Car for a New Teen Driver
July 15, 2020 8:42 AM Subscribe
I need to get a car for my 17-year-old to drive to school, but I'm struggling to figure out what makes sense. What has worked well for others in terms of cars for young drivers? Hybrid or no? What to prioritize?
My son attends a school with no bus service, and will be dual-enrolled this year in a nearby college. Assuming people ever leave their homes again, he will need to drive himself to school and to the college. He is fine as a driver; newly licensed, not risk-taking, not hugely experienced. He is not enthusiastic or knowledgeable about cars and doesn't have strong opinions about the car other than not wanting a dark interior because he thinks it will be hot.
He will be going away to art school after high school, although we don't know at this point if the car will go with him initially. He primarily does digital art right now, so doesn't have huge needs for cargo capacity, but I feel like a good roomy hatchback is useful for a young person regardless of their interests.
I am also not a car person, and can get overwhelmed by car info. For reference, my car is a 2018 Honda CR-V that I bought new because a bunch of the automotive magazines said it was the best in its class of crossovers. I didn't drive any other cars. I had USAA negotiate the price and went to the dealership and bought it, and I have been very happy with the car and that process.
His friends all have used hybrids (a Prius, a C-Max, and a Lincoln MKZ), I guess for gas mileage purposes. Does a hybrid make sense as a car for a teen? What's the max mileage I should be considering for a used hybrid?
I definitely plan to buy used, and want to get a modern enough car to get some safety features (e.g. backup camera, parking sensors would be in my wildest dream). Budget is $12-14k. Would love to go lower, but don't want to compromise on modern safety stuff. What are some of the other considerations I should be thinking about? What cars have worked well as first cars or teen cars for you and your kids?
My son attends a school with no bus service, and will be dual-enrolled this year in a nearby college. Assuming people ever leave their homes again, he will need to drive himself to school and to the college. He is fine as a driver; newly licensed, not risk-taking, not hugely experienced. He is not enthusiastic or knowledgeable about cars and doesn't have strong opinions about the car other than not wanting a dark interior because he thinks it will be hot.
He will be going away to art school after high school, although we don't know at this point if the car will go with him initially. He primarily does digital art right now, so doesn't have huge needs for cargo capacity, but I feel like a good roomy hatchback is useful for a young person regardless of their interests.
I am also not a car person, and can get overwhelmed by car info. For reference, my car is a 2018 Honda CR-V that I bought new because a bunch of the automotive magazines said it was the best in its class of crossovers. I didn't drive any other cars. I had USAA negotiate the price and went to the dealership and bought it, and I have been very happy with the car and that process.
His friends all have used hybrids (a Prius, a C-Max, and a Lincoln MKZ), I guess for gas mileage purposes. Does a hybrid make sense as a car for a teen? What's the max mileage I should be considering for a used hybrid?
I definitely plan to buy used, and want to get a modern enough car to get some safety features (e.g. backup camera, parking sensors would be in my wildest dream). Budget is $12-14k. Would love to go lower, but don't want to compromise on modern safety stuff. What are some of the other considerations I should be thinking about? What cars have worked well as first cars or teen cars for you and your kids?
I would buy a used Nissan Leaf. Well under 10K, incredibly reliable (almost no moving parts!), lots of cargo space for its size, super boring.
posted by rockindata at 9:07 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by rockindata at 9:07 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
want to get a modern enough car to get some safety features (e.g. backup camera, parking sensors would be in my wildest dream)
just to make sure you are spending your money wisely - these are not at all safety features, these are convenience features. Nothing about them makes the car or driver safer. They are absolutely not worth spending money on if it means, for instance, it tips you into an older generation car than a newer.
Young drivers tend to have less income so being as the purchase of the car is outside their budgetary interests, then a car that gets better fuel mileage will be better for them because it will give them more freedom for the limited funds they have. But, again, hybrids are more expensive, so your son would be better off with a newer generation non-hybrid than an older gen hybrid. Just definitely a hatchback or similar rather than a truck with crappy gas mileage.
Also, make sure you are considering not talking about just 'age' of car, but pay attention to generations - a third Gen Honda CRV goes from 2006-2011, and the next gen goes from 2011 to 2016. He would be FAR better off (from a safety and reliability standpoint) in a 2011 Gen 4 without the fancy bells and whistles than in a 2011 Gen 3 with parking sensors and a rear view camera. They are the same age, but the tech, design and safety features in a gen 3 are from 2006. So ten years older in design than the nominally same 'age' car we are comparing to. Wikipedia has the listings for all cars and their generation evolution so it is easy to find out if you are looking at a newer designed car or older for any given year.
As for hybrids, I think at the age you are talking, there is a risk. It's not so much the mileage but the life of the batteries. If you can find one old enough that the main battery bank has been replaced then you're pretty safe, but 5-8 years old batteries in a hybrid do have a reasonable chance of needing replacing and that is EXPENSIVE. So I think you need to take that into consideration. I'd be more tempted to get a newer non-hybrid than a 5-10 year old hybrid, only considering fuel mileage if the hybrid in question had a newer battery pack than original.
posted by Brockles at 9:13 AM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
just to make sure you are spending your money wisely - these are not at all safety features, these are convenience features. Nothing about them makes the car or driver safer. They are absolutely not worth spending money on if it means, for instance, it tips you into an older generation car than a newer.
Young drivers tend to have less income so being as the purchase of the car is outside their budgetary interests, then a car that gets better fuel mileage will be better for them because it will give them more freedom for the limited funds they have. But, again, hybrids are more expensive, so your son would be better off with a newer generation non-hybrid than an older gen hybrid. Just definitely a hatchback or similar rather than a truck with crappy gas mileage.
Also, make sure you are considering not talking about just 'age' of car, but pay attention to generations - a third Gen Honda CRV goes from 2006-2011, and the next gen goes from 2011 to 2016. He would be FAR better off (from a safety and reliability standpoint) in a 2011 Gen 4 without the fancy bells and whistles than in a 2011 Gen 3 with parking sensors and a rear view camera. They are the same age, but the tech, design and safety features in a gen 3 are from 2006. So ten years older in design than the nominally same 'age' car we are comparing to. Wikipedia has the listings for all cars and their generation evolution so it is easy to find out if you are looking at a newer designed car or older for any given year.
As for hybrids, I think at the age you are talking, there is a risk. It's not so much the mileage but the life of the batteries. If you can find one old enough that the main battery bank has been replaced then you're pretty safe, but 5-8 years old batteries in a hybrid do have a reasonable chance of needing replacing and that is EXPENSIVE. So I think you need to take that into consideration. I'd be more tempted to get a newer non-hybrid than a 5-10 year old hybrid, only considering fuel mileage if the hybrid in question had a newer battery pack than original.
posted by Brockles at 9:13 AM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
I had a good experience buying my car from Hertz. From your question I can't tell where you live, but in my area $12-$14k can buy a good selection of smallish 2019 sedans (Accents, Corollas, Fortes, etc).
posted by sacrifix at 9:13 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by sacrifix at 9:13 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
That should be more than enough to get something modern and reliable.
Your primary concern will be maintenance costs. You want something that won't need frequent maintenance, and on the occasions it does, you want it to be cheap and quick. You can write paragraphs about which cars do and don't fit this criterion, but the simplest shorthand is that Japanese and Korean cars are usually the cheapest and easiest to maintain. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, and Kia. They run forever even if you take lousy car of them, almost every shop in the world can work on them, and parts are shockingly cheap. They also generally get the best gas mileage in their respective classes, cutting down cost of ownership even more.
I won't ever talk someone out of getting a hybrid, because it's the kind of thing we as a society should encourage. But if you're not specifically interested in a hybrid, it probably shouldn't be a deciding factor in your search. He doesn't sound like he's going to be driving a whole lot, and as I said, most of the cars you should be looking at (especially the smaller models, like the Fit, Civic, or Corolla) get good mileage already, so it won't make a huge difference one way or the other. It sounds like there might be some social pressure to get a hybrid, and I encourage that! Peer pressure working for good, for once.
I have a 2014 Toyota Corolla, and I never miss an opportunity to recommend it. I love it. I bought it three years ago, under your budget, with 24k miles at the time. No issues whatsoever. Growing up, my dad had a Corolla that ran to 300,000 miles. He gave it to my cousin, who drove it for another five years or so. I bought mine a couple of months before my daughter was born, and I tell her that it's going to be hers once she learns to drive. I'm not joking. I've also got some firsthand experience driving late-model RAV4s and Hyundai Sonatas, and both are quite nice.
You've got enough budget to work with that you should be looking at fairly new cars, which should all have pretty modern safety features. Backup cameras have been standard for years now. Stuff like lane assistance has been common for a long time as well. You'd have to go pretty far back to not have that included, and there's no reason to go that far back unless you're looking at cars that are well above what a teenager would need (things like BMWs, large SUVs, vintage cars, etc.). I just did a quick Craigslist search, and there are dozens of post-2016 Toyotas/Hondas/etc. under 100k miles in the $10k range. Should not be a problem for you.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:26 AM on July 15, 2020 [3 favorites]
Your primary concern will be maintenance costs. You want something that won't need frequent maintenance, and on the occasions it does, you want it to be cheap and quick. You can write paragraphs about which cars do and don't fit this criterion, but the simplest shorthand is that Japanese and Korean cars are usually the cheapest and easiest to maintain. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, and Kia. They run forever even if you take lousy car of them, almost every shop in the world can work on them, and parts are shockingly cheap. They also generally get the best gas mileage in their respective classes, cutting down cost of ownership even more.
I won't ever talk someone out of getting a hybrid, because it's the kind of thing we as a society should encourage. But if you're not specifically interested in a hybrid, it probably shouldn't be a deciding factor in your search. He doesn't sound like he's going to be driving a whole lot, and as I said, most of the cars you should be looking at (especially the smaller models, like the Fit, Civic, or Corolla) get good mileage already, so it won't make a huge difference one way or the other. It sounds like there might be some social pressure to get a hybrid, and I encourage that! Peer pressure working for good, for once.
I have a 2014 Toyota Corolla, and I never miss an opportunity to recommend it. I love it. I bought it three years ago, under your budget, with 24k miles at the time. No issues whatsoever. Growing up, my dad had a Corolla that ran to 300,000 miles. He gave it to my cousin, who drove it for another five years or so. I bought mine a couple of months before my daughter was born, and I tell her that it's going to be hers once she learns to drive. I'm not joking. I've also got some firsthand experience driving late-model RAV4s and Hyundai Sonatas, and both are quite nice.
You've got enough budget to work with that you should be looking at fairly new cars, which should all have pretty modern safety features. Backup cameras have been standard for years now. Stuff like lane assistance has been common for a long time as well. You'd have to go pretty far back to not have that included, and there's no reason to go that far back unless you're looking at cars that are well above what a teenager would need (things like BMWs, large SUVs, vintage cars, etc.). I just did a quick Craigslist search, and there are dozens of post-2016 Toyotas/Hondas/etc. under 100k miles in the $10k range. Should not be a problem for you.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:26 AM on July 15, 2020 [3 favorites]
Get yourself down to the Corolla / Civic store and buy the newest one you can for the money. It'll have all the airbags, stability control, and a backup camera. If you want the lane-keeping assist and the automatic braking, you're looking at something newer than 12-14k can buy, most likely. If you are going to spend more than 14k, I'd recommend just going brand new Corolla / Civic with the safety package that has those options (lane keeping assist, automatic braking).
Don't get a fully electric like a Leaf, because you don't know what the kid's living situation is going to be for the next umpteen years, and it might turn into a real hassle to find a way to charge it. If an electric car is his thing, then sure, he'll be motivited to make it work. But it sounds like it's probably not, so it could very well end up a real PITA for him.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 9:27 AM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
Don't get a fully electric like a Leaf, because you don't know what the kid's living situation is going to be for the next umpteen years, and it might turn into a real hassle to find a way to charge it. If an electric car is his thing, then sure, he'll be motivited to make it work. But it sounds like it's probably not, so it could very well end up a real PITA for him.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 9:27 AM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
I think you're right about young people and hatchbacks. If you want to stick with Honda, I think the current Civic hatchback (which I have) is a bit steep for what you get. The Fit looks like a good choice.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:36 AM on July 15, 2020
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:36 AM on July 15, 2020
If you're considering a Prius, I'll make a couple of recommendations as someone who has two 2006s, one with 114K and one with 170K miles: The higher-mileage car just needed its storage battery array replaced (our mechanic did it for about $2500, Toyota quoted slightly higher), we assume the clock is ticking on the other one but there's a rumor (which I could easily confirm, I just haven't) that it's under at least some warranty up to 150K. In any case, if you bought one that old you'll want to check on that.
The biggest issues we've had with either one were minor electrical issues. Mine had very occasional problems with the controller for the entire dashboard display (with the exciting side effect that the car won't shut off until you do this weird brake-lights-powerbutton hokey pokey that you can find on youtube) for a long long time until it finally failed and our mechanic replaced it (or actually I believe he pulled it and sent it in for repair/replace, it's a big deal since it holds the odometer reading). The little bastard responsible is called the Combination Meter and it's a common issue on the older models up to around 2009, I believe.
We've never had any accidents in ours, but they are pretty comprehensively airbagged. They have backup cameras and (internal only) backup beep. The starter battery is AGM/deep-cycle marine, which is more expensive (~250) than a regular battery, but our first ones lasted 8 years and my second one went out after 6 but I blame extra strain from the combination meter issues for its slightly shorter life. I think for your budget you can get a much newer model than ours that will have some additional safety features.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:07 AM on July 15, 2020
The biggest issues we've had with either one were minor electrical issues. Mine had very occasional problems with the controller for the entire dashboard display (with the exciting side effect that the car won't shut off until you do this weird brake-lights-powerbutton hokey pokey that you can find on youtube) for a long long time until it finally failed and our mechanic replaced it (or actually I believe he pulled it and sent it in for repair/replace, it's a big deal since it holds the odometer reading). The little bastard responsible is called the Combination Meter and it's a common issue on the older models up to around 2009, I believe.
We've never had any accidents in ours, but they are pretty comprehensively airbagged. They have backup cameras and (internal only) backup beep. The starter battery is AGM/deep-cycle marine, which is more expensive (~250) than a regular battery, but our first ones lasted 8 years and my second one went out after 6 but I blame extra strain from the combination meter issues for its slightly shorter life. I think for your budget you can get a much newer model than ours that will have some additional safety features.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:07 AM on July 15, 2020
Agreeing with the Civics/Corollas recommendations. They're not prettiest but the cost of maintenance tends to be affordable. Even a little more so if you manage to get a stick shift.
The list of standard safety features is impressively longer than when we got ours (more than fifteen years ago) so I'm guessing your kid would be safe with any model from the last five years.
posted by cowlick at 10:21 AM on July 15, 2020
The list of standard safety features is impressively longer than when we got ours (more than fifteen years ago) so I'm guessing your kid would be safe with any model from the last five years.
posted by cowlick at 10:21 AM on July 15, 2020
The Honda Fit is reliable, fuel efficient, and it has more space inside than seems possible from the outside. That space can also be configured flexibly because the seats can do all kinds of crazy folding maneuvers. I recommend it.
I think any car from 2018 or newer will have a backup camera by law, just as a data point.
posted by Ryon at 10:31 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think any car from 2018 or newer will have a backup camera by law, just as a data point.
posted by Ryon at 10:31 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think you're right about hatchbacks being good for young people. I’ve got the new civic hatchback and it's a bit expensive for what it is. I'd go with a Fit.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:36 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:36 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
I love my Fit, which cost about $11k used with 13k miles on it. Magic seats mean it fits (hah!) more than any other hatchback would, and I have moved house 3x in it. It has almost as much cargo space as a minivan if you organize well, gas mileage is good, and it can be parked literally anywhere. My maintenance costs are generally low, with the caveat that if anything happens with the transmission, the only option is pretty much to totally replace it and it's pricer as it's a CVT. But I just adore it, best combination of zippy and cheap I could imagine.
posted by assenav at 10:55 AM on July 15, 2020
posted by assenav at 10:55 AM on July 15, 2020
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/safe-vehicles-for-teens
Quoting from that page:
"IIHS is known for its ratings of new vehicles, but for many families, a brand new TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ isn't in the budget for a teen's vehicle. In a national phone survey conducted for IIHS of parents of teen drivers, 83 percent of those who bought a vehicle for their teenagers said they bought it used.
With that reality in mind, the Institute regularly publishes a list of affordable used vehicles that meet important safety criteria for teen drivers. There are two tiers of recommended vehicles, best choices and good choices. Prices range from under $4,000 to nearly $20,000, so parents can buy the most safety for their money, whatever their budget."
posted by tiamat at 6:14 PM on July 15, 2020
Quoting from that page:
"IIHS is known for its ratings of new vehicles, but for many families, a brand new TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ isn't in the budget for a teen's vehicle. In a national phone survey conducted for IIHS of parents of teen drivers, 83 percent of those who bought a vehicle for their teenagers said they bought it used.
With that reality in mind, the Institute regularly publishes a list of affordable used vehicles that meet important safety criteria for teen drivers. There are two tiers of recommended vehicles, best choices and good choices. Prices range from under $4,000 to nearly $20,000, so parents can buy the most safety for their money, whatever their budget."
posted by tiamat at 6:14 PM on July 15, 2020
Backup cameras are enough of a safety feature that the US government has mandated them on new cars.want to get a modern enough car to get some safety features (e.g. backup camera, parking sensors would be in my wildest dream)just to make sure you are spending your money wisely - these are not at all safety features, these are convenience features.
New research from IIHS indicates that a rear automatic braking system bundled with rear parking sensors and a rearview camera can reduce backing crash-involvement rates by more than 75 percent, while a rear cross-traffic alert system alone can reduce them by more than 20 percent.
posted by kickingtheground at 6:24 PM on July 15, 2020
+1 for the Honda Fit, for the reasons others have noted above.
posted by chiefthe at 6:26 PM on July 15, 2020
posted by chiefthe at 6:26 PM on July 15, 2020
1. Do not spend a lot of money on this car. He is a kid. Kids are not good drivers. Other people are not good drivers.
2. Get something reliable & gas efficient. It does not need to be electric. Don't get fancy.
3. I agree with Honda's all the way. I have had 3 in my life. The only cars I have owned and may ever own. Right now, I have a 2005 Civic. 330,000 miles. It still runs like a champ. Cost me $2,000, and I do not have to worry about paying for a large insurance bill or major car damages if it gets hit. Someone backed into my car, and I got $1,400 back from the insurance. Basically paid for itself, and I do not need to even repair it because it still runs!
My 2012 Honda saved my life when someone t-boned me in an intersection. Reported as a total loss, and also not my fault again. I could have died because he was going so fast. The 2012 had more safety features as opposed to my '05. The '05 is a little scary because no side airbags. It also retained its value really, really well, and I got about $7,000 back from the insurance for it after they paid off the remaining lease.
My dad owns an auto repair shop. He got me into Honda's and knows his cars. I hope this helps.
posted by sqrt(-1) at 6:55 PM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
2. Get something reliable & gas efficient. It does not need to be electric. Don't get fancy.
3. I agree with Honda's all the way. I have had 3 in my life. The only cars I have owned and may ever own. Right now, I have a 2005 Civic. 330,000 miles. It still runs like a champ. Cost me $2,000, and I do not have to worry about paying for a large insurance bill or major car damages if it gets hit. Someone backed into my car, and I got $1,400 back from the insurance. Basically paid for itself, and I do not need to even repair it because it still runs!
My 2012 Honda saved my life when someone t-boned me in an intersection. Reported as a total loss, and also not my fault again. I could have died because he was going so fast. The 2012 had more safety features as opposed to my '05. The '05 is a little scary because no side airbags. It also retained its value really, really well, and I got about $7,000 back from the insurance for it after they paid off the remaining lease.
My dad owns an auto repair shop. He got me into Honda's and knows his cars. I hope this helps.
posted by sqrt(-1) at 6:55 PM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
I would buy a used Nissan Leaf. Well under 10K, incredibly reliable (almost no moving parts!)
That aging battery pack is still going to cost you ~$6k plus labor to replace, no matter how much it moves (or doesn’t).
5+ year old Civic/Corolla is the best answer, really.
posted by sideshow at 10:48 PM on July 15, 2020
That aging battery pack is still going to cost you ~$6k plus labor to replace, no matter how much it moves (or doesn’t).
5+ year old Civic/Corolla is the best answer, really.
posted by sideshow at 10:48 PM on July 15, 2020
We used to have a Leaf (until another driver got road rage...) and it's only an excellent choice if you know you'll have access to reliable charging for the life of the car (public charging doesn't count; it can break down unexpectedly) and don't drive far/much. I wouldn't saddle a kid with one.
I've had a Honda Fit for 10 years (since I was 18) and it's a great little car as people have mentioned above. Ok gas mileage, easy to park and turn, and fits a huge amount of stuff (I moved in it and I helped a friend move in it).
posted by marfa, texas at 4:39 AM on July 16, 2020
I've had a Honda Fit for 10 years (since I was 18) and it's a great little car as people have mentioned above. Ok gas mileage, easy to park and turn, and fits a huge amount of stuff (I moved in it and I helped a friend move in it).
posted by marfa, texas at 4:39 AM on July 16, 2020
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I would review what safety features you care about the most, and find a car that has >100k miles on it. You can find a used 2014 Subaru cross trek for around $6000 which has most modern features, but still won’t break the bank.
In the grand scheme of costs of things, I think as a teenager, I would much rather have the latest iPhone every year (cost, $1000) than a car for V $13000.
In general, a hybrid is fine, but your kids won’t be driving THAT much, so the gas savings aren’t super important. I wouldn’t pay an extra $500 for a hybrid vs a non hybrid model for environmental reasons or cost savings reasons.
But for specific cars to recommend:
Nissan Altima. They look great and are cheap. Lots of features in the base model.
Honda Fit or civic. Classic reliability.
Nissan Leaf - fully electric, extremely cheap, bad for teenage road trips.
Mazda 3 hatchback
posted by bbqturtle at 8:59 AM on July 15, 2020