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And as we get older 50th year drivers are more likely to crash than teens probably so I can't blame them.
Hypothetical: When buying used 100k vs 200k miles?
- Thread starter racer12306
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Toyota Camry with 100K miles where it looks in good shape and no rust.
I was having this discussion with someone recently. I don’t plan to ever have kids so it’s all purely hypothetical BUT I’d want the newest, safest car possible. And it would have to be electric.
Yes a newer car is expensive, yes insurance will be very high. But you just spent 18 years of your life raising this child and if I was a parent their safety would be the most important thing. That’s why I’m not a fan of the hand me down older car approach many people take.
On the budget side, the car my mom just got would be a great first vehicle for a kid. 2023 Bolt EUV. Enough range and space to be practical and zippy enough for confident merging but not super fast or huge. Easy to drive and park. It also has modern safety features like automatic braking etc.
For something larger and a little more expensive, you can get a one or two year old Honda Prologue or Equinox EV with a few thousand miles for $20K off the price of a new one. As far as EVs go they are fairly slow-ish especially if you get the 2WD versions.
My 2024 Honda Prologue saved my life in an accident. I lost control of the vehicle (my fault, the why doesn’t matter), went off the road, up a hillside, and hit a huge boulder. This cause the vehicle to go sideways and slide along the road. I am convinced the only reason it didn’t roll over completely and go down the cliff the other side is because of how the heavy battery was in the floor. After the crash I opened the sunroof and got out totally unhurt. The car was obviously totaled as the airbags were deployed, the right side front suspension was torn off, and the entire left side was destroyed, but it did its job.
I’ve had a lot of cars and the one I put the most miles on previously was a 2010 Ford Escape. That is a very solid vehicle I would recommend. BUT had I had the exact same accident in that Escape I don’t think I’d be typing this right now. I’m not saying Escapes are unsafe - I believe they are actually very safe… just that a modern EV is probably the safest thing you could have.
Another good option would be a brand new base model Tesla Model Y Standard. You get all the safety of a Tesla but it’s detuned for less performance than you’d expect from a Tesla. Probably a good thing for a new driver. Although I still think the Prologue or Equinox EV would be a better choice as the front wheel drive versions of those are far less “fun” to drive compared to a rear wheel drive Tesla. And I don’t think young fresh drivers need fun. They need safety.
I understand that money is not unlimited and many people can’t afford to just give their kid a brand new or almost new EV. And I respect that. Maybe a 2010 Escape is all you can afford to buy or insure and that’s OK too.
PS: keeping in mind that safety ratings are within the size class, I think a small or mid size SUV would overall be safer than a sedan. You do compromise a little in handling but overall, a heavier, larger vehicle will likely do better in a crash. Obviously if you get hit head on by a semi truck it probably doesn’t matter. But also with the super bright headlights everyone has now a slightly taller vehicle is nice if you’re driving at night. And for a less experienced driver this can be helpful.
Yes a newer car is expensive, yes insurance will be very high. But you just spent 18 years of your life raising this child and if I was a parent their safety would be the most important thing. That’s why I’m not a fan of the hand me down older car approach many people take.
On the budget side, the car my mom just got would be a great first vehicle for a kid. 2023 Bolt EUV. Enough range and space to be practical and zippy enough for confident merging but not super fast or huge. Easy to drive and park. It also has modern safety features like automatic braking etc.
For something larger and a little more expensive, you can get a one or two year old Honda Prologue or Equinox EV with a few thousand miles for $20K off the price of a new one. As far as EVs go they are fairly slow-ish especially if you get the 2WD versions.
My 2024 Honda Prologue saved my life in an accident. I lost control of the vehicle (my fault, the why doesn’t matter), went off the road, up a hillside, and hit a huge boulder. This cause the vehicle to go sideways and slide along the road. I am convinced the only reason it didn’t roll over completely and go down the cliff the other side is because of how the heavy battery was in the floor. After the crash I opened the sunroof and got out totally unhurt. The car was obviously totaled as the airbags were deployed, the right side front suspension was torn off, and the entire left side was destroyed, but it did its job.
I’ve had a lot of cars and the one I put the most miles on previously was a 2010 Ford Escape. That is a very solid vehicle I would recommend. BUT had I had the exact same accident in that Escape I don’t think I’d be typing this right now. I’m not saying Escapes are unsafe - I believe they are actually very safe… just that a modern EV is probably the safest thing you could have.
Another good option would be a brand new base model Tesla Model Y Standard. You get all the safety of a Tesla but it’s detuned for less performance than you’d expect from a Tesla. Probably a good thing for a new driver. Although I still think the Prologue or Equinox EV would be a better choice as the front wheel drive versions of those are far less “fun” to drive compared to a rear wheel drive Tesla. And I don’t think young fresh drivers need fun. They need safety.
I understand that money is not unlimited and many people can’t afford to just give their kid a brand new or almost new EV. And I respect that. Maybe a 2010 Escape is all you can afford to buy or insure and that’s OK too.
PS: keeping in mind that safety ratings are within the size class, I think a small or mid size SUV would overall be safer than a sedan. You do compromise a little in handling but overall, a heavier, larger vehicle will likely do better in a crash. Obviously if you get hit head on by a semi truck it probably doesn’t matter. But also with the super bright headlights everyone has now a slightly taller vehicle is nice if you’re driving at night. And for a less experienced driver this can be helpful.
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May as well get the cheaper, higher mileage one since they are going to wreck it anyway.
Anecdotal, but I've had 4 Japanese vehicles over the last 20 years that I've driven from new to over 200K miles. All very well maintained by yours truly. 1 Toyota and 3 Nissans. I still have two, a 2012 with 200K and an '06 with 235K. With good maintenance, they were able to make it to 200K easily. Three of them have been V8s for what it's worth - in terms of being unstressed during normal use, but they all did a lot of towing.
Around, or shortly after 200K, they all started having more random failures. Sensors, door lock actuators, light bulbs, bushings, etc. The cost to own between 100K and 200K was maintenance plus a random radiator, starter, and wheel bearings. After 200K they became more of an - "is it a good idea to take this car on a 5K mile trip tomorrow?" thought. I still drive them on the long trips, but it is not without forethought.
One of my kids is getting ready to go to college, she needs to be able to reliably make 7 hour trips home and back, and I won't be there to keep an eye on, and/or fix her car. I'll likely try to find her the lowest mileage Toyota, Honda, or equiv. with high safety ratings and minimal reliability issues. I've been torn betwen a Hybrid RAV4 or Mazda CX5/CX50 or a Civic/Corolla. She prefers driving smaller cars, as do I, but there is something to be said for being a little higher and having a little more interior space.
Around, or shortly after 200K, they all started having more random failures. Sensors, door lock actuators, light bulbs, bushings, etc. The cost to own between 100K and 200K was maintenance plus a random radiator, starter, and wheel bearings. After 200K they became more of an - "is it a good idea to take this car on a 5K mile trip tomorrow?" thought. I still drive them on the long trips, but it is not without forethought.
One of my kids is getting ready to go to college, she needs to be able to reliably make 7 hour trips home and back, and I won't be there to keep an eye on, and/or fix her car. I'll likely try to find her the lowest mileage Toyota, Honda, or equiv. with high safety ratings and minimal reliability issues. I've been torn betwen a Hybrid RAV4 or Mazda CX5/CX50 or a Civic/Corolla. She prefers driving smaller cars, as do I, but there is something to be said for being a little higher and having a little more interior space.
100 k vehicles are less troublesome than 180. K ones. Own within same reliable brand. Both same year
I recently bought a used car for my teen driver. 150k miles, all the safety features available in 2017. I wanted to stay under $15k, have blind spot monitors, pedestrian pre collision, parking sensors, etc. and have a generally reliable drivetrain, and easy to work on. Readily available parts, common tire sizes, etc. We all felt the Corolla and Civic were too small.
Driving is short trips 4 miles each way to school, 5-7 stoplights and intersections. So wanted MPI engine.
Ended up with a Lexus ES350. Was cheaper than most of the Camrys we looked at, and the condition was superior. Finding BSM was harder than expected.
Driving is short trips 4 miles each way to school, 5-7 stoplights and intersections. So wanted MPI engine.
Ended up with a Lexus ES350. Was cheaper than most of the Camrys we looked at, and the condition was superior. Finding BSM was harder than expected.
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