How time flies. Let 'er rip. Biases and everything. Opinions on a best car for $10k for a 17 year old?

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

That would depend on the individual. Some seventeen year olds would do well with a 10K car, some would destroy it quickly. Just my .02

I’m a big subscriber to the surround a new driver with as much sheetmetal as possible approach. Mercury Grand Marquis/Ford Crown Vic/2011 and newer Ford Taurus (except the SHO). Yes, the new driver will occasionally try to peel away a fender while attempting to parallel-park such tanks, but we live in a land chock-full of Ford F250s...

What will be the main type of use? Commuting or???

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Wow ~ to be 17 again .

I'm torn between saying any old Ford Mercury Panther platform because they're well engineered and built, of a pickup truck but pickups roll over easily and are not actually very safe in any collision .

I had this same dilemma 30 years ago and wound up making my son save up and pay for his own car and insurance .

He bought a 1963 VW Beetle and never wrecked it in spite of making it _very_ fast .

After it was stolen he bought a Acura Integra and wrecked it several times in his 20's....

Consider paying for him to have professional driver training .

I wish you the very best .

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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

Seats fold into the floor to make extra room for the high school orgy. Plenty of condom storage cubbies.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Crown Vic cop car

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1993 e300
1995 e320
1994 e320
2006 s500 4matic
2004 Jeep wj overland
2001 Ducati 748
2004 Honda shadow aero

I'm going to go against the grain and suggest a VW TDI of some sort made in this decade versus a Crown Vic. Crown Vics were never safe in side impacts and from owning two, I'm not a huge fan. The culture around them is often toxic wannabe cops and the cars themselves aren't anything special as they're either plagued with timing chain issues or intake manifold issues. Very numb cars and they get decent MPG for the size but other options may be better in that regard. Other options would be probably any Honda, most Toyotas, or a minivan, preferably made in this century. There's a few early 00s Mercedes that would be relatively affordable but I have a feeling insurance will be higher. The M111,M112, and M113 engines are pretty good and the 722.6 transmission is probably the most robust Mercedes auto transmission ever. The Korean brands are also worth checking out.

In short, I would prioritize safety, then reliability/cost of ownership, cool factor, power in that order. Let the kid have some input.

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Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.

bought cars under $800. here. always wreck them once. To heck what their friends say.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

When my five kids were of driving age I kept a selection of 123s around for them to drive. I always felt the kids were safe in them...slow but good steering and brakes and great crash protection.

Two of them got heavily rear ended. Other more minor crashes also happened.

Of course finding a roadworthy 123 for a reasonable price is not so easy today.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Used accord or camry. Safe and reliable.

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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

I would agree on all of that, moving to a w210 with the OM606 which are more plentiful these days.

First car is like a first job. You get whatever you can get, but regret it for the rest of your life. It's a choice with long legs that will have profound consequences. Someday the kid will be on a web forum, and someone's going to ask, what was your first car? And (s)he'll have to say, a rusty Marquis with a seven cylinder engine. And people will cancel (her)him. So choose for today, but think of the future you're creating for the kid. My vote is for a Mini, Scion, or VDub. Something that's cheap, fun and safe. But that won't be a lifetime embarassment.

I'm in agreement with the Honda or Toyota but do your research. I don't remember the year range but based on past readings both have had issues over the past 10 years or so with excessive oil consumption.

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Jim

I like the pickup truck idea (or any 2-seater that isnt a sports car...)

-no backseat, for backseat shenanigans
-no backseat - for friends to start yelling and distracting
-pickup truck - lets a teen help people move, do yard work, and other generally good things
-rwd with nothing in bed promotes massive understeer
-Parts available in every catalog/McParts on every corner.
-Dad now has a truck in case he needs one
-a pickup truck will never look ostentatious or unique (no matter how much they actually cost...). If they have to drive through the bad part of town, it is a safer bet than something shiny and European
-you should be able to find a pickup in decent shape for $10k (???)

note sure here - but If their friends are driving range rovers and E-classes, even a $10k truck wont look like much by comparison. Not sure how important that is in the OPs neighborhood ("OMG, you let your child drive a truck ? arent those unsafe in a roll-over ?" )

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)