Although with Hondas and Toyotas, because they do hold their value so well you don’t really save much buying a slightly-used one over a new one. If you’re buying used, there’s definitely other cars that are just as nice but much better deals.
The Scions are a good idea, and with the brand going away there might be deals to be had. The tC is kind of sporty (it’s basically a Corolla-sized car with a Camry engine) but nothing too crazy, and the iM is basically a Corolla station wagon.
The IIHS top safety picks is an eye opening site. Some major differences between makes for the front end collision.
According to IIHS, the Honda Civic 2016 model has superior front crash prevention vs 2015 with basic. Subaru had that same jump to superior rating in 2015. Scion doesn’t rate nearly as well on the other parameters.
My agent is coming back today with a bench mark of a Honda Civic new vs coming off of a 3 year lease.
Don’t go for too old a car, because you want your kid in a very safe car. No air bags or anti-lock brakes? No.
I said that because teenagers drive like idiots; yes, even your very sensible daughter. That’s why it costs so much to insure them; actuaries know how often they crash. They drive too fast, too. That’s why you want her first car to be under-powered and very safe.
I came in to recommend a Volvo with a manual transmission (as mentioned by jasg and for the same reasons – also, the ability to drive a manual transmission is one that everyone should have).
I drove an elderly manual transmission Volvo that my stepmum had driven in Europe and the northeast US for years. We only got rid of it because a) it became difficult to find diesel near where we lived, and b) it got really temperamental WRT upkeep after 250K miles.
If not a Volvo, then a Hyundai. A friend drove an Excel for five years and I think only put gas in it (she wasn’t great about oil). It survived and was handed down to her sister., who drove it for two years, with similar care in upkeep. Her sister eventually drove it into a concrete divider. Car was totaled. Sister was fine. My friend has driven various Hyundai cars; I’ve had two Santa Fes (total of about 15 years). Both keep on going no matter what.
Regarding the advice about inexperienced drivers and new cars: The Boy just had a little wreck. No injuries, extremely minor damage, totally his fault - rookie mistake. In a new car, that extra set of dents would be a couple of thousand for body work. On his little truck? “Is it still functional? All lights still working? Nothing damaged under the hood? K. Be more careful. And you get to pay your ticket, plus any increase in the cost of your insurance.”
I’d have to agree. We have a Civic (that is, in fact, older than China Bambina!) with manual transmission. It’s a real workhorse, but handling manual on a hilly street is tough even for an experienced driver. There’s one intersection near us that I dread getting stopped at, as you’re on a steep hill and have to coordinate the clutch, brake, gas, and emergency brake to get it going again w/o rolling back into the car behind you.
Safety is surprisingly good for such a small car. Our previous Civic was in a head-on collision when it was 3 years old - we walked away from that. It was fixed, and 5 years later was totalled in another accident - my husband walked away from that one (I was not in the car).
I’ll admit my bias, I bought one new in 2001 and drove it for 15 years and 225,000 miles. It was the most bullet-proof (no pun intended), trouble free Timex ever. It took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’. Mine was a 5-MT and the original clutch lasted 213,000 miles. In San Francisco, mind you.
Reliable and dependable, and they haul a lot. I put a Yakima rack on top, and installed a Class-II hitch from etrailer.com (mf’d by Curt), and I could haul a lot with it.
This makes no sense. When you’re in high school, a minimum wage job IS productive. What else do you expect from him? Why does she essentially get a free ride? My parents had me pay for shit and wouldn’t have essentially paid my way if my extracurricular time was spent reading and Tumblr-ing, no matter what the content.
Take it easy. If I understand Dangerosa, she is basically saying that for her family, if one does better, then one is rewarded. Not to speak for Dangerosa but that’s my takeaway from that post quote.
ETA: Dangerosa is not imposing her parental and family values onto your childhood.