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

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

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

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

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

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.

Scratch all that - an Integra with a stick. Good to learn how to drive a stick. Amazing how many kids can't these days.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

i was considering giving her my Golf, it's a stick and fairly new with about 50K miles. After the first few times I gave her a driving lesson, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea! Takes a lot of patients.


Although, I bought my first car as a stick having never driven one before so I guess it's just perspective.

"I ain't no Doctor but I'm loosing my patients !" .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Mid 2000 Toyota 4runner, if they like to lug stuff around or do some camping and an 2nd or third gen Toyota Prius if they like to make it far in life.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

W-123 diesel. Hotrod that! Patience is a virtue.

? Why not ? .

They put the M116 V8 into the W116 so it should easily drop into a W123......

I imagine that'd be a seriously fun and comfy high speed tourer if rather thirsty .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

You’re right. And that would result in the kid learning an awful lot about wrenching. Double bonus.

I dunno about that ~

My graymarket 350SLC had this engine and close to zero love before I bought it, apart from the usual necessary valve adjust, spark plugs and timing check / adjust the W116 V8 was trouble free and *very* robust ~

That son of a gun flat flew, why I had to sell it on : I don't have the driving skills for it and was sure I'd wreck it, fly it off the side of a mountain (came very close once) or get arrested .

The W123 chassis is lighter so that engine (ony 200 HP as I dimply recall) would have no problems making a W123 go pretty damn quick .

Oh yeah ~ a 17 year old maybe not such a good idea after all .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

It takes the entire entry ramp plus a mile to get a naturally aspirated diesel W123 up to cruise speed. Much clatter and smoke. Not enough g’s to wrinkle the Naugahyde.

Yeah, people do remarkable improvements to them. They are infinitely modifiable. And that takes knowledge and skill and work. Or somebody’s hard earned money. Or both. In any case, the kid either drives as slow as last week or he works hard to tart it up.

I got it guys. See above photo. 2013 BMW 328i AWD. 69,000 miles. $13.9k.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman