The May/June 2007 issue of AAA World Magazine recommends three vehicles in their Auto Guide for a teen's first car.

Excerpts:

When it comes time to buy their first new car, teens want a cool set of wheels. You want them to have a car that's affordable, practical and safe. While those attributes might seem to be mutually exclusive, we've managed to round up three new models that deliver on all counts.

1. Dodge Nitro
2. MINI Cooper
3. Scion tC

MINI Cooper Strengths:
- Stand out styling
- Fun to drive
- Excellent fuel economy

Weaknesses:
- Back seat a tight fit for adults
- Engine prefers pricey premium fuel
- Options can quickly drive up price

Bottom Line:
This is one of those rare cars that is both affordable and as much fun to drive as it is to be seen in.

Also consider: Toyota Yaris, VW Rabbit.

 

amen...
thats why my mini is my first car!!!!
got her over a month ago!!!!
i would have to say it beats the dodge nitro..lol...

 

Wouldn't a small back seat be a plus for a teenagers car?

Then again I was a teen once. I don't guess it would matter.

 

Precisely why my son is already shopping for his first MINI - he'll be 16 in August.

 

lol..mom thinks the back seat is too small for that...i know the front seat is plenty big

 

a new car for a teens first car. what is the world coming to? late 80s is where its at for first cars. easy to fix for those first time driver -uh-ohs-

 

My 15 year old's first car is an 87 Honda. We've decided to get rid of it in favor of a mid 90s car with antilock brakes and air bags. The dings might be harder to fix but maybe there will be smaller dings in the kids. Of course he keeps finding deals on Lotus' hoping I'll get one for myself and let him have the MINI.

 

I HAD a friend (stopped after this incident) who conviced her mom (using previous emotional baggage) to buy her a brand new, loaded Altima last week for her 1st car. 2 days later she drove over a curb and scratched her under carriage, and then the next day, her and mommie went out to buy her another car since that was wasn't perfect anymore!

As soon as all this happened I decieded she was a bit too spoiled and bitchy for me.

 

What is this world coming to? My first car was a 1973 Volkswagen Bus that I paid for with my own sweat and blood (sometimes literally!). New cars are absolutely a waste on young inexperienced drivers. Give them something safe and reliable but not something expensive and new!

 

Ha, she isn't paying for ANYTHING! Car, insurance, maintenance, GAS!!! I got my 1st car (94' Towncar) from mommie and daddie, then #2 (97' Jetta) was bought from my sister with my insurance money. Then car #3, my MINI, I am paying for all by myself. And I've been paying my own insurance, maintenance and gas since forever.

 

A new car for a new driver? I remember those kids in high school. When I drove up in my $75, 15 year old chunk-o-junk, they laughed.

On the other hand, I tore up a lot of back roads with that POS without having to worry about the bodywork.

 

And if you got keyed, it was 'custom paint work'

 

Not a bad list, but I would buy used probably.

This thread reminded me that my dad almost got a used 356 for his first car but his dad decided that world be a fairly bad idea. He ended up with a rusted Chrysler with a push button tranny and no floor boards.

 

356, as in Porsche 356? That was my hubby's 3rd and 4th cars--still have the latter one!

I can't imagine buying a kid a new car. Safe one, yes, new, no. Best investment would be a driver's school--not racing oriented, though.

 

Exactly. My Dad generously paid for my first car. A '62 beetle for $400. Gas, maintenance, insurance, etc... was on me.

If my son is lucky, we'll keep the wife's RAV4 ('02 with 40k miles) for him.

 

My Dad *allowed* me to *buy* his old '68 Ford Galaxy from him (in 1981) with *my* $600 that I earned working in the fields every summer starting at age 11.

Now if you were to *let* an 11 or 12 year old "choose" to work in the sun in a tobacco field all day the "good parenting police" would have you thrown in jail for child abuse. And instead they buy their kids new cars and pay for everything and replace the car when it gets scratched. Which parent would Ben Franklin say is abusing their child? Geesh.

 

How did this turn into a "when I was your age, I used to walk to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways" thread?

 

In addition to affordable, practical, and safe.

Add, not too costly to insure/run, reliable, well handling/predictable.

Being cool, inspiring, functional (enough space, good ergonomics), and offer good performance and good mpg is a big plus.

A used MC would fit the bill better than a new MINI for a new teen driver.
Start with the 2004 or 2005 MC with standard transmission or 2005 MCS with auto transmission.

Scion tC is good, esp as used car. Not sure about reliability of Dodge Nitro.
Yaris is pretty bland, 3 door is very small, VW Rabbit looks nice (questionable reliability). I'd also look at the Honda Fit/Fit Sport (low supply).

 

I agree, but this is nothing new (no pun intended). Parents have been buying "kids" new cars for a long time. I won't, and admit this is partially due to I'm simply not well off. I also on principal think a teen should have a beater for their first car - something used that can take some punishment. For the wealthy, fine, they can have different standards, but for those of us whom buying a new car is a stretch even for ourselves, used is where it's at. You say 80's, I think even a 90s car is a great value for a first time driver. There are lots of good cars that in the 100K range with few problems except their owners are looking to change. I should add, I live on the west coast, where cars age well.

 

ygblat, I think it's because many of us cringe at the thought of a MINI as a starter car--too many fender benders at that age, and a general lack of experience with what is, after all, a fairly sophisticated car now.

Those on the forum who ARE young and MINI owners are excepted, of course.

 

On that note, my first car (the MCS is my second) received its only fender bender when it was parked. MINI drivers, even future ones, are obviously the exception to the rule.

 

The safety features available on cars have changed radically in the past few years. I think I'd want a new driver to have the advantage of at least ABS and extra airbags (besides just the driver and passenger front airbags, that is) -- which would rule out a lot of old "beaters". I'm kind of torn on whether DSC is a good feature for a new driver or one that might encourage reckless behavior, but it won't be too long before DSC is also standard, so it would be a moot point.

Certainly good driver training and parental oversight are the best safety features, but even the best drivers can find themselves in problem situations -- and teenagers as a whole are not the best drivers, whether it's because of a lack of experience, or lack of attention, or excess of testosterone!

 

haha
it's least it's small and safe... better than the SMART car. . .
i think people who buy the smart car are very smart indeed...
LOL

 

In all honesty, so do I, especially after having seen how some of my friends who have received new cars (many of them much more expensive than an MC) for their 16th birthdays have fared. But this is just because these kids received their cars with no strings attached and have no incentive to be responsible or care for their possessions, a-la the Nissan story someone related earlier. The flip side of that coin is kids that receive/buy beaters and treat them as such, also showing no regard for their vehicles or those of others. These are the people that take the name "bumper" literally. I think what is really at stake here is parents teaching kids personal responsibility and properly showing them how to drive their first cars, no matter what they may be.

That being said, buying their kid a new car offers parents more peace of mind, since they are getting contemporary safety features, a warranty, and, most likely, a fairly comprehensive insurance package to safeguard their investment. If they can afford it, more power to them. The problem occurs when parents look at buying kids a car as a statement of their affluence rather than a life lesson for their child and an investment in their safety.

IMO, the ideal first car is a small, used, FWD, ABS-equipped stickshift. No need to introduce those whippersnappers to power oversteer early on .

 

I can actually do you one better.

There was a girl I knew in college who was in 11 accidents (and has since had her license revoked by the authorities, naturally). Unfortunately, her parents seemed to not care that her daughter had no license and continually bought her brand new European cars every time she had a wreck. The last car I saw her in a was an '05 Audi TT, which she promptly ran into a ditch.

How can parents be so stupid?

P.S. This may be completely coicidental, but her family was from Orange County, California. I kid you not.