17 year old niece, first car, $3500 budget....?

[mrsilv04]

My 17 year old niece has been given the green light to get her first car. Her dad has given me a $3,500 budget to work with. I'm wanting to keep the purchase price to $3,000 and hold $500 back to cover any needed repairs.

Her Dad has lousy taste in vehicles, so he's turned this over to me. He has a company car, and a H3 (see what I mean?)

Of course, I'm looking to balance 4 things... Something a 17 year old will drive, that is relatively safe, and won't break the bank on insurance, and gets relatively good gas mileage.

My first thought is something in the Chevy Cavalier / Pontiac Grand Am family.

Since there's no shortage of opinions around here (that's a good thing), I thought I'd open it up for suggestions.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

5 speed Saturn SL1, 1999-2002. Look on CraigList. I've seen many of these with high mileage that would fit the bill assuming that they weren't neglected.

Good luck!

 

[o2man98]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
My 17 year old niece has been given the green light to get her first car. Her dad has given me a $3,500 budget to work with. I'm wanting to keep the purchase price to $3,000 and hold $500 back to cover any needed repairs.

Her Dad has lousy taste in vehicles, so he's turned this over to me. He has a company car, and a H3 (see what I mean?)

Of course, I'm looking to balance 4 things... Something a 17 year old will drive, that is relatively safe, and won't break the bank on insurance, and gets relatively good gas mileage.

My first thought is something in the Chevy Cavalier / Pontiac Grand Am family.

Since there's no shortage of opinions around here (that's a good thing), I thought I'd open it up for suggestions.


What is wrong with the H3? That is a great vehicle.

You are on the right track with a Cav, Sunfire, Grand Am, etc.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Sentra?

 

[mrsilv04]

I don't have anything against the H3, as I do that her Dad won't let her drive it... at all. It's just another vehicle in a long line of slightly off-beat vehicles that he's owned.

She's driven my truck many times. I trust her more than her own Dad.

Oh, also forgot to mention. My niece is about 5 foot 5, and 100 pounds. Cadillacs and Lincolns need not apply.

 

[Drew99GT]

I'd stay further away from a $3500 Grand Am then the PLAGUE!

If you can teach her how to check the oil every 15 minutes then a Saturn would be a good choice...

If it has to be something a bit on the sportier side, a Nissan 200 SX, preferably an SE-R. If you could find a 91-94 Sentra SE-R in decent shape then the search is over!

If it's pure economy and reliability, a Prism or Corolla.

IF, IF on the off chance you could find anything with a GM 2200 Ecotec that's in decent shape, that'd be a good option as well.

Other great choices would be an older Civic like a 91 Si.

Can she drive a standard trans?

 

[mrsilv04]

I'm betting that a manual trans is out of the question. She's a little insecure behind the wheel. Maybe in time, but not right now.

I thought my hatred for Grand Am's us from what feels like hundreds of Grand Am rentals that I've driven. So, it isn't just me...

I like the idea of a Saturn. She has a friend who has a first generation Saturn 4 door. I think my niece would drive one as well.

 

[oilyriser]

insurance is cheap on those saturns, too; almost as cheap as on a subaru wagon.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Cavalier is the most unsafe car produced in 20 years. Where are you getting *your* car info from? Grand Am is totally miserable too. How about a Volvo 850? Pretty spanky for $3000 and easy to repair.

 

[mrsilv04]

Just found out that my next door neighbor has a '99 Olds 88 for sale. It was her parent's car, they bought it brand new. Her folks passed away, and both of her kids have taken this car to college with them. 78,000 miles, and she's asking $3000.

I think this car is a little big for my niece. However, it does have a 3800 in it.

Too bad that it isn't an Intrigue or a Cutlass.

 

[eljefino]

Newer Ford contour or even a taurus or hyundai sonata/elantra. Accents are nice too but insurance will be through the roof, so much so the gas would be worth it on something bigger.

Both fords I listed have great handling which is good when starting out.

 

[saaber1]

Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
5 speed Saturn SL1, 1999-2002. Look on CraigList. I've seen many of these with high mileage that would fit the bill assuming that they weren't neglected.

Good luck!


A saturn is a good bet for this kind of car IMO. In general though you should watch the oil level like a hawk. I have been exposed to several fried saturn engines due to oil starvation. They are not bad engines and I have had probably 40-50 saturns with pretty good luck overall but some are oil burners. If you buy one maybe try to train here to check the oil at every gas fill-up (possible?).

My top recommendation would be a chevy/geo prism at this price point because it is a toyota corolla for about half the price. If you can find one that has been well maintained that thing should be bullet proof. I have had tons of these cars (maybe 25?) and they have all been good other than minor things such plastic dash pieces, etc. breaking

In the same tier as the prism for this price range I would put a subaru 2.2 liter. This will sound funny but I almost feel like my old 95' 2.2l outback with 185k is going to outlast any of my newer cars. It is unbelievably bulletproof. It gets about 28 mpg highway and is awd.

Of course for running costs you can't beat a 92-95 civic vx. New they got 56 mpg, used 41-52 mpg depending on state of tune and how recently 02 sensor has been changed. I sold one last year that was getting 50 mpg. They cost about $3500ish but for obvious reasons are becoming hard to find.

 

[rationull]

I'll second Audi Junkie's suggestion of a Volvo 850. We got one for my GF a couple years ago (or more maybe?) for $2800 with something like 170k on the odometer. It's got 193k now and it's been pretty good. Along the way it's needed a new radiator and some ball joints along with some other small quirks. Being a Euro car it can be expensive to have repaired sometimes but if there's any possibility of DIY minor repairs you should be able to get a good deal on a safe, solid car.

This particular one doesn't have side airbags (only front driver and passenger) but I think they added those in '95 or something around there. It gets around 24 mpg for my GF (it's an auto trans).

Importantly, the car has some character and GF loves it. Don't know what your niece's car tastes are.

 

[bretfraz]

*Toyota Camry or Honda Accord will be mid 90's and have 100K+ on them.

*'00-'02 Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire are likely plentiful in IL and are in the price range.

*How about a Normal-built Mitsubishi Galant or Eclipse?

*'99-'02 Mazda 626 is in that price range as well.

 

[saaber1]

Originally Posted By: rationull
I'll second Audi Junkie's suggestion of a Volvo 850.


Definitely a very safe car for her. # one factor is how well it was maintained. Very important for these cars. These can go for a very long time if taken care of. Suggest for a teenager's 850 ignoring any small "cosmetic" (non-essential) electrical problems if possible as this will greatly reduce your costs over time. Check driver's door hinges,latches, etc. as this is a common weal spot. AC compressors on any swedish car could be called a weak spot probably.

Suggest 850 non turbo for longevity. Have had numerous non-turbos and turbos (currently have a v70 XC turbo which is the same engine basically). I have had 2 turbos that went kaput but no non-turbos where the engine went bad. I would recommend japanese over Volvo although I am a huge fan of Volvos and have had good luck with them. Ride comfort is awesome as well as safety factor and it feels solid even with age.

 

[wcbcruzer]

Honda or Toyota hands down. It doesn't matter if they have over 100k miles. I'm never going to buy another American vehicle (even though I like to buy American products). I love my truck and even though the engine is unquestionably awesome, as some people say, it's still a Dodge...

 

[Audi Junkie]

The "Eight Fiddy" really seems to be pretty ideal for a wide range of peoples. My 20-ish nephew even sprung top-tollar for a pristine red V70 and he loves it. Zero repairs in a year, just fluids. 6q sump means they always have SOME oil in them. Only thing it needs are sway bar links, $15 and they go on with a ratchet. Non-turbo is a given for a car novice. Safe,. normal car that looks nice and is reliable. Shop for a good one, 120k would be a good milesage target, but 90k is even possible.

 

[ThirdeYe]

My 1998 Nissan Altima GXE was $3800 used. It was an excellent car. You might be able to find one in that price range. The 93-97 were good cars as well. Insurance prices were good as well.

 

[Audi Junkie]

^^^haz timing chain too, iirc.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
^^^haz timing chain too, iirc.

Indeed it does