first car for son

oh and the pot smokers usually drove around in a beat Escort or Cadillac listening to blaring 'Toxicity'.....haha

The pickup behind the bike in my avatar is my truck I've had since I was 15. I bought it myself and have had it for 10 years now. I'm just now thinkin about replacing it. It is used as a DD, work duty, and even the Daddy Mobile. Sure, I had a few fender benders, but most of em didn't even do noticeable damage (to my truck at least). I second the small regular cab pickup idea. Fit me just fine. (I also second making him/her pay for at least some of it)

Luke wrote: Where's MattB? This thread reminded me of his avatar . Hilarious, but NSFW - contains coarse language and sexual references - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwLSH0SJnpc&feature=fvsr Also, I don't think anybody's mentioned E28 BMW yet. I think a 525E would be a great first car. Economical, fun enough to drive, solid, reliable, slow-ish.

LOL, yeah I was staying out of this one. Last time I suggested that a miata wasn't appropriate for a 1st car it didn't go over well. Although I see others here made a much better argument of it than I did.

Glad to hear the Inbetweener's reference gave a few a chuckle. My favorite was the little brother's comment, despite the fact I try not to use that expression. Somehow it just seemed appropriate there.

^ hahaha YES!!

NickF40 wrote: oh and the pot smokers usually drove around in a beat Escort or Cadillac listening to blaring 'Toxicity'.....haha

Oh the stories I will avoid telling, for now

Oh please tell by the sounds of it, I think mine could relate haha

Duke wrote: '98-'01 Impreza, either sedan or wagon, NA 2.2. Durable, reliable, modestly powered but not dangerously underpowered, light, tough, decent handling, in budget. Ideal first car.

I'm gonna second this.

We've got a '98 wagon which has been passed through 3 people in our family. It's really pretty sad looking now, been in a couple of fender benders, has a different color door, interior getting tattered. But if you open the hood, you could eat off the engine, and it runs like a top.

I once picked up a WRX which had been rolled. At least 6 times over, both barrel roll, and end-over-end. Every single panel on the car was destroyed, but all 4 doors still opened. That is one heck of a shell- it made me feel very comfortable with my kids driving one.

I am also happy with the beat up appearance of this car. It goes a long way toward curtailing foolishness and picking up "friends" with the wrong intentions.

I also STRONGLY recommend a manual transmission. Kids are smart, and very good at being distracted. An AT encourages lazy, unfocused driving. A manual forces young drivers to pay attention to the driving, if for no better reason then they can't figure out the coordination of the clutch/ brake/ shifter, and are scared of the grinding noises. My daughter hated me when I got rid of the SUV and forced her to drive a 5 spd Impreza. But her driving got a lot better, and she is really grateful to me now.

steelynorm wrote: how many miles can you expect to get out of 3000 dollar impreza?

I've gotten 50K + out of my $1500 Impreza.

Don't spend too much on a Suby. The "nice" ones with "extras" are frequently driven badly and not taken care of.

Look for one that the owner doesn't think is special. A basic commuter, with a few dings and faded paint. The car is a good car, regardless of what it looks like.

Remember- manual trans!