My first car was a 1985 Pontiac Parisienne Safari Station Wagon with a tow package and when I got it, 173,000 miles. It was brown with a brown interior. The 5.0-liter V8 cranked out (maybe) 140 horses and it didn't even have a tape deck. It's a wonder I like cars at all. Of course here in LA you see lots and lots of high school children driving 'round in a shiny new BMW 3-series. Lexus IS's and new Mustangs are popular choices, too. On the other hand, there are the parents out there who feel safety is priority one, and arm their spawn with heavy metal in the form of Expeditions and Denalis. Then of course there is the little turd who cut me off this morning in a Yellow H2. Man, would I like to smack his father. Yeah, so, what should kids drive?
75 Comments on “Question of the Day: What Car Should Kids Drive?...”
Back to TopLeave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You can also login using Facebook Connect.
Any 5-8 year old midsized sedan or station wagon with the smallest engine offered. Taurus, Camry, S60 and Impala come to mind.
Make sure the tires and brakes are in good shape.
A 5 year old Japanese 4 cylinder beater with airbags and without anything more than 120HP.
A beater with good brakes good tires airbags and manual trans. and “I will help you, but you will do the maintenance and repairs” (within reason)
If you want your child’s love and are too cheap to pay for college: get’em an Evo
My solution was a 1994 2WD, Ford F150, driver’s airbag, 4.9L 6 cyl, 5 spd manual, electric nothing. I figured, It was big, cheap, had an airbag, and he would have to learn how to drive a standard trans. And, he is less likely to load up all his friends and go cruz’n the back roads.
It was cheap (sort of) to insure, it is easy to fix, and I rent him and his truck out to all of my friends when they need hauling done.
Most kids should be enjoying the arts of walking and bicycling, and exploring the world of mass transit. The majority of them have no business driving anything at all. For your average teen, having 150 horsepower is 151 too many.
We steered my 21 year old son to a new ‘06 Civic LX coupe couple of years ago..full airbags, crumple zones, decent handling, reliable. In 30k miles he has put on 3 sets of front pads and replaced the tires; otherwise perfect. His first car was a ‘94 4.6 T-Bird; youth and rear wheel drive do not mix with slippery roads.
An old Volvo 240, of course!
@Jazzman
3sets of front pads in 30K miles, yikes !
I’m pondering this question myself, although the choices will be vastly different I suspect when my 9month old gets his license. I’m thinking, something along the lines of a slow minivan with all the passenger seats removed -in brown, of course.
From the point of view of my safety, I want them to be driving a manual transmission, simply to make it much more difficult for them to use their cell phone. Distraction from yaking on them is bad enough, but the text messaging craze truly scares me.
A 94 honda civic. Great gas mileage, too tiny to fit friends into, will survive one accident, dirt cheap to replace. That or an old CRX, then you have the hatch. A manual transmission is good but not required.
Put the kid in too safe of a car and they’ll think they’re invincible. Better to teach them how to drive instead of teaching them right away that the car can make up for all their shortcomings as drivers.
What they should drive is something they paid for themselves, with money they work to earn. We wonder why so few people today are willing to take responsibility for anything? Why would you when you are used to people just giving you stuff.
My first car was a beat up old ‘72 Chevelle that I bought for $450 when I was sixteen, with money I earned working part-time. I paid for my own insurance and my own gas (of which I used a lot with that 350). Nothing was sponged from my parents. My parents taught me that you don’t take anything for granted.
I suppose it depends on what kind of driving skills one wants to impart on the kid. If they’re of the mind to learn how to use a standard shift, I second the Volvo 240. Barely over 100hp to push the thing around, and they’re built to stand up to abuse. Parts are cheap and plentiful, and (speaking from experience) most fixes can be done right in the driveway.
A five year old Buick LeSabre would fit the the bill otherwise. Cheap to fix, pretty good mileage, and in standard form unlikely to be used for much hoonage. The size of the back seat might be a sticking point for some parents, but the kid has to have fun somehow…
Since we’re divulging first rides, mine was a ‘68 Chrysler Newport Custom purchased from the original owner in Arizona. That big C-body was a great highway car (I had a 17 mile rural highway commute to high school), but in Minnesota winters it was a challenge to drive. Still, my dad sold it for two grand more than he originally bought it for after five years of use, with pretty minimal repairs.
Much as I loved the power of the RB big block, I’ve been driving Volvos ever since. I blanch at the thought of what I’d be paying for in fuel prices if I had the Newport today.
This is a tough question. When I was 16, I was put in a 18-year-old Jeep CJ-5. Last year out of nostalgia, I just bought myself an old CJ from that era and I can’t believe how scary it is to drive. I guess it helped me become a good driver because it was manual everything (no PB or PS) and if anyone has driven one you know there’s no handling to speak of. But then that thing is so dangerous, I couldn’t, in good conscious, give a kid one to drive as his first car. I guess if there’s a safeish car out there with no power and is very hard to drive, that’s what I’d choose. You don’t want the youngins being spoiled.
I’m glad I don’t have to really worry about this for another 9 years, we asked her just last night if she would drive us home because we were tired, she refused something about not having a license and she can’t reach the pedals.
If she stays as responsible as she has been so far she will probably get the Subaru Legacy GT we have now (that she wants) which will be well used by then. Chances are she will change and I will stick her in an old Merc. 300D tank.
RWD was a bit scary for me when I was 17. A good older BMW is fine I see now though. The 92 Accord was great for my first car. Although I think I pushed it to 9.5/10ths the night I crashed. hahahalol. I dunno, fwd seems safer to me for a first car. A good handling and responsive FWD. A Honda. I’m not 100% sure though. I hate to give up RWD as an option.
I think my parents got it right. They vetoed my choice of first car (1969 firebird ‘vert) and instead got me an early nineties corolla. The car had a small enough engine not to get me into too much trouble and high enough handling limits to allow me to get out of the trouble I did get myself in. Nowadays, too many ‘family sedans’ come with too much power and poor handling limits/ steering feel. That can get someone inexperienced into trouble. Hell, I can’t hit the gas to make a quick turn in my dad’s v6 Camry without breaking the front wheels loose. You need to know your limits in that car. In the old ‘rolla, it was never an issue because the engine is what held that car back and that is the easiest thing to learn to deal with.
Honda Civic/Fit hatchback. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, easy to maintain, with the hatch they can move things on their own (important to college kids). The first car teaches important lessons in what the real function of a car should be, and how much fun can be had with little horsepower and less luxury. My ‘89 civic dx hatchback showed me that more $$$$ doesn’t mean more value or even more performance in real life conditions.
I’m going to go with the default ride of my old high school. An 8 year old Pontiac Grand Am.
I drove a 95 Neon; the only reason I had that was because the dealer didn’t have the Corolla he thought he was going to get. But that damn Neon survived 3 rather aggressive teen drivers.
Many of us would agree that the 17 year old kid in a BMW M3 is a bad sight. And that we’d recommend an old Taurus for safety and preventative (you can’t go to fast) reasons.
One fantastic car for spoiled children that actually WAS a car for spoiled children was the past generation VW Jetta (Mk4). Most of the ones you see on the road are 115 hp, and it had 6 airbags. Pity about the reliability…
Hot Wheels.
Mazda3. Safe, handles well enough to help them get out of trouble, auto lights/wipers so they don’t have to be distracted, reliable, and trendy.
The problem with station wagons and minivans for kids should be obvious – they may not be fast or cause traffic accidents – but they will enable other risky behaviors that can be just as dangerous in “submarine watcher” lane.
I still think there should be requirements for high performance vehicle driving including experience and training requirements. And probably also for vehicles over 5000 pounds.
My daughter, when she was in her early 20s, drove a substantially modified ‘83 911SC track car, after getting out of the Neon Twin-Cam I bought her when she turned 16 (and sent her to Skippie with, for both the driving and performance courses). And yes, she frequently took the 911 to the track. She’s a much better driver than I am. Faster, too. Years of letting her–from the time she was 16, maybe even 15–quietly drive every high-performance car I ever had on test created a skilled driver who would no more use a cellphone in a car than I would. And I don’t even own a cellphone.
Kids should be kept from driving big SUVs. They shouldn’t be allowed to drive high performance cars without supervision unless they have a caution gene. (I have that gene. It makes stupid driving behavior much less likely. My brother’s son also has it. I wouldn’t be surprised if my sister’s older boy has it–don’t know about the younger one.) I’d probably allow a large sedan or wagon.
The problem with station wagons and minivans for kids should be obvious – they may not be fast or cause traffic accidents – but they will enable other risky behaviors that can be just as dangerous in “submarine watcher” lane.
When I was a teenager, I had sex at home. If I had kids, they’d have approval for that with steady lovers. So as far as driving, wagons, minivans OK.
I still think there should be requirements for high performance vehicle driving including experience and training requirements. And probably also for vehicles over 5000 pounds.
The paradox here is the probability that people who have had performance driving classes will push the limits of that, instead of merely pushing the limits of nonperformance abilities. Still, I guess I’d be inclined to send any kids to such classes.
Well, I plan to be living somewhere that offers some sort of bus service when I got kids and they’re old enough to drive. Hah, my brother turned 16 last year and needed a car so he could get a job. So the whole “Make the kid buy the car himself” argument doesn’t work so well when the closest employment is 10 miles from the house.
The Mazda3 is a bit dangerous for the wrong kid (then again, so is probably any car). It’s so much fun that it makes you want to push its limits.
I have a 2005, and it was my first car (I’m 22 now). It’s the smaller engine (2.0L) model, but man, it’s a blast.
My first car was a silver 1984 Mazda 626. I got it in 1987. Did the job but didn’t stand up to well to my hoonery. Busted the steering rack first, then blew up the radiator.
There’s a 19 year old kid living next door to me (still under mommy and daddy’s roof) and here’s what he and his friends are driving based on what I see parked out on the street:
Late 90s Ford F150; late 90s Mustang GT (gulp); jacked-up mid 90s 2 door Tahoe (gulp); mid 90s Volvo sedan; early 90s Volvo sedan
All in all these kids are in more danger of going deaf and/or rattling their beaters to pieces with the ridiculous subwoofery they all seem to have than going ludicrously fast.
I’m surprised that a group of individuals so ready to declaim that our national driver-training standards are abysmal have said so little about teaching their children to drive. “Put ‘em in this beater” or “Buy ‘em that Volvo” seems to be the solution.
I’d say something fun and cool but not too fast. Maybe an old CRX or Civic or even an Integra. Must be a manual.
Under powered; over air-bagged; manual transmission; lots of attention to safety but not big SUV that makes them feel invincible – think old Volvo or Saab…
Sanman, my parents got it wrong. Well, sort of… My first car was 68 Camaro Convert, but with a 230 ‘Turbo-Thrift’ inline 6 and a 1 bbl Rochester Monojet Carb. Three speed manual. It could not get out of its own way but it looked gorgeous. It made me be a better driver by cherishing my cars. Stephen W will probably yell at me because I still wax my cars four times a year. But for all those out there insisting on getting thier children shitboxes, there is something to be said about respect for something nice…
With my youngest daughter I did a BMW 325e manual.
It had ABS, no real horse power, good brakes and I put Eibach pro springs and Bilsteins in it. Then took her to the BMWCCA parking lot clinic to understand the dynamics of the car. It addicted her to a proper car (manual trans) and She bought a 2001 330ci when she got out of college. I created another car addict!!
I have to concur with pcb101,
Kids should walk, bike and ride public transit.
If they want to have a car teach teach them fiscal responsability… Let them buy the car they can afford. Of course DO NOT under any circumstance help them or pay any repair, towing, insurance, etc…
I bought my first car, a Mercedes 240D of all things!!! at age 23 when i could afford insurance, emergency repairs, etc…
@ Stephan Wilkinson
In my part of the country (Minnesota) starting your kid in a RWD Volvo constitutes good parental driving instruction. The car is very catchable in the snow but still teaches the kid how to drive in the powder properly. Putting them into a underpowered FWD Civic or similar won’t teach them much about driving in the half of the year when the road isn’t dry.
At the same time, because a 200 or 700 series Volvo doesn’t have much power, they have to learn how to better use what they’ve already got in all kinds of driving conditions. Barely 100hp in a 3000+lb car means learning how to overtake effectively without simply relying on 250+ horsepower to vault you ahead of the car you’re passing.
Insurance on the car is probably about as low as you can get for a driver of that age, which is a pretty big consideration for parents on a budget (particularly when you start adding in the cost of extra gas and maintenance of the kid’s vehicle, if you’re inclined to pay for that).
Finally, there’s more to just learning about cars than driving them. There are few cars as easy for young shadetree mechanics to work on as old Volvos (5.0-equipped Fords might be another option here). Even if you’re just teaching the kid how to change the oil and do a brake job, it’s an excellent choice.
Something slow and safe with a AAA card just in case. If it breaks down, that should help the little darling learn something about a)maintenance, b) repairs, and c) budgeting. I also expect the child should pay for gas, insurance, and all repairs as well, just like it was for me. I expect them to learn a little bit about how responsible adults behave in the real world and making them start to pay for any unnecessary extras as they grow up is my way of easing them into the real world. Cars and cell phones are not necessities, by the way. My wife is actually quite a bit harsher. She says that were not even going to pay anything towards the car in the first place.
Since we’re divulging first rides, mine was a ‘68 Chrysler Newport Custom purchased from the original owner in Arizona.
I remember trips in the backseat of my grandfather’s ‘69 Chrysler Newport custom (California).
A pair of Nikes.
seoultrain:
My 20-year-old cousin bought a Mazda3 Sedan.
She was on the freeway, somehow missed some exit, went for it too late, and wound up bouncing over some sort of median and blowing her tire.
Rather than stop, she decided to drive with no front tire. For 2 miles. She didn’t even stop to look. She did tell me that she was worried because the car felt, “weird.”
She needs a new tire, wheel, rotor, brake caliper and knuckle. About $4,000 in all.
And she’s blaming the car.
I’d say an older Mercedes or Volvo would be a good choice. Safe, reliable, and not too high-performance but yet still reasonably ‘cool’.
my 1st car was a 1986 VW Golf. 2drs. 1.8l 95hp on a good day. slow. very very slow. perfect for a new driver.
I’m wondering if ANYONE here had a car with less performance than my first 3 vehicles. I started with an Austin A40 – 848cc if I remember right and 0-60 on a good day if the wing windows were closed.
Then I upgraded to a Renault Dauphine with the “automatic” which was actually a 3 speed normal transmission that shifted using solenoids and a magnetic wet clutch.
Finally I got a Triumph Herald convertible. I think that was about 950cc – the biggest engine of the three. When the rear axles weren’t bent and the engine had enough compression, it could nearly get up to 70. Zoom.
Between the 3 cars the total horsepower was around 110 total. None had 40 hp. And I don’t think there were any seatbelts in any of them. But I still manged to learn to love cars, driving and working on them and didn’t get hurt in any accidents.
1991 Miata with rollbar.
Stephan Wilkinson :
March 21st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I’m surprised that a group of individuals so ready to declaim that our national driver-training standards are abysmal have said so little about teaching their children to drive. “Put ‘em in this beater” or “Buy ‘em that Volvo” seems to be the solution.
That’s what I’m thinking! An Aveo can top 100 mph and can be driven just as badly as anything else. It’s almost as likely to injure/kill someone in a wreck.
I’m tailgated constantly by early-90s Civics. Has absolutely nothing to do with the car they’re driving.
America doesn’t teach us how to drive at all. The tests are nonsense (I drove around a parking lot for about 3 minutes, they checked my mother’s car to make sure the lights and horn worked – the longest part of the “test” – and parallel parked once). Freaking ridiculous. A learner’s permit is even more a waste of time – they show you a red sign that says “STOP” and ask you what you’re supposed to do when you see it.
The problem – like most of America’s problems – is bureaucratic.
I’m 22, by the way.
nopanegain,
The car I was looking at had a v8 and probably wasn’t the best choice for New York weather. BEsides, I found enough trouble with the ‘rolla. It actually taught me about small, light cars. But, I bet you got more looks in the highschool parking lot than I did. As for taking care of a car…. It might been a beater, but it was my beater. I paid for it and it was well known that no replacement was coming if I crashed it. Fear of the big yellow bus kept me in check (at least somewhat). To this day, I worry about my cars because I pay for them. I can’t fathom 4 wheeled snow drifts in a new wrx, unlike friends of mine. A beater subaru and a parking lot are more my speed.
Steven Wilkinson
I’m surprised that a group of individuals so ready to declaim that our national driver-training standards are abysmal have said so little about teaching their children to drive. “Put ‘em in this beater” or “Buy ‘em that Volvo” seems to be the solution.
Excellent point – and props on turning your daughter into a driver.
For most others, I think a driving course is a must. A good way to weed out inane puff courses is to look for those that offer manual transmission instruction. And don’t scrimp. So many will spend $10-20K on their kids’ cars and balk at spending $1K on good driving instruction.
While many here are probably good drivers, many (like me) probably have shortcomings when it comes to driving instruction. Especially when it comes to family. A perspective from an instructor who does it for a living is necessary.
Doesn’t it really depend on what they learned driving in? I mean some may have learned in a little 4-cylinder beater, but in my family lessons came either in my mom’s Equinox, my grandma’s Deville, my uncle’s crew cab Silverado or my dad’s GX470. More to the point, my family says that I drive better in bigger cars because I’m more comfortable in them. Just saying “stick ‘em in a slow sedan” seems a bit all-sweeping to me.
readingthetape :
March 21st, 2008 at I heartily concur with your intent, but knowing my offspring, the manual shift would be the distraction. You cant stop the tide of progress.
One small victory. My kids will yell at me if I shift into D without fastening my seatbelt. If you can get your hormone poisoned, 10′tall and bullet proof, chances to continue your genes, to buckle up, it is the best thing you can do. It is the icky stage of child rearing. You are reaping the angst you put your folks through.
Sanman,
The car I was looking at had a v8 and probably wasn’t the best choice for New York weather.
True- my Camaro also lived through snowy NY winters and even had traction problems with the anemic 6. A V8 would have been a death sentence. But glad you took pride in what you owned and had respect for it. That was my main point.
Good aside to the story though about owning a semi-classic: Of all of the cars in the high school lot, mine was the only one that APPRECIATED, not depreciated.
Live in Santa Cruz, Ca. so Volvo wagons were an easy sell (surfer dude car). When oldest reached 16 got an 85 245 stick with 220K miles for $500. It is still running strong at 280K with only regular service needed. When the younger reached 16 found a 93 945T. $4500 dollars. Both prefered the 945T for handling and power but liked the 245 for image (Santa Cruz again). The kids are out of the house now but I still use the 245 as a daily driver. Gets 25/27MPG, lots of room and I can do as much of the servicing as I want. I am going to drive it until it falls into little rust pieces around me.