Honda Fit or Nissan Versa sedan or Versa Note hatchback gets my vote.
Honda Fit or Nissan Versa sedan or Versa Note hatchback gets my vote.
ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:As the father of teenage drivers, I wonder if "small" and "safe" are not contradictory requirements. My 16yo daughter is in a Buick Enclave. YMMV
When I was selling Hondas I sold one to a couple who shortly after buying it were T-Boned by a Semi doing 60 Mph. The car flew out into a field over 250 ft. And they suffered minor scratches.
The idea of standing your ground with a bigger vehicle has a trade off. Bigger is less nimble and bulkier. Let's carry your thought all the way, give her a semi to drive around? Smaller more nimble vehicles if properly trained she might feel confident to swerve and avoid the accident.
Even if involved in an accident. Newer cars are designed to be survivable, with air bags, crush zones, etc.
1kris06 said:frenchyd said:In reply to RaabTheSaab :
An older Honda manual would be a great choice. I worry about the cost of replacing a clutch. Any idea of what it costs to replace? I assume the dealership is twice what a local garage will charge? I'd rather not be distracted from race preparing the Jag.
You didn't mention the Miata? Is there a reason for that?I looked up clutch/fly wheel/pressure plates (for an 05 civic) at my dealer (MPLS/stp), about $1700 with current pricing. Around $720 if you provided parts.
Thank you. Basically it sounds like a 10 hour job and $700 of parts Hopefully if caught in time we can save the cost of a flywheel and maybe a few dollars on the parts. That's not horrible.
spacecadet (Forum Supporter) said:EvanB said:Yaris? Mazda2? Fit?
Yaris or Fit would be my Vote.. the 2 is a bit tippy and it's cramped inside.
The Fit has loads of space and will happily serve her as a new driver and as she moves on to the next phase of life.
The 8th gen civic's have lots of little issues to get around, they're workable.. but they're not perfect.
The 2nd gen fit is the best bet here IMHO. They are very strong right now on the secondhand market.. but that's because they absolutely refuse to die. They're sewing machines that don't die.
Find her one with an aux input, sport model of any year fit will have an Aux input, 2012+ base models have it as well. Plug a bluetooth reciever from ROAV into the outlet and run the aux cable from it to the input and you're done, the car now has bluetooth and she can listen to all her music.
They're modern cars, not perfect, but nothing is.
I bought my 2nd daughter a Toyota Yaris and was impressed by how nimble it was.
She totaled that while texting. So we replaced it with another one. She drove over a cement block on the freeway and ruined its transmission. Sigh !
Ask her what she wants. Kids take better care of cars they like vs those they get stuck with. If you have seen used car prices, don't dismiss new. The latest safety features are worth it. The new crash avoidance features are priceless.
frenchyd said: Basically it sounds like a 10 hour job and $700 of parts Hopefully if caught in time we can save the cost of a flywheel and maybe a few dollars on the parts. That's not horrible.
A clutch kit for a typical Civic is less than 200 bucks. Rockauto has them in any flavor.
I bought the exedy clutch kit for my Fit for ~$200 on Rock auto. It took a day to swap with the use of a lift but it wasn't terribly hard. I would say a manual Fit or Mazda 3. Based on personal experience they both are fun to drive while not being terribly fast and have room for stuff. Personally I wouls love to give my boys a Miata when they turn 16 so they can only carry one friend and MIata are entertaining without warp speed. At this rate they will likely get my Honda Fit though.
maj75 (Forum Supporter) said:Ask her what she wants. Kids take better care of cars they like vs those they get stuck with. If you have seen used car prices, don't dismiss new. The latest safety features are worth it. The new crash avoidance features are priceless.
That's a parents/grandparents dilemma. Buy a disposable car that mistakes can be made on or have her assist in buying her own. The time spent working should be good for her but would it come at a cost of school work?
LopRacer said:I bought the exedy clutch kit for my Fit for ~$200 on Rock auto. It took a day to swap with the use of a lift but it wasn't terribly hard. I would say a manual Fit or Mazdau 3. Based on personal experience they both are fun to drive while not being terribly fast and have room for stuff. Personally I wouls love to give my boys a Miata when they turn 16 so they can only carry one friend and MIata are entertaining without warp speed. At this rate they will likely get my Honda Fit though.
Sex in a car the size of a Miata is very nearly impossible. A bigger car or SUV it becomes easier.
As a parent we we're hyper vigilant regarding our daughters but one still managed to get pregnant at 16. ( don't trust the boys parents to properly monitor your daughter)
The closer to impossible the better.
In reply to frenchyd :
Consider me to be the master of impossible!
Impossible LOL !!!! Nothing is impossible when you are under 25 !!!!!!
So....since what we really want for a first car is safety and reliability....... Camry her.... or Corolla.... but the Camry is far more practical for stuffing all that
college moving stuff in.
Four daughters here and they all survived first years of driving...
Mike B
You guys know that you can bang somewhere other than in a car right?
thatsnowinnebago said:You guys know that you can bang somewhere other than in a car right?
I'm also willing to theorize that "hyper vigilance" by parents is not unrelated to early, uh, activity.
In reply to frenchyd :
Sex is very possible in a Miata. Spoken from experience. If there is a will there is a way.
I would got for the newest Elantra out there. They have been really good for all of my family who has gotten one.
thatsnowinnebago said:You guys know that you can bang somewhere other than in a car right?
Yes, you can have sex on a car.... if you don't care about the paint too much.
Back to the original question.....
AND breaking with the other answers.
Miata. The biggest problem for young drivers is distraction and having a car full of friends is a BIG distraction. If the was a single seat car on the road I would suggest that. If you could add a cell phone blocker, even better.
In reply to frenchyd :
I never thought the clutch replacement was terribly expensive. $900, I think, when I had my '04 by an indy shop with a mechanic that I really liked. Probably could've gotten it done cheaper elsewhere, but these guys always treated me right and had a thorough knowledge of all things automotive (and, yes, it's taken me 35 years to realize that not all mechanics are car guys and gals). I didn't mention a Miata simply because I don't think they're great first cars-- they're small and encourage spirited driving. Individual teenagers vary, for sure, but it would be a case-by-case basis for me to recommend a Miata to a parent/guardian/loved one of one. Also, the NA/NB supply for cheap money is dwindling fast, and NCs aren't quite cheap enough.
thatsnowinnebago said:You guys know that you can bang somewhere other than in a car right?
Here in Minnesota we have 6 months of outdoor birth control. Snow , ice, and 40 below does tend to reduce the outdoor activity requiring removal of clothes.
Life's short - be the cool kid at school
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