Daughter first car . I was thinking 2006-2012 Honda Civic

Whats wrong with a truck? I see 99% of people want to buy their kid a car for their first vehicle. Nothing wrong with a truck.

Small trucks don't exist anymore, and for most people, big trucks are silly and unnecessary. That goes double for first-time drivers.

A Civic is a great first car since it is easy on gas, not high maintenance, and reliable :)
 
Inexperienced drivers and huge SUVs or pickups are a bad combination, especially in parking lots. Start new drivers off and a small, yet safe car so they can build their skills and drive that bro dozer later in life.
 
You really can’t go wrong with a Civic, but my vote goes to throwing a 2nd gen Mazda 3 in the mix if you’re looking at other cars of similar size. My Daughter has one that she loves driving. I’ve driven it quite a bit, and while it’s not a rocket, to me it has a better driving experience than other cars of its class. It has been a very reliable car for her in the 8 years that she has owned it and it has had nothing but regular maintenance done.
 
OP, congratulations! I taught my two girls to drive (many years ago) and mostly agree with the previous responses. I've shared the following link before, and even though it's from 2020, it is still relevant (except prices lol):


IIHS and Consumer Reports jointly created that list of safe, reliable cars with above-average emergency handling. I don't agree with all their picks but most are solid.
 
My choice would be a 4th generation Hyundai Elantra (2007-2010). Safe, reliable, cheap/easy to maintain/fix and insure and has the trusty old Beta II 2.0L engine. And you might be able to find one less $ than a Civic, but who knows these days. It was one of the best cars I’ve ever had.

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SWEET car, but way too much car for a first time driver. It's a 300+ horsepower car.
Reality is many first time drivers here are driving even more powerful vehicles. 5 of my daughters friends use their parent's Tesla's which would destroy any Nissan Z in real world acceleration.
 
My daughter drove my car on back roads from a young age. Took driving lessons and got her license. We always have at least two cars around so she just borrowed one of ours for the first few years. Finally at age 23 she wanted her own car and requested a manual transmission. My car and my wife's cars are automatics. I helped her pick a used manual transmission car and she was driving it pretty well after about two weeks.

Now she works in an industrial setting, usually in the office and a little bit outside. Once in a while some truck or industrial service equipment will show up with a manual transmission and it has to be moved. A lot of scared big young men hanging staring at the extra pedal. She often has to go out and move it for them. This seems to garner her a lot more respect and changes the men's attitude towards her.

My point is, if your daughter is up to it, driving a stick is a skill that is best learned at a young age and it will pay dividends for many years.
I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters and my dad gave each kid a vehicle at 16. We all started with a stick. Dumb example, if I had a daughter dating a guy with a Mustang with a stick, I’d want her to be able to drive it if they went to a bowling alley and he got drunk.
 
Reality is many first time drivers here are driving even more powerful vehicles. 5 of my daughters friends use their parent's Tesla's which would destroy any Nissan Z in real world acceleration.
Bad choice in vehicles as well for a 16 year old girl. Heck, a 4 banger Civic can be modded to bow the iPad off that Tesla. My point is, 16 year old girls don't need to be handed high performance sports cars as their first cars. It's just plain irresponsible.

Hyundai Respecter has the right idea.
 
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Reality is many first time drivers here are driving even more powerful vehicles. 5 of my daughters friends use their parent's Tesla's
The OP is asking for advice. Just because some parents let their kids drive their Tesla or buy their kid a V8 Mustang or some other foolish car doesn't change anything.
 
Cheap and lower power are the rule for new drivers until they can demonstrate their skills when out of your sight. I add in how they take care of it for any future upgrades or assistance in a upgrade.
 
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