What car should i get a teen.?

Question

I was thinking a toyota FJ, but that car isn't ery good. What are some other cars for a teen? (under 30,000) Thanks

Yah I know he will probablyh wreck it. So I know he needs something safe. Something he wont hate to be seen in too. He is paying 5,000 he has made too. Thankyou

Katie, we need you at are home! Acually he has been getting amazing grades. He also just ended his voulnteer work. Thankyou for your consideration but we are getting him a car.

Answer 1

your getting a brand new car for a teenager? Bad idea.

Answer 2

I know it sounds Un cool but I do believe in the older model that is too small for a lot of friends but large enough to be safe. Teen drivers tend to be a little less catious with alot of friends in the car with them . Too many distractions. And I am a firm believer that making the teen bear some of the cost is a great idea. My mom paid my first car payment for a 97' Chrysler Lebaron with my child support payments. I on the other hand had to work and pay my own insurance and repairs. If I wanted to run the streets or go anywhere except work and school I had to pay the gas for that too. It helped me prepare for my car expenses and other housing bills when I moved out. I know many of my friends who's parents bought their cars and pay all the expenses , some of them knew only how to pump gas and basic driving skills, They did not appericate their auto's or the blessings they were given. One guy I knew drove a $18,000 truck off a bridge and tried to collect the ins money cause his parent's bought him the wrong color truck. And he wanted to get "his" color. It was the 8th truck they had bought since he was 16 only three years earlier. My point is..if your teen work's even part time assign them an amount they are required even if it's half of an expense or the gas. Let them learn a lesson with the gift or a car. And if you don't want them to have to bear the weight of a full bill open a savings account allow them to pay you their half or their amount and you go ahead and pay the company and put their money into that account and when they are older and NEED that money they will still have it. As for a specific model car something like a 2000 or lil older Pontiac Gran Prix is where I would suggest starting. But If you are wanting to spend a lot I have heard good reviews of the Honda Civic

Answer 3

Get a used Toyota for a first car teens always wreck their first car then after they prove they are responsible enough then get a nicer one. I have seen this scenario play out countless times and I'm sure you have too unless you've been living under a rock. FJ's are seriously ugly and would also encourage your teen to 4 wheel it around and roll it making your insurance go up. A disposable car is the answer not an unsafe or ragged one but one that you're not going to be bummed about them crashing.

Answer 4

A used Volvo from the '80s.

First of all, I'm a teen, and still don't think that a parent should buy a first car for their teen. As a 16 (soon to be 17) yr old girl, I get satisfaction knowing that I have earned the money to buy a car on my own. Please don't baby your soon-to-be-adult.

Second of all, Volvos are probably the sturdiest cars ever. My Mom still drives the Same Volvo station wagon that she bought 20 years ago; it still runs great. But, the Volvos now are made by Ford and aren't as good a quality as they were in the 70s/80s.

Answer 5

30,000 for a car for a teen? are you serious? I am 43 and my budget is under $3000!! Do you really expect a teen to appreciate something so expensive that is bought for them instead of them buying it themselves? The best thing to do is have the teen pay for half of a car they want, and be sure they can pay for the gas, maintenance, and insurance. Insurance will be really high because it has been proven that teens tend to crash their car within the first year of getting their license. Do you really want to spend $30,000 and have the teen crash it and have to get another one? A crash will raise the insurance quite a bit too.

The best way for someone to appreciate what they have and take care of it is to buy it themselves so they have the pride of ownership and of doing something for themselves. Why spoil them so much that they appreciate nothing in life? I see a teen that gets everything given to them as being a selfish adult. They are too used to having everything handed to them rather than having to work for it. Do you really want your teen to be this way?

If you are serious about getting this teen a car, get them a nice used one for under $3000. The smaller they are the better. I can tell you that a Malibu is considered a super nice car and has high insurance rates (I had one). A Honda, Subaru, or something like that would be safe and gas efficient. Then the insurance won't be so high.

Good luck on your decision.

Answer 6

H-m-m ... I agree that buying a new car for a teenager is a bad idea ... nice thought, but bad idea.

1. Insurance is ridiculous for teeenagers, particularly boys (speaking from experience ...) Best to wait until they have 12 months no claims behind them
2. They rarely get 12 months no claims straight away as they love to show off (or perhaps that's just mine ... speaking from experience ...)
3. Check that you can actually GET insurance for that particular car for your teenager (you know the drill by now ... speaking from experience ...)
4. Ask them (in a round about way) what kind of car they would want (your idea of a great car often isn't theirs)
5. Check that the car they 'love and can't live without' hasn't been modified in any way as this either rules out their insurance or increases it incredibly.
6. After saying all that, it also depends on whether male or female and THEIR preference. My son ONLY wanted a Corsa, lowered, tinted windows and with the boom-boom box in the back ...

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Get them something nice, but get it at a used car dealership. Teens are pretty new to driving, so there's a higher chance for an accident. But not ALL teens are like that. If you really trust the teen and they're very responsible, go for the toyota FJ. Especially if money isn't an object.

Answer 8

In my opinion, I would get them a safe used car that doesn't break the bank. Why? Because without fail, every teen I've ever known or heard of ends up in an accident (usually minor, thank goodness) in their first car. Perhaps even have them contribute to its financial upkeep in some way, so they are motivated to drive safer and take good care of it. A used Taurus, Sable, or some other car with good crash tests and known reliability would make for a good investment. You can get leather seats and a Cd changer and they will think it is a cool car, too. Check here for crash test ratings:

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx

The Institute for Highway Safety puts the cars in more kinds of crash tests, and provides many more details of the cars' performances than does the government.

Answer 9

Parents and kids usually don't agree on what they should drive. Teens want power and style. Mom and Dad crave safety and economy.

Here are the cars Consumer Reports says you should buy your children:


Ford Focus, 2002 to present, except two-door models
Honda Accord EX, 1998 to present, with a four-cylinder engine


Honda Civic EX


Mazda 3 and its predecessor, the Protege ES, 1999 to 2003


Nissan Altima 2.5 S, 2003 and later, four-cylinder engine


Toyota Camry XLE V6 and LE four-cylinder


Toyota Corolla LE, 1999 to present

The magazine also considers two small SUVs as appropriate for teens:

Subaru Forester 2.5X


Toyota RAV4, 2001 to present.

Answer 10

How deep do you want to get?
Check the crash rating, to see how safe they are. Look for something that gets good mpg. And don't forget the dependability. Used is always the best idea if money is a factor. Check out the newspaper for a used car auction. I got my daughter a Tempo for $800 and she drove it for about 3 yrs. Something that must be expressed, is the maintenance and up keep. If this is done, it'll last longer. My daughter knew that this was her one and only car that I;d be getting her, so she took care of it. I took her to a auto parts store and got her a repair manual for her car. Also have a mechanic check it out, if you can. Happy shopping. Hope this helped. d:^)

Answer 11

under 30,000.... ummm lol that's a wide range for me. my first car was a '93 Buick regal. It had quite a few miles but ran good. Now I'm in a '92 Chevy olds. Both good cars I'm 18 and believe me we don't need much better than that..... just to let you know we run them down! Between going over big bumps and speeding first car should be a little less flashy. Not to sound to opinionated its better if they have to pay for them not the parents they appreciate it more.