I need ideas for a $15,000 car for an 18 year old

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

Is that an echo?

Yup, it was my moms, then I drove it in college, then my sister, then my uncle had it for years. I remember at some point we found a big nest inside the engine bay, it didn't give a shit, kept running.

[Kelse92]

Originally Posted by VChenz

For a reliable sports car Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ

For a reliable SUV, RAV 4 is hard to beat. Get the V6 sport model if you can as the gas consumption difference with the 4 banger is negligible.

F150 is a terrible idea unless they have good jobs where they can afford the gas or they need it for whatever career they are pursuing.

This post is almost identical to what I was going to write! But I'll expand on it some!

I was not that long ago, a teenager, and looking back I wish I had been given a smaller sports coupe with low HP and a manual transmission. The FRS/BRZ fits that bill and the price point OP was requesting. It took me until after college to learn to drive a manual, I wish I had learned it sooner.

It's also true about what was posted about the 4-door SUV thing. I had a 1st gen Nissan Murano as my first car (terrible choice, would not recommend that particular car lol) and I used to tote my friends around it in high school to events and whatnot, and even did the same thing in college DD'ing half the football team on weekends in our small college town. It was fun and gave me some street cred, but I was never the type to get into trouble. I hardly even drank in college until Senior year when I was actually 21. If the kids aren't already causing trouble then SUV/Small truck is a good choice if mainly for safety and visibility. I also appreciated it for the 8hr drive to and from my college campus, it was a nice way to tote all of my stuff at the beginning and end of the school year without having to rent a U-Haul or ship/store anything over the summer.

I also after the Murano drove every version of full-size truck you could imagine when I moved back home to finish my last two years of college. I would not recommend any of those either. I got stuck with them because my parents needed an occasional tow vehicle that I could drive during the rest of the time since I had to sell my first car in order to move back home. I briefly drove an f450, newer 2500 Silverado, and 2015 RAM 1500. I'll focus on the Ram mostly and say it was a great truck, but absolutely awful on gas mileage with the Hemi. I did however make some money off it on the weekends hauling my friends furniture to storage and stuff before summers. If I had to go back, a smaller Tacoma or 4runner would have been a good choice too, and they can be driven into the ground mileage wise.

I would still probably go for the sports car though. The 86 is fun and looks good while also being reliable and not too high horsepower. But ultimately, whatever way you go, at least give your kids some more time to think on their option or choice, you might be surprised what they say they would like to have, especially if they're into any sports that require a lot of equipment to be hauled around. Also, think about something they might wish to still own or have in the next 5-10 years. I wish I had gotten a fun or better practical car then the Murano as my first car then, so that it would be paid off and still not too high-mileage now so I could have something practical to drive that is paid-off in tandem to my //M.
Instead, I'm in the position of having to justify a second car payment, buying a cheaper cash car, or sticking with dailying the M3 with race seats a little longer to pay cash for something a little nicer.

[BimmerDimmer6]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Yup, it was my moms, then I drove it in college, then my sister, then my uncle had it for years. I remember at some point we found a big nest inside the engine bay, it didn't give a shit, kept running.

Those little Toyota's are something else. My buddy bought one in college 15 years ago and he still drives the damn thing to this day. Dude is a fucking doctor and just doesn't give a shit apparently.

[Housekeeping]

Any Hyundai

[autoart]

Check out a Toyota IM/ Scion IM 4door hatch slow and reliable.

[davidr3]

I second the BRZ statement
or maybe an impreza or a v6 muscle car. Cars with enough power, fun, and won't kill you to fix.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by corn18

I got the same crap from assholes about buying my kids new cars. FU. You do you, I'll do me.

For OP, give them a budget and let them pick the car. My only requirement was safety. First one got a Nissan Altima Coupe. She's had it 9 years now and it still runs and looks good. The second one got a Jeep Wrangler 2 DR. Lowest rated car by Consumer Reports in the history of all cars. And the most impractical car ever. But it was safe, so I let it slide. Six years old and no issues. I had my list of probables and they dismissed all of them.

We had a similar approach. My daughter worked from the time she was old enough. We told her that whatever she saved up money-wise, we would match it.

She saved $5k, we matched $5K. She ended up with a VW Bug as that was all the rage back then with her group. Since she had money tied up into it, she took better care of it. And since we matched her savings, she got a decent little car.

Lasted her all through college. Now she has a jeep that she bought with her cash after graduating and working.

[quick6]

Originally Posted by Captain Blood

They go down......

Make 'em wear swimmies!

[WeryPert1]

I’d vote Subaru Crosstrek. Funky enough to be kinda cool but most of all it is SAFE. Safe because Subaru’s are built safe, like a Japanese Volvo. And safe because it just won’t go fast enough to get in much trouble. Imagine yourself at 18...

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by WeryPert1

I'd vote Subaru Crosstrek. Funky enough to be kinda cool but most of all it is SAFE. Safe because Subaru's are built safe, like a Japanese Volvo. And safe because it just won't go fast enough to get in much trouble. Imagine yourself at 18...

Any car can be driven rough/unsafe, even a camry. Only problem w/ Subaru's is the transmission. My son's friend had a 18' Impreza, trans went at 75k.

[1MOREMOD]

If boys I'd vote creeper van so they can hunch in the back.

[MaC-N54-E82]

Originally Posted by WeryPert1

I'd vote Subaru Crosstrek. Funky enough to be kinda cool but most of all it is SAFE. Safe because Subaru's are built safe, like a Japanese Volvo. And safe because it just won't go fast enough to get in much trouble. Imagine yourself at 18...

Originally Posted by WeryPert1

I'd vote Subaru Crosstrek. Funky enough to be kinda cool but most of all it is SAFE. Safe because Subaru's are built safe, like a Japanese Volvo. And safe because it just won't go fast enough to get in much trouble. Imagine yourself at 18...

Agreed

Bought our 16 year old a Crosstrek with eye sight for all the reasons mentioned above. 11,000 miles later it's been a great little car as long as you can live with a CVT. This coming from a Toyota family. Our two other cars, besides the BMW, are a Sequoia and Land Cruiser. Despite our affinity for Toyota I couldn't find anything in their lineup that matched the Subie.

[Burrcold]

If you are going to spend $15k each, have you considered leasing (if financially/credit worthy feasible)? You could easily get them something to last right through college, not have to worry about repairs, and if you buy extra wear and tear you wouldn't have to worry about shit they'll inevitably ruin on the interior/exterior. Also if they get into any accidents that the car isn't totalled, you don't have to worry about depreciation either. Sure it goes back at lease end, but you would hope they're starting jobs at that point and could figure their own way forward.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by Torgus

A $5k econobox is more than enough and more than I started with. Or spoil them and throw away your money.

I respectfully disagree. My first car was a $5k, 13 yr old Toyota Camry. Yes it was economical, reliable, and I sold it for nearly the same price as my dad bought it. BUT, that thing had paper thin doors and slid around when it was wet outside (and in the Northwest it's always wet). Taking some turns, even at the speed limit, caused the car to nearly skid into walls.

I recommend a balance between cost and safety. OP's $15k budget is good.

[eluded]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

Those little Toyota's are something else. My buddy bought one in college 15 years ago and he still drives the damn thing to this day. Dude is a fucking doctor and just doesn't give a shit apparently.

They are great cars. Hold their value. Reliable. Safe. And as top gear proved they don't die. Flood it, drop it, burn it, the Toyota goes on.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

I respectfully disagree. My first car was a $5k, 13 yr old Toyota Camry. Yes it was economical, reliable, and I sold it for nearly the same price as my dad bought it. BUT, that thing had paper thin doors and slid around when it was wet outside (and in the Northwest it's always wet). Taking some turns, even at the speed limit, caused the car to nearly skid into walls.

I recommend a balance between cost and safety. OP's $15k budget is good.

Your Camry's problem was the tires. Not the car.

[XutvJet]

OP - How about a 2015-2017 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 5 door? That's what I'm looking at for my son. Stylish, reliable, excellent handling, high quality interior, and severely underrated......just like most every other Mazda product.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

OP - How about a 2015-2017 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 5 door? That's what I'm looking at for my son. Stylish, reliable, excellent handling, high quality interior, and severely underrated......just like most every other Mazda product.

Fantastic little cars, any Mazda gets a vote in my opinion. My son has a Mazda6 Signature, an NB Miata and his wife has a CX-9. Zero issues with any of their vehicles, they look great and drive really well for their class.

[Captain Blood]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

OP - How about a 2015-2017 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 5 door? That's what I'm looking at for my son. Stylish, reliable, excellent handling, high quality interior, and severely underrated......just like most every other Mazda product.

That's what I am looking at for Twin G. Nice cars. Twin M really wants an Audi a3, and is saving money towards an extended warranty.

[VisualEcho]

Same as it has been for the last 30 years, HONDA Civic.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

I respectfully disagree. My first car was a $5k, 13 yr old Toyota Camry. Yes it was economical, reliable, and I sold it for nearly the same price as my dad bought it. BUT, that thing had paper thin doors and slid around when it was wet outside (and in the Northwest it's always wet). Taking some turns, even at the speed limit, caused the car to nearly skid into walls.

I recommend a balance between cost and safety. OP's $15k budget is good.

Modern econoboxes are safe. I got my son a Hyundai Elantra. He was a relatively new driver. We live on a pretty wide street with not a lot of traffic with a number of side streets interacting with stop signs on the side streets. My son was driving down the street when a young driver went barreling through a stop sign on a side street and hit my son's car in the front fender sending the car into a jeep going the other way. The jeep flipped over. My son's car was totaled. But my son was fine as was the Jeep driver (the girl driving the car that went through the stop sign got a broken arm).

That was a number of years ago and if the Elantra was safe then, imagine how much safer it would be now.

Having said all that, I do like the Toyota 86 idea.

[brk_05]

I've got a 2015 Mazda6 I'm trying to get rid of. I think it would be great car for a young driver. Well below your $15k.

But seriously, there are a ton of decent cars 5 years old or newer that would be safe, reliable, etc within a $15k budget.

I would set some criteria, and let them choose, while you have ultimate veto power. and like others have suggested, they are on the hook for maintenance moving forward.