Alright I got a 19 year old brother looking to buy his first car. He really wants a muscle car, but more for the looks than anything. Performance isnt a huge deal for him, and he wants an automatic.
Anyways, he was looking at old 80s Camaros, but I advised against them, telling him they are very old by now, and will guzzle gas and be scary in the snow.
So he found this car:
http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1753052?ad_cid=11
Looks like a decent buy. I dont know a ton about the 4th gen Mustang, especially the V6 version, but it seems like they are decent enough cars. Price seems fair.
I know the RWD Mustang may still be a bit of a handful in the winter, but if he buys something like this I'll run him through some basic vehicle dynamics, make sure he understands how things work in zero traction conditions, especially with RWD.
So of the newer muscle cars, what would be a good recommendation for inexpensive, automatic, and reliable? Power doesnt matter. Thanks as always, fellow GRMers!
You hit the nail on the head. V6 mustang. Not really a muscle car but it looks like one and they are plenty of fun. More than a few people have started down the road to automotive insanity in just such a car. Do check insurance first though, newer drivers in Mustangs can be expensive.
to me that price seems a little high for a v6 stang. maybe he is more mature being 19 but i know if i had a mustang as a first car it would have been wrecked/blown up within the first year, as most are most first cars driven by teenage boys. just something to keep in mind.
Every time we get ice, I count the dead cars on the side of the road on the way to work, with a sub-count of the number of those cars that are Mustangs. Worst day was like a 30-8 or something.
What I'm saying is that if you get ice, at a minimum, get snow tires for that thing or plan on getting what's left of it pulled home, hopefully without having hurt someone else or your brother.
Hes very responsible. Just a very mellow person, so I dont have any worries about him doing something stupid with his buds or anything.
He is like every other average american though, in that he understands very little about vehicle dynamics. People trust way too much in the car's abilities, and not enough in their own. I could potentially see him getting into trouble on a day with bad weather.
Any other safer options that are still somewhat muscly/sporty?
Could a 4cyl Mustang be muscley enough? Try to squeeze that power through a slushbox and almost nothing will come out! 
What's his budget?
May be a bit high but Pontiac G6?
Saw a gxp 3.6L, 260hp, fwd, 4 dr, auto, 90k miles for $7,500 on autotrader.
Seen several 3.5L with over 200hp and around 100k miles for about $5 - $6k.
Fwd, auto, and four door should help with insurance.
This should be within his budget. Already has a lot of the scrapes, dings, and dimples that a first driver would acquire!
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/200x-classifieds/get-your-challenge-car-for-next-year-1995-z28-camaro-auto-1500-obo-in-wakefield-ri/92214/page1/
You guys realize that people learn how to drive cars by driving cars, right? Yes a rwd car will be a bit of a challenge in winter, but throw some snows on there and learn. Better to have a car that he knows he needs to be afraid of than an AWD one that he thinks is invincible.
Help him get the car he wants and he will be a better owner, a better driver, a better person. Isn't that what you want for your brother?
My first car was a Monte Carlo SS with some crappy Dunlop Qualifiers on it. I never crashed it or got in stuck. Like people have since the beginning of time I went slow until I figured out what I was doing. RWD is not some kind of magical deadly power, it's what almost everyone had until the 1980s. For much of that time also lacking seat belts and disc brakes and yet nearly everyone survived.
P71 with Mustang take-offs.
sanman
HalfDork
10/28/14 8:05 p.m.
V6 mustang is not a bad deal, but the 2005+ v6 is better. The 3.8 likes to blow head gaskets, the 4.0 is bomb proof and out the ranger. Non-turbo third gen supras are the same thing, but Japanese. Obviously, the f-bodies with the 3800 v6 and Monte Carlos. Mitsubishi eclipse is cheap and likely newer, Avenger/Sebring coupe, base RSX or celica.
If you get a V6 Mustang, get a 2005 or better, mainly due to safety concerns.
What are V6 Chargers going for these days?
He could probably get and SRT4 Neon in that price range, too.
Oh... don't discount the Impreza, either.
Since its his first car, try to get him in a late 90s or early 00s since they should all be safer than an 80s or early 90s car. If you can't get him to buy a more reliable and more fuel efficient Corolla, Civic, Neon, etc., make sure he gets tires that can actually handle well. I have read online that people worry about some RWD cars get squirrelly in the rain or snow, and it's not automatically true. My 328i handles much better than most FWD cars in the rain or snow, and my 91 Camaro (mostly stock) handles very well with a set of Continential Extreme contact DW tires, especially in the wet. Many people will blame the car or truck being RWD, but sometimes, it's the tires that don't have good rain/snow traction or overly worn tires. Since he's not very likely to want to try to drift a Camaro/Firebird or Mustang in the snow, talk him into getting AAA membership.
And of course, ask him what he thinks about buying a Miata, even if it's just to see his reaction. 
The first car I got to drive in the winter after I got my license was my mom's 4 cylinder/4 speed 86 Mustang LX hatchback with worn out tires.. I made it thru 2 MN winters with that thing before getting my own car.. a few years later, I had a 79 Mustang notchback with the same 4 cylinder/4 speed combo that had good tires and was unstoppable in deep snow.. I also made it thru a winter with a 78 Poniac Sunbird with a 4 cylinder/4 speed and wide rear tires that had almost no tread.. none of these cars ever wound up in a ditch or stuck in snow despite being rwd and super light with no abs or traction control- and they all had carburetors.
So find something cheap and disposable..
