X2

The best 10K car for a new driver may be two 5K cars...….

That First Vehicle
 

I realize times have changed a lot but having some sweat or pocket book equity in your first vehicle is a simple way to ensure he learns the cause and effect....

I gave my son a Motocycle when he was 14 and beginning the 9th grade so he didn't have to ride the Ghetto bus across town to the good high school I'd managed to get him transferred to .

I explained it simply : if you ride fully geared up and with a book bag and make no stops / short cuts / etc. you'll be the one cool kid on campus with your own Motocycle and the cops won't hassle / stop you because it's got current tags and lights etc. all work .

If, OTOH, you give your buddies rides or ride it on the grass etc. it will be impounded and I won't get it out, you'll have to ride the dangerous Ghetto bus across town for four years .

I trust you to make the right decision, here's the keys .

Kids these days have it tough, make no mistake .

You are his PARENT not his friend .

My very first vehicle was a less than ten year old 1959 Ford F-100 pickup truck with the 223CID i6 engine and three on the tree manual tranny, the cab floor was completely rusted out and the generator was kaputi .

I didn't give a care what anyone else thought, it was mine to get running and drive so I had at it, used parts from God knows how many other junked farm vehicles ~ I remember i used generator parts from a 1937 John Deere tractor...

I hope your son has fun with his first car whatever it may be .

The wisdom in here humbles me. This must be the most brilliant thing I've heard in the last year. Not kidding.

Yes I am. Looking at cars I find myself wanting the car for myself.

A good option for something with utility, great safety, and being relatively slow would be a Honda Ridgeline.

It's your money so you can certainly use the vehicle as you see fit but I'll also say if you're buying it as a vehicle *for them*, let it be a vehicle for them and if you need to use it, discuss that with them before you use it. It's a good way to show you respect them which can be a big issue with teenagers.

When my kids got to driving age I would put a car at their disposal but they had to sign an agreement with me regarding the use of the car. It was a privilege and I had the right to take the privilege away at any time if they abused their rights to it.

If they wrecked it and it was their fault I made them pay for the repairs or at least a good portion of them. It worked somewhat. All of them wracked at least one car except my youngest. I straightened out at least two in my garage with a hydraulic pump and a large hammer.;) Then painted the repaired area with correct color paint installed with a small brush.

Good Way To Go
 

That is a good example of being proactive instead of reactive .

Determine the “best” car for anyone is difficult. What is important to the buyer? Power? Fuel economy? Longevity? Performance? Hauling capacity?.......

I did the same thing with my kids to the point of them signing a contract. The poor kids had to come up with a good bit of the money too.

I’m in the same boat looking for a car for my teen. I found this helpful to narrow down the choices IIHS Safe vehicles for teens

An older Volvo S80 or Xc90 seem like good choices in the 5k range as far as safety goes, not sure about reliability.

With get the 5 cylinder or the 8. The 6 cylinder models seem to have issues. And they always have a transmission issue

stay away from the 2.7 TT, not a good engine. The T5 is great mechanically, I would be more concerned with electronics.

Late first-gen Honda Pilot. Great utility.

The insurance rates around here might mandate an old but solid beater with just public liability. For any 16 or 17 year old.

Some parents put them under their own insurance policies. Yet if they have accidents it really can impact your rates. Fairly new teenage driver around here probably in excess of two hundred a month.

Just for pl and pd at a value that can pay the normal claim today. The polices with a thirty five thousand dollar liability limits have been a joke for years.

Actually up here in Canada I think the minumin coverage is a million on liability. Buying a car that might mandate collision and comprehensive on it as well for a teenager. Add at least another hundred a month locally here for insurance. Also make certain they have some form of drivers ed. They catch the bad initial habits perhaps someone else teaching them to drive might miss. Plus it can reduce the insurance cost.

If you are good at picking cars perhaps a lower milage middle age Honda or Toyota is a reasonable choice. Generally decent on fuel and usually reliable if you know how to pick used cars.

Thanks, I'm zeroing in on some xc90s, they seem to be pretty abundant around here.