Looking for car suggestions

[Sniper56]

I have been shopping for a sound used car for my daughter to drive to college this fall. My only problem is knowing what would be good vehicles to check out.
My budget is up to $ 10000 and would be only concerned if it were very high mileage (>100000). Any suggestions based on personal experience are welcomed.

 

[JHenley17]

My little sister has had a Civic since 2006, never a problem. Granted, she got it brand new, but getting one a few years old should still leave you in goo shape. I'd also look at Corolla. Focus also seems to be good, and resale might be a little lower, which would benefit you.

 

[whitsend]

Civic or Corolla are both good choices.
And don't let high mileage scare you off of a good deal. My wife had 19x,xxx on her 2010 Corolla and all I've done is replace the front brakes and plugs once each. I would still go across country with it any day.

A 2010 Civic or Corolla with ~100,000 should be right in your price range.

 

[Sniper56]

Thanks, good to know about the mileage. I am supposed to check out a 2007 Corolla with 90000 miles, tomorrow.

 

[RedNeckRuger]

vw jetta tdi...40-50 mpg

 

[JHenley17]

I like VWs, I'd love a GTI or Golf R, but they seem to bit very hit-or-miss, kind of like Dodge.

 

[MrLefty]

I'd suggest something along the lines of a Civic or Corolla, also. Those two cars in particular have long histories of being reliable and low maintenance. If you'd like to stick to a compact car, those are probably your best bet for a reliable and economical first vehicle.

I owned a 2008 Civic Si for a few years, and it was problem free, as are all the Hondas that have been in my family. My mother drives a second generation Honda Fit (and owned a first gen Fit before that), and my aunt owns a first gen Fit, also. They both love them, but that's a B-segment car (subcompact).

I don't know if I'd recommend a used Volkswagen as a first car, since they can be quirky. Their diesel engines (like RedNeckRuger suggested with the TDI) are very reliable, from what I've seen, but parts and maintenance are expensive. You're going to pay a good bit more for parts and service on a VW than a Honda or Toyota, and I'm speaking from experience. That's something to consider, regardless of who's paying for it.

With that said, I currently drive a 2013 VW GTI, and it's been great so far, although I only have around 25k miles on it. My Civic didn't even come close in interior quality to my GTI, but I doubt that's a primary concern for your daughter's first car, haha.

Short version: A Civic or Corolla are excellent options.

 

[LACamper]

Want advice from an insurance agent that has this discussion with parents all the time?

Forget mileage. Forget insurance rates. Think survivability. We just buried some friends of the family that were killed while driving a small, inexpensive Japanese car. Do you really want that on your kid's tombstone? She got good gas mileage? It was reliable? It was inexpensive to operate? Or I had to change the starter 3 times and the alternator twice, but it saved my kid's life?

Most teens get into some kind of a wreck with their first car. Hopefully it'll just be a fender or bumper. Sometimes not.

We spend hours on this site talking about prepping for SHTF scenarios. The odds of your kid getting into a semi-serious accident are 100x more likely. Prep for that.

So, suggestions? Mid sized SUV? Mid sized car? Trail blazer, accord, Impala, CRV, highlander, etc. Do your homework. Read carefully. You're interested in a car that does well in all accidents, not a small car that does well in comparison to other small cars. What kind of car do you want your daughter in when the roads are iced over?

 

[fallingbird]

i agree with Camper. Both of my daughters drive older (03-05 Tahoes), and travel 6 hrs each way to college. They're safe on the road, cheap to fix, and durable. 10k will buy a pretty good one.

 

[tbone]

I just drove a rented Impala to Virginia and back twice in a week. The average mileage display showed that it averaged 35 mpg on all 4 legs of the trip driving 70 mph (speed limit) almost all of the trip including the short trips in Virginia and here for the week we kept it between the Virginia trips. It was comfortable and had plenty of space.
I don't know about the safety quality of the car, though.

 

[JadeRaven]

Want advice from an insurance agent that has this discussion with parents all the time?

Forget mileage. Forget insurance rates. Think survivability. We just buried some friends of the family that were killed while driving a small, inexpensive Japanese car. Do you really want that on your kid's tombstone? She got good gas mileage? It was reliable? It was inexpensive to operate? Or I had to change the starter 3 times and the alternator twice, but it saved my kid's life?

Most teens get into some kind of a wreck with their first car. Hopefully it'll just be a fender or bumper. Sometimes not.

We spend hours on this site talking about prepping for SHTF scenarios. The odds of your kid getting into a semi-serious accident are 100x more likely. Prep for that.

So, suggestions? Mid sized SUV? Mid sized car? Trail blazer, accord, Impala, CRV, highlander, etc. Do your homework. Read carefully. You're interested in a car that does well in all accidents, not a small car that does well in comparison to other small cars. What kind of car do you want your daughter in when the roads are iced over?

This!!

I'd go with a midsize SUV, preferably Japanese. Toyota highlander, 4runner, honda pilot, lexus RX, nissan pathfinder, etc.

At the very least, you should go for a full size sedan like a Honda Accord. You can also get her an old teutonic tank like an E-class mercedes.

Here's what happens when a little car meets a bigger car:


If she's a good kid, you should get her something bigger. If she's a knucklehead or otherwise expendable, probably just let her buy her own car.

 

[LACamper]

I had a client and her son in a horrible accident (70mph into a wall) in a mustang. She lost half her leg, spleen, etc and her son was not quite as bad but they lived. You couldn't even tell it was a mustang after the accident. Size matters...

There are exceptions though. I had a client with a Porche 911 that was t-boned by an F250 at about 45. The driver walked away without a scratch (unless you count crying over his porche!). Something to be said for putting steel in the doors (saturn did that also...). Not that I'd buy my teen a 911!!!!

 

[JHenley17]

There are a million variables that affect the outcome of an accident. If you survive hitting a wall in anything at 70, count yourself lucky.

And I'm not saying y'all are wrong, but I'd look at occupant condition more than car condition. A destroyed vehicle doesn't necessarily mean the occupants were equally destroyed.

 

[Sig220]

Several years back, I bought my son a Jeep Cherokee for his first car. Not long after, a Chevy S10 pulled out in front of him. It totaled both vehicles, but neither kid had a scratch. I replaced it with another Jeep Cherokee.... which has since been replaced and sold....he has a Honda Accord and a BMW XXX(some #'s go there) now. The daughter started out in the second Cherokee, replaced it with a beat up Civic due to gas mileage, replaced that with a Toyota Camry and replaced that with Honda Accord. I use the Camry to and from work after driving the Civic for about 2 years.

It seems to me that the used market is pretty flat, I would go with a used Accord. They are safe, deadnuts reliable, and should be easy to find.......relatively speaking, of course. I will say that I find Toyota's to generally be quieter then the Honda's but otherwise don't find much difference in reliability. Good Luck to you!!

 

[noob]

I hit a bridge at a fairly high rate of speed. My Infiniti g35 sedan was totaled. Parts of my wheels broke off, front and side was damaged, and airbag and curtain air bag deployed. I can honestly say, those safety features saved me. I saw my head headed towards the door, and bam, out of no where the curtain airbag already deployed before it got there. The front airbag broke my glasses on my face, and I was gripping the steering wheel so hard that I broke a small bone in my hand, but besides that, no other injuries. Arms, legs, body was not stractched. Face wasn't bruised etc. I loved that car, but my wife made me replace it with something bigger and slower. That's when I bought my escalade.

In an accident, the Infiniti performed exactly as it should and saved my life. A 2007 sedan can be had for probably 13k today. And I would have zero issues recommending it. It has all the luxury features I need and a motor that is solid. That vq platform has been around in variations forever.

As far as the escalade, zero mechanical issues, but drinks gas like no other. Built like a tank and handles like one too

 

[RedStickChick]

Camry, Civic, Corolla.

I went to college in a CRV, and while I do recommend them, the Camry/Civic/Corolla is more affordable, easier to maintain, and less $$$ to fill up.

ETA: Just read through and I agree with the wreck issues. My first CRV got totaled when someone neglected to stop at a stop sign. I was going about 45mph at impact. If I was in a smaller car, I think it would have resulted in more injuries than bumps and bruises.

Buying a used car is also good because college kids, while it may be something "for them", they don't usually take good care of it. I don't know about your daughter, and by no means and I making assumptions, but people usually cart around friends, sometimes drunk ones who puke in a cupholder or down the window slot (it happens).

I would actually bump your range up to include $15k at the very most and use that $5k of wiggle room to find something that she likes, is affordable, and safe.

Also check out Enterprise. I know those cars get driven a lot, but I almost bought a 2011 Ford Explorer XLT for like, $18k from them. It had 75k miles on it. The only reason I didn't is because it drank gas. I'm just saying to keep your options a lil baby bit open.

A close friend of mine has a VW and he absolutely hates all the expenses associated with it.

Watch for recalls.


ETA: Does she have a lot of crap and is she driving far?

 

[JadeRaven]

I hit a bridge at a fairly high rate of speed. My Infiniti g35 sedan was totaled. Parts of my wheels broke off, front and side was damaged, and airbag and curtain air bag deployed. I can honestly say, those safety features saved me. I saw my head headed towards the door, and bam, out of no where the curtain airbag already deployed before it got there. The front airbag broke my glasses on my face, and I was gripping the steering wheel so hard that I broke a small bone in my hand, but besides that, no other injuries. Arms, legs, body was not stractched. Face wasn't bruised etc. I loved that car, but my wife made me replace it with something bigger and slower. That's when I bought my escalade.

In an accident, the Infiniti performed exactly as it should and saved my life. A 2007 sedan can be had for probably 13k today. And I would have zero issues recommending it. It has all the luxury features I need and a motor that is solid. That vq platform has been around in variations forever.

As far as the escalade, zero mechanical issues, but drinks gas like no other. Built like a tank and handles like one too

+1 Infiniti is a cheap avenue into a nice size car with lots of safety features.

Only drawback... although powertrain should last forever, a bunch of little things will poop out one after another, and it's not cheap like a Nissan to fix.

 

[Sniper56]

Found a nice used Volvo, possibly safest car next to a Mercedes.

Thanks to all for your very useful input.

 

[RedStickChick]

Found a nice used Volvo, possibly safest car next to a Mercedes.

Thanks to all for your very useful input.

Aren't volvos pricey to maintain? My mom had one before switching to Acura and that POS had something wrong with it every other week.

 

[sixgundunn]

If safety is paramount, don't rule out an older Mercedes or Volvo. You have a lot of options for around $10,000.00. Mercedes parts are expensive, but they last.