Advice on picking a car for a 16yo...

Not everyone is a dumbass when it comes to driving. I got my Taco at 18, before that I rode around in my dads old 92 Pickup. I care/cared for both way more than anyone else my age.

 

That's what we're saying. Hell I know a guy who still has his '79 Mustang bought in H.S. but he's the only one even though everyone swore they'd keep them forever. My first car was wrapped around a tree 2 weeks later but never another one that bad. Luckily *besides no injury of course* it was $65.

 

This, or at least suffer repairable damage a few times. Biggest reason to get a vehicle with parts widely available and cheap.

The Toyota dealers in my area often have a Corolla sitting on its side on a platform, to advertise undercoating. Amazing how simple they are and easy to work on. I'd recommend a Corolla, Matrix, or Matrix AWD if you find one. Unkillable cockroaches that will stand up to abuse and neglect from a 16 year-old.

 

Granted the 5 speed prevented me from texting while driving, and the pretty useless backseat prevented me from driving more than one of my friends around. So I was pretty limited in the distraction department. Oh and its not like the 4 cylinder in either truck had a ton of power either.

 

Don't forget the Vibe was a Matrix. A washing machine ON THE DOLLY fits in the rear.

 

Corolla, cheap to operate, reliable, save some money towards a newer Tacoma later

 

I also second a 4runner. I had a 98 4x4 and I loved that truck. Still regret getting rid of it. Have a 2017 tacoma quad cab that is really nice and I STILL miss that 4runner.

 

Ah yes the Vibe and Matrix were built in the same plant as 2nd gen Tacomas. They use the same cabin filter and had similar chirping HVAC fans.

 

Go with a Camry 4 cyl in good condition

 

Anything too old and it could be a headache with repairs and exceed the initial budget as well

 

AWD CR-V is a good option, low cost to maintain and parts are pretty affordable when it needs them

 

Yeah I’m going to second this. Something with a 4 cylinder so it stays slow, 5 speed so you know the life skill, regular cab to make visibility easy and keep distractions down, and 4wd for fun. It’s alright if the body is a little rough because those parking lots are like bumper cars anyway. Either a Tacoma or frontier would fit the bill.

 

Late 90's/early 2000's Rangers were okay too.

 

Frontier

 

I would pass on a Honda Element, I recall it having quite a few piss poor designs. If memory serves me the starter is mounted under the intake.

 

Coincidentally EricTheCarGuy had an Element, so there are many videos on it. The starter is accessible from below without removing the intake:

 

Does insurance and gas matter in this operation?

If so, it might be practical to set aside 'cool' and go for boring. An econobox that has been well maintained mechanically and interior wise, but maybe a bit weathered on the outside could be a great bargain. Reliable, cheap, doesn't draw too much attention, easy to fix, cheap to fix.

The reason kid's insurance is so high is they have a lot of accidents. (Cue the 'I never' crowd). He may never. Or he may the first week. But his insurance will be high regardless.

Don't be afraid to move outside of the Toyota/Honda/Nissan band either. Some Hyundais have great records and in econobox terms don't look all that bad either. Like the Elantra GT

www.fueleconomy.gov might be a helpful guide for him. You'll find the Element to be a pretty lame performer in that area.

Something else to consider is a Vibe. It's Toyota Matrix in Pontiac trim. So all mechanicals are easy to find, they are cheap because of folks that don't know that, the back seat folks flat and holds an amazing amount of gear.

 

Nice! My buddy had one for awhile, just remembered it having some quirky things that went bad and were expensive to fix.

 

Removing the intake on one of these is not that big of deal. How often does anyone change Honda starters anyways?

 

Go with a used Toyota Corolla for around $2500 -$3000. You can’t kill those cars and if for some long shot your nephew doesn’t have an accident with it in the first year or two , he can sell it and get most of his money back. Most kids have some sort of accident in first 2 years. Once he learns to drive you can get him something nicer. Just my .02