Whatever it is it should be the best car in the family. The one with the most up to date safety features, airbags, antiskid computers etc. We found a car with all the airbags at the guvvy auction, ~ $14K. It was an ex police car but it goes well despite a misspent youth. It's still the best/safest car in the family.
Maybe let her drive your car if it has more than $10k of safety features and buy yourself a cheap runabout.
subaru imprezza 1997-2000 model automatic
full time all wheel drive
get the hatch so she and her boyfriend can sleep in the back as well
bout $3000-$7000 heaps of change for a new kite for u
My daughter has inherited a 2005? Ford Focus. It has airbags.Is solid even though its small. It nags the shizzen out of you if you dont put your seatbelts on. Best of all its proven to be completely reliable. The thought of her breaking down at 2 am and walking for help bothers me more than her crashing (within reason). Sad but thats the world we live in.
The fact is anything recent enough to be reliable has the potential to be driven in such a manner that safety features may as well be non existent. Go for a good all rounder. Have a serious discussion about the responsibilities that come with a set of keys and let her know that you will drive to the ends of the earth at 3 am to help her no matter what is going on.
Oh yeah.... Get her a hands free kit for her phone. That stupid thing is the biggest danger around.
I'm already thinking what car I should get for my 13yo son. My thoughts are getting him a 2 seater of some kind so that he can only have 1 passenger and thus avoid the peer group pressure encouraging him to do something stupid. Maybe a Jeep wrangler with no back seat or a ute or something along the lines of that.
have 23 & 25y.o. girls (OK woman - until something goes wrong [}:)])
1. Tell them to turn phone off or do NOT use or answer when driving, & that includes stops.
2. Get them to pay for car & it's running cost (pay you back if necessary). They may take it &/or you for granted. (yes, I'm a hard ar$e)
3. Try for safety ie. airbags & not tiny tin can size. Ultimately it is their driving ability (can't buy experience unfortunately) that will determine how they will go/survive.
4. Just sold my 95 Subaru Liberty sedan auto for $2900. Good safe-ish (min airbags), reliable. But go a bit later models for more safer + all wheel drive.
Ian K is on the money there also.
Thanks breezers.
This discussion has woken me up to the reality of this. I would love to be able to put this whole car thing off and make her pay for it etc. But I can't see it happening.
I know she will prang it, so a safe car is really important. ABS brakes are great, and think the side airbags are also a good thing - hope they never have to be used. The phone thing with her is a real worry - instead of installing a hands free kit, I think I'll just make it clear to her that a condition on the car is that her phone is not to be used under any circumstances while she's in it.
Her teen years were difficult enough without this new worry.
Yaris
Getz feels a little bit more solid and Getz has stability control but it needs it, you can really punt the yaris hard in twisty's and rain without it coming unstuck. Getz is good up to a point and then it snaps into instant death mode.
Yaris has much better suspension, comfort and gearbox (both auto and manual of Getz is garbage).
Cheap on fuel, cheap on servicing. Motors and gearboxes good for at least 300,000. I've seen echo's hit 750,000 (work cars not an easy life) before their first engine replacement, engine hasnt changed for yaris.
I've been in minor accidents in both and both are surprising, they kinda bounce off when something hits them. I would certainly rate them better in accidents better than alot of bigger older stuff. I've investigated and been to accidents of workmates where you walk up to the car and go f*** they are dead but in each one they walked away with just a bit of bruising.
BTW I generally dislike toyota's. Aside from the build seeming a little light the only other critisim i've got is the gearing for the auto's. It is almost tiring to keep at 60km/h as it wants to stay at either 50ish or 70ish.
I have a beautiful 84 XE Fairmont that would be just the ticket for her.
Style, performance, reliability and economy.
It is worth $20k+ but as you are a member of the Seabreeze community, I'll cop $10k for it as long as you don't tell anyone how cheap I have sold it.
Have to agree with Doggie here.
Both with the Getz and what he will possibly say about the Jeep.
To keep your hand out of your pocket its best to steer clear of most older Euro model vehicles. Also google "Holden Astra faults" and make your own mind up about them.Oliver pm me if you have any questions.
I knew that would pull you out of the wood work doggie.
So what is any old car really worth given that it will pass a roadworthy inspection.
1. Four new tyres. $500.
2. New windscreen. $300.
3. New battery. $140.
4. New belts. $60.
5. Oil and filters. $100.
6. Wheel alignment. $60.
7. Transmission service $140.
8. Brake pads and or shoes. $160.
9. RWC inspection. $100.
10. Six months rego $400.
Total $1,960 (no labour) round up to an even $2,000.
Any car I ever sell has the above magic ten points.
Add whatever brand or age of car to the above and the minimum price is $2001.
Go figure.
I drove a Getz a couple of years ago when they first came out. It was a cheap hire car provided by work. They go great and the fuel economy is awesome. In a world where the roads where only populated by Getz sized cars it would do a treat.
I can still remember the feeling of vulnerability as i looked UP and out of the window and admired the spinning chrome of the wheel nuts on the truck rotating 2 feet away from me.
No thanks. Not for me and certainly not for my daughter. Upsize a bit. You will feel better about it. So will she.
