first car.

Tell us more about what your son is leaning toward (desires), and what you're looking for (desires) this would allow for better recommendations.

Back in 2005 I wanted a used E36 328is for my first car, and dad steered me over to an almost new Mazda3, made sense for insurance and operating costs. In the end I really loved and miss that car (yes I modified it).

One final thought...

... with a VW a check engine light will eventually come on. You could drive it to the ground with that light on. The thing about the light, is at least you'll know whats wrong. It's when you don't have a check engine light that you should be worried because you don't know whats coming or how much it will cost.

Was it the model year when they got all rusty trunks and whatnot?

[Crimson92]

Whatever you do. Don't get the countryman. Especially in manual.

[3GFX]

Originally Posted by n55jb4

Was it the model year when they got all rusty trunks and whatnot?

I had a rusty trunk barely....moreso a bubbling hood. VW was great, replaced the hood and trunk with all new pieces freshly painted. they easily identify the rust as it's where the seams meet. leading edge rust isn't covered as it's general wear and tear.

i had my pre 2005.5 Mazda 3 repainted 3 times and it was never as easy as VW. Mazda just repaired, VW replaced.

[supra93]

I agreed with a truck or SUV/CUV. Teens are going to do stupid things. Whatever you do just make sure they are safe.

[Never_Enough]

Put him in a $1500 Civic

[TSM330i]

Originally Posted by lennyf

Thanks for all your valuable input.
MUCH APPRECIATED.

Gonna look for 10 yr. old cars that I'll just get liability insurance on.

TBH: I would get the newest car I could, not a 10 year old car. The newer cars are much safer than the older cars. Look at a Honda Civic or Mazda 3.
Skip any SUV. The higher center of gravity will allow them to tip over easier.

In the end, get the SAFEST car you can afford, not just the cheapest.

[jpnh]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Get him a 1999 camry

I second this

Camry or better yet corrolla

Maybe something a little newer than 1999 only because they eliminated use of timing belts for chains in recent years.....one less regular maint item partiulcarly on a higher mileage vehicle that you are probably looking at

Parts are cheap and the vehicles are easy to work on

The 1.8l in corolla is bulletproof and insurance for them is CHEAP

[jpnh]

Originally Posted by Buddy628

Having owned both GTI and Subaru wrx, Subarus are less expensive when it comes to replacement part's and they are tough as nails, resale value also makes them very attractive as well.

Except for the inevitable head gasket replacements that the overwhelming majority require somewhere between 70 and 100k

Its so predictable that a lot of Subey mechanics recommend doing them along with the timing belt......

As I understand it they've begun to make some changes to the head design and iirc they are externally routing coolant to the heads/have eliminated internal coolant passages between block and heads to resolve this problem

[sbon]

Used Acura TSX.. Good on gas, not that much to insure, TSX only has like 200hp, but has a K24 with a wide aftermarket in case he wants to do some mods, double wishbone front and rear suspension in case he enjoys driving/wants to get into Autocross, and 5 star safety rating. Its the European Honda Accord. And they can last like 300-400k miles.

[C1Boston]

Acura RSX 05-06.

[gtron]

Originally Posted by lennyf

I've been looking at cars as of late with my 17 yr. old boy.
Since I don't want him driving my M240i we have started to look for him.
2011 VW GTI's have been my #1 contender looking in the no more than $13k range.......
What do you guys think of the Mini Cooper S Countryman ??
I've heard mixed reviews on these cars as far as reliability.

Get him an ugly 2017 Nissan Versa with a full warranty for that price.