Toyota or Honda for teen's first car

[xspeedy]

Thanks everyone. I’ve read all the replies and really appreciate the input. The Escape, Mazda and Saturn suggestions land especially well with me. I like the idea of a sleeper make/model that’s similarly reliable but may be off folks’ radars, especially living in a part of the country (high desert) where Hondas and Toyotas are so highly coveted based on our complete lack of rust.

I’ll keep an eye on the thread for anyone else’s thoughts. Thanks again.

TLDR, but I think I saw mention of the Mazda 5. This is the perfect car I think for a teen that needs room but yet is fun to drive and also simple. The engine is one of the old school Japanese ones without DI or turbocharging. You can get it in a manual, and it doesn’t have any of that stuff like power sliding doors to go wrong. It is small on the outside and big on the inside, so super easy to park. Plenty of space for four adults and crazily has a third row that you can cram someone into in a pinch. Put all the rear seats down and you have a ton of cargo space that you can access from manual sliding doors on either side or the rear hatch. We bought my wife one back in 2009 new for $16K and we still drive the heck out of it today with nearly 150K on it. We looked at the Rogue and the CR-V at the time, but this handled really well compared to those. The crossovers felt top heavy to us and didn’t inspire confidence with quick lane changes or corners. The 5 is just a 3 made into a van format.

I love the thing because it is such a unicorn. A small proper minivan with a stick.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

Thanks for making my point for me : "The same statistics found SUVs to be associated with the least amount of deaths."

That’s due to the fact there are more SUV’s on road than sedans pal.

 

[SC Maintenance]

That’s due to the fact there are more SUV’s on road than sedans pal.

If there are more SUV's on the road they should be associated with more deaths, not the "least amount of deaths"

Again, your statement doesn't match the article you posted.

 

[wemay]

Toyota. There are less aftermarket enticements and that would be a big plus for me as a father. I know, having lived it, how as a teen, you can get consumed by aftermarket possibilities and promised fantasies.

 

[Tracker]

Get them a Volvo. Hear me out here. I purchase my daughter a first car and it was a Volvo, knowing not "if" she was going to get in an accident, but WHEN. Sure enough, a year later I got what no relative, Dad, or Mother ever wants to get. "she's been in an accident" I raced to the scene and she didn't have a scratch on her. It was her fault, she said when was looking in the mirror she was distracted.....my bet is, she was texting. She plowed into the back of a truck. I guarantee the outcome would have been different if she was in a "cool car" It was a car she wasn't really happy to get....until she walked away from the accident without a scratch. Today, kids will get distracted by friends in the car, texting, talking on the phone, etc. At her school, three kids died hitting a tree right after school. Single car accident, hitting a tree, daylight, dry road, only ones on the street. My guess if either friends or the phone distracted them. Just my .02 cents. I'm a dad and I took my own advice and it was the right advice for me.

 

[Fahrvergnügen]

If there are more SUV's on the road they should be associated with more deaths, not the "least amount of deaths"

Again, your statement doesn't match the article you posted.

Believe what you want pal. I’ve worked for state farm. I’ve been through several seminars with manufacturers regarding OEM parts and aftermarket, all the changes with parts that has to be OE vs non OE. that safety discussion comes up a whole lot and midsized sedan is the safest. Next you’re going to tell me a truck is best in snow.

 

[nthach]

Personally, a Prius would be my pick for a teen. Ideally a Gen 2/3, it’ll get them places but there’s no confidence in them to do dumb things.

 

[Jay73]

Cheaper=Honda HRV, Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX30 or CX5 without the Turbo
More $=Honda CRV, Toyota Rav 4, Mazda CX30 or CX5 with the Turbo

I traded in my Mercedes for a CX5 with the turbo motor. Took the turbo cause coming from the Mercedes I didn't want something noticeably slower. Also liked the regular 6 speed transmission in the CX5 as not a huge fan of CVT.

 

[Elkins45]

The 5 is just a 3 with more space inside, which is an important consideration for the OP

The 5 uses the exact same suspension as the 3, so yes, it can definitely be sporty, and it was even available with a manual transmission too.

Any reason a 2009 Mazda5 would be preferable to a 2012 with the same mileage and similar service records? 209 is a 2.3 and the 2012 is the 2.5.

 

[CR94]

... F=MxA. In a collision with another vehicle A is equal. If you have more mass, the force part on your vehicle is less. Algebra. ...

You started with a valid formula, but misapplied it. In a collision between vehicles, the "F" they mutually exert on each other is equal (in opposite directions). F=ma can be rearranged as a=F/m. Therefore, the vehicle with larger "m" will have lower "a."

 

[Rmay635703]

2010 Cobalt XFE

Cheap
Reliable
Efficient
Easy to work on
Undesirable

Not a loss if she smushes it

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Any reason a 2009 Mazda5 would be preferable to a 2012 with the same mileage and similar service records? 209 is a 2.3 and the 2012 is the 2.5.

price?

Both the 2.3 and 2.5 are perfectly good engines. At the prices most of them go for, it's mostly about condition. Mazda started limiting the options available with the manual transmission after a few years, only offering it on the base model, then later making it automatic-only, if that matters.

If one has more features than the other, or if one is much closer to you geographically, dealer vs private seller, etc.

 

[ripcord]

I like minivans for teens. They are slow, heavy and have good safety ratings in general. The not-cool factor discourages "spirited driving," too.

 

[Rmay635703]

Every study I have read said all things being equal, higher and heavier cars are safer. I realize if you compare a 1971 F100 with a 2022 Camry there are other factors.

By that logic this is the safest vehicle despite sharp metal edges and no safety systems

The reality is SUVs tend to kill more children and pedestrians than other vehicle types, it’s also more likely you will be in an accident in an suv than a sedan.
Except in head ons SUVs tend to be more deadly because you can’t manuever and the vast majority of rollovers are trucks and SUVs. A rollover in a sedan is extremely rare, SUV Not as much.

SUVs Are More Dangerous Than We Think

SUVs are dangerous because of the risk of a rollover, a false sense of security, and other reasons. When an SUV or any vehicle accident occurs, call Silverman, McDonald & Friedman.

www.smflegal.com

 

[Elkins45]

price?

Both the 2.3 and 2.5 are perfectly good engines. At the prices most of them go for, it's mostly about condition. Mazda started limiting the options available with the manual transmission after a few years, only offering it on the base model, then later making it automatic-only, if that matters.

If one has more features than the other, or if one is much closer to you geographically, dealer vs private seller, etc.

Same price for both, both from dealers. $4500, 145k miles. Negotiated price would presumably be lower.

 

[Elkins45]

Same price for both, both from dealers. $4500, 145k miles. Negotiated price would presumably be lower.

I hate car dealers. Both had multiple warning lights, one had a dead battery and the heater blower going RAAAARRRRRR the whole time. When you call ahead and ask if any warning lights are on and they lie about it that sort of makes everything else they say not worth hearing.

First time I’ve ever seen the AT light illuminated. Seller said it was because he had just flushed it and it needs 200 miles of driving to reset. Right.

 

[Ws6]

Basic awd rav4 will hold value as well as provide utility for any life situation.