Need to buy car for my daughter...advice?

[cheftjpeck]

Well my little girl is turning 18....she was accepted to USF with academic scholarship... We bought her a cruise for her graduation.. She is on the cruise now .. Looking to buy her a car... Not looking to go crazy here . Something reliable and safe....would like to keep under 6k... Used focus??any suggestions or advice is appreciated

[iceman]

I'll through out a used Jeep Cherokee. They don't hold their value for crap but they seem t run really well for a lng time if you get that inline 6 4.0 engine. I get about 20mpg on the highway (maybe a bit less now that it's lifted etc). I think for 4-5K you could find a decent one and given you won't more than likely need 4x4 (although it's a nice plus). I look at it as it holds more stuff, probably is safer, and mine has been a good expereince (low maint.).

I don't like those little compact assfire's and fuckus cars...That being said you are looking at a 10 yr old car in the Cherokee so look it over.

[JTB]

I agree with ICE, get her an SUV.

I'm sure you've seen the accident scenes when SUV's hit Civics and Golfs and the like? The SUV driver goes home for dinner, the civic driver is in the hospital or morgue.

All my sons will drive SUVs or 4x4 trucks when they're old enough, it is just cheap protection in my opinion.

[black vert ss]

My daughter drives a honda accord 6 cylinder. Very reliable. She was in a head on collision when some a-hole fell asleep and drifted into her lane. The only injury was a broken arm from the force of the airbag. When gas was $4 a gallon which it will be again it was good on gas and safe. I guess if an suv was hit by a semi then the semi driver would walk away but you can't go around thinking the worst. IMO the honda is as safe as any thing else.

[JTB]

Originally Posted by black vert ss

My daughter drives a honda accord 6 cylinder. Very reliable. She was in a head on collision when some a-hole fell asleep and drifted into her lane. The only injury was a broken arm from the force of the airbag. When gas was $4 a gallon which it will be again it was good on gas and safe. I guess if an suv was hit by a semi then the semi driver would walk away but you can't go around thinking the worst. IMO the honda is as safe as any thing else.

No way that A-h0le was driving an F-150 or an Escalade or the result would have been different.

The problem isn't that the modern car is not safe, it is the number of SUV's and Pick-ups on the road. If everyone drove cars-no big deal, but that is not the case. The problem with SUV's vs Cars is the impact point, SUV's bumpers are on the same plane as a car drivers head. The other issue is Physics the SUVs, and trucks are just so much heavier cars and when they hit cars of lessor mass they do a lot of damage.

[black vert ss]

I agree but unless you are buying the gas
50 or 60 dollars to fill the tank is more than most college students can handle.
Heck why drive your mustang with the same logic that you have about suv's

[Orf]

Originally Posted by black vert ss

Heck why drive your mustang with the same logic that you have about suv's

So that's why you don't drive yours...

[JTB]

Originally Posted by black vert ss

I agree but unless you are buying the gas
50 or 60 dollars to fill the tank is more than most college students can handle.
Heck why drive your mustang with the same logic that you have about suv's

Simple, I'm a 42 year old man with 25 years of driving experience and my 500 is not my daily driver also. I drive an SUV most days to work. I also raced bikes for 16 years and the motorcycles I own now, are not daily drivers either and there is nothing more dangerous as the vast majority of car and truck drivers are totally oblivious to 2-wheeled vehicles that they share the road with.

Keeping safe on the roads IMO, is about managing risks and putting the odds in your favor.

IMO, youths in general have poor judgment and are inexperienced (and I group myself in this group when I was a 16 year old with a fresh DL) on the road, which put them at greater risk for an accident and injury, hence that demographics higher insurance cost. Putting them up high and surrounding them with more steel just gives them some extra protection in case an accident occurs and would make me feel better as a parent. JMO

[SLB8SNK]

Originally Posted by cheftjpeck

Well my little girl is turning 18....she was accepted to USF with academic scholarship... We bought her a cruise for her graduation.. She is on the cruise now .. Looking to buy her a car... Not looking to go crazy here . Something reliable and safe....would like to keep under 6k... Used focus??any suggestions or advice is appreciated

When my girls (two of the three) turned 16 I bought them both Ford Escorts (close to a focus). They love them. Insurance is cheap, gas mileage it great, they like the drivability of the smaller car, they can park them better, and overall keeps them from driving the gang around. Extremely reliable cars to say the least.

[Alloy Dave]

Originally Posted by JTB Consulting

No way that A-h0le was driving an F-150 or an Escalade or the result would have been different.

The problem isn't that the modern car is not safe, it is the number of SUV's and Pick-ups on the road. If everyone drove cars-no big deal, but that is not the case. The problem with SUV's vs Cars is the impact point, SUV's bumpers are on the same plane as a car drivers head. The other issue is Physics the SUVs, and trucks are just so much heavier cars and when they hit cars of lessor mass they do a lot of damage.

I say spend $2k less on the car and send her to a weeklong defensive driving school. That combo, IMO, would be safest in the long run.

[07shelbygirl]

Originally Posted by cheftjpeck

Well my little girl is turning 18....she was accepted to USF with academic scholarship... We bought her a cruise for her graduation.. She is on the cruise now .. Looking to buy her a car... Not looking to go crazy here . Something reliable and safe....would like to keep under 6k... Used focus??any suggestions or advice is appreciated

With you being in Fl. a 4 wheel drive will not be a necessity. However if you want something that gets decent mileage yet protects your child without being a tank you may want to look at the Ford Escape a yr or two old. It doesn't matter what you ever put a child in as long as they have had proper training and are responsible. As parents we know this as I am sure you do.

[Johnny Dangerously]

I just went through this a couple weeks ago & ended up getting a 98 Honda Civic EX coupe for $5000. There wasn't a very good selection in our area that week (we visited 15+ lots). Most of the salesmen said the same thing, low inventory & higher prices. If I was willing to spend about 10k, there would have been a lot more to choose from. This car is what my 16 yr old son is using for work & school.


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[Shlbylvr]

Cheffy, A mid size SUV would be perfect. She'll feel safer on the interstates with the increased number of 18 wheelers on the road today.

[gr8snkbite]

just give her the shelby.....

[Shlbylvr]

Originally Posted by gr8snkbite

just give her the shelby.....

Dad's don't want their daughters having that much power. Mine sent me for adv driving lessons at 18 and gave me a freaking VW Bug.

[Carnut]

Just having a big vehicle doesn't necessarily keep you safe

[Shlbylvr]

Originally Posted by Carnut

Just having a big vehicle doesn't necessarily keep you safe

That is true.

[JTB]

Originally Posted by Carnut

Just having a big vehicle doesn't necessarily keep you safe

True, your never completely safe in any vehicle but you're safer in larger ones.

[tekheavy]

My daily driver is a 99 Taurus. Very dependable, great in the snow and part are cheap and easy to come by.

[TOMMY GUN]

Our Mini Cooper has 10 airbags in it.



Really.

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