First car 2 17 year old girls 5k

Looking for a first car for my to 17 year old daughters thinking about

Honda Civic Honda CRV

Corolla RAV4

Corolla derivatives matrix vibe

Scion ...

Anything else obvious

Is there anything to be afraid of from of used Prius they don't need a hybrid. But without the hybrid motor/battery it's just a Toyota Corolla with a 1.6

I don't know enough about Mazda 3s or focuses or Subaru

Not going down the path of Volkswagen

1998 Buick Park Avenue with the back seat removed so they can't take their friends along.  Cheap, comfortable, and built like a fortress.

We generally go with regular cab truck in our family. Limited passengers so limited distractions. Full frame and such for better crashing. Simple to fix usually,  and infinitely practical for moving out.

Isn't Miata always the answer?  No back seat for friends.  Cool factor.  Will learn to appreciate neat cars early on.

When my daughter turned 16 i had a sports car ready for her daily driver.  just saying.   YMMV

Safety should be a primary concern for first-time drivers, stats show half get in accident of some kind, which is why insurance rates are crazy high.

Somehow they need to disable phones while driving for kids, like a signal block or something, maybe that is my next great product idea that will appear next year.

I am big fan of gen1 Prius, just put in bid on another one with stolen cat for $225 county auction, 83k miles, but gen2 are more reliable.

Also have a Rav4, they are good too, or gen1 CR-V.  I've bought two under $500 that needed timing belts for my step-son, they are non-interference and easy to replace.

Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:

We generally go with regular cab truck in our family. Limited passengers so limited distractions. Full frame and such for better crashing. Simple to fix usually,  and infinitely practical for moving out.

 

is there an insurance company  list of how teenagers crash their cars ?

yeah it sounds weird but it gives you an idea of  what you want to protect , 

pick up truck sounds good but does she need side airbags or ???

and a stick shift so she cannot Text .....

This fellow always has excellent advice:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4mce4bCAHo

I assume that essentially every new driver is going to bang up their first car a bit until they learn that driving is a serious business.  Until they embrace that lesson they should be driving a safe, reliable, and disposable car.  After they've proven themselves competent behind the wheel, and have a couple of years experience under their belts, then they're ready for something a bit more sexy.  Until then, they drive the family dogmobile.

Nissan Versa variant. 

Recap: 

• Twin 17yr olds
• Maybe CRV or like 
• Maybe Prius
• Maybe Vibe or like

Questions:

Are you looking for just one car?  

Would you intend to pay cash for the car and then carry just liability only insurance?  Or, buy a more expensive car and carry full coverage?

What is the intended budget?   EDIT:  Oops, the title says $5k

Before anything, I would recommend calling your insurance agent and get an understanding of what two 17yr olds will do to your insurance rates.  From a sale ad on the internet, get the VIN of some things that appeal to you.  Any CRV, any Prius of your range,  any Vibe. 

Give these VINs to your insurance agent and tell him you are considering these exact cars.  Ask back for a quote of how they would impact your rates.  

CRV/RAV4 are great, and everybody knows it, so the prices will be highest.  But, the resale will remain high and they will be wonderfully reliable.  

I like my Gen2 Prius.  They seem to be the sweet spot of hybrid value currently.  

I like Vibes too.  

My daughter is 17. Here is my solution. 

But, I am Honda to the core to start with.

I like Versa too.  Here is a Versa spotters guide...

This Versa came as the Versa S and the Versa SL.  The pic above is the S.  The SL is the upscale model that came standard with alloy wheels and a nicer cloth interior.  But, the SL also got a CVT auto trans (intended for better mpg) while the lowly S got a traditional 4 speed auto.  What you want is the 4 speed auto.  The CVTs were problematic.  

Spotters guide

• SL will have a SL badge on the tailgate.  S version may have an S but most years just had no badge. 
• All SLs had alloys.  Standard on S was hubcaps like shown above
• All SLs have upgraded cloth, sort of a multi-color weave.  The S's all got a mono-tone "sort of mousey" cloth.  

I will recommend a Versa S but not an SL.  

After my edit and realizing $5k budget, I think you can get a nice CRV/RAV4 for that price.  

Also could be a Gen2 Scion xB (the big ones.)  

There is a lot to choose from in that price range.  I would consider the Korean brands too.    I think a Kia Soul would appeal to 17 yr old girls.  They are cute cars and they come in colors of more than just gray or silver.  

If a Scion xB is on the menu I'd definitely also look at Kia Souls. I actually find them quite fun to drive in an "underpowered box" sense.

My wife had a used Kia sx5 and it was a great cheap car, crashed well too, ask the deer my wife hit dead center. 
 

wife replaced it with a used Nissan Versa, it was ok, but we liked the Kia much more. 
 

Base 10 year old Honda civics should fall into that budget and seem to go forever. 

Also consider a Mazda CX-7 but only if 2010 and newer and only w/ 2.5L fwd as detailed in this thread

Make sure it's something you dont care about. Teenage girls can destroy a car. Starbucks in every crevice. Curb rash, door dings, pot holes. You name it. They may be harder on them than teen sons.

This is what I got my 18 year old, now 19, daughter last year. $4k. Delighted with it so far.

I have a couple of friends who have crashed Souls and based on their experiences I wouldn't hesitate to drop a teenager into one. Kia has mastered the infotainment in a way that Toyota and Honda should be taking notes from too, which thd girls will appreciate. 

That said, if you want safe it's tough to go wrong with a Volvo or Subaru. With both you are going to want to do some research on what mechanical issues to look out for, but after cutting apart a Subaru in rescue training I would definitely vouch for them. 

Mazda3 hatch? 

a very cheap subby legacy wagon, pick one up for 1500 bucks an be done with it. awd, safe, easy to fix and gets parts for and cheap on gas and insurance i am sure.

Besides, I just bought an 07 impresa for 2000 with a stick and 145,000 miles it last month. its also my 4th wagon and subby.

P2 Volvo or Mercury Grand Marquis. 

I’ll add something else that I think we often overlook  for new drivers: look for something that handles and stops well. This will make it easy to correct a poor decision. From my experience as a new driver, I drove a ‘98 mercury sable passed down to me by my parents. They’re thinking that since it was big, heavy, and safe it was perfect for my 17 y/o self. But I found myself wrestling with the weight. I never wrecked it, but I did some dumb stuff (like pitching it 180 degrees around a corner) that may not have happened in a more nimble vehicle. This is also part of a more detailed ideal that teenage drivers ought to be taught accident avoidance and how a vehicle responds to driver inputs in drivers’ ed rather than just road signs and the consequences of speeding .

I'm a big fan of smaller cars for young and old people. Small cars are a lot more controllable for them and aid in development of good driving skills. (edit - just notice penultimeta above said something similar) They also have lower running costs. Last fall we bought my mother in law a 2013 Hyundai Accent under your price range. My wife has a newer one. Yaris, Fit, Mazda2, Versa are all good choices too. One thing I notice about those is that the paint is a bit on the thin side and they seem a bit more prone into getting rust bits. The Hyundai Accent/Kia Rio doesn't have that issue and they will come with more features.

RSX Type-S

This is an ideal situation for a Miata. Two seats = no friends tagging along.