New or Used: Beater or Moderately Nice, Distinction Without A Difference?

Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
by Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang

Keith writes:

It’s time to buy my 17-year-old son a car; my wife’s previous car (a 2000 Mercedes E320 wagon) has cost us more than what it’s worth in maintenance one time too many. For his car, we’ve established two possible paths: a beater for now, or a moderately nice used car for now and later (through college.) For this beater, he’s narrowed the list down to just the 2001-06 Elantra, and the 2000-04 Ford Focus. For a nicer car, a 2005-08 Scion tC or 2004-07 Mazda3 seem to be ideal. Which path do you think would be best to go down? Are there any choices we’ve overlooked?

Steve Answers:

The path that leads to the better prior owner. Any of the four will be perfectly fine…except for the Focus in its earlier model years. The first few years Ford had to smooth out a lot of glitches. There is rarely a Focus at the auctions from the 2000 – 2002 model years that doesn’t vibrate due to cheap motor mounts, plastic fittings and the like. I would also add that the three door hatchbacks had very bad side impact scores.

My answer really depends on your budget and his maturity. If you’re looking at around $5k, I would consider a Focus sedan from the 2004 to 2005 model years. If your price hits the $7k level I would opt for a well kept Elantra hatchback.$8k and above I would go straight to the Tc.

However, I would also encourage you to take a look at your son and ask, “Would I give him $5000… $7000… $8000, etc.” You are essentially ‘giving’ him a vehicle, and more than likely paying the insurance, gas, and other operating costs. Nothing wrong with that. But if he has issues that would give you pause to that question, you should wait a while before buying that car.

Sajeev Answers:

You did well narrowing down the field, looking for alternatives only makes sense after exhausting these options in the local market. But wait: where’s the line between beater and “moderately nice” used car? Yes, the Scion and Mazda3 are better, but will your teenager actually appreciate the difference?

I’d avoid the tC because of high insurance rates (at least in my county) and the unfortunate stigma associated with their owners. Who probably created the high insurance rates in the first place? Maybe.

I rather like the choice of a 2004-ish Focus, in any trim level. The steering was disturbingly perfect for such a cheap and utilitarian vehicle and the later models were not plagued with recalls. Quite honestly, add a little SVT magic on the suspension (shocks, swaybars, wheels, etc) and the most mundane Focus LX Sedan would run with those more expensive alternatives, if not blow them away in the corners. Sounds like a perfect case of having your cake, eating it too.

Need help with a car buying conundrum? Email your particulars to mehta@ttac.com, and let TTAC’s collective wisdom make the decision easier… or possibly much, much harder.

Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang
Sajeev Mehta and Steve Lang

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