My first one is about to turn 16. She's very petite and quiet, and although she loves driving in the C4S Cab, we're pointing her towards an '05 Jetta or an '05 Honda Civic. Looking for reliability and ease of use, not performance.

Anyone have experience and care to share?

Thanks. Sorry a bit OT.

 

No brainer, particularly when considering reliability,- Honda Civic!!

 

for reliability and cheap on gas, a nd a good beginner car, i would go with the civic eventhough they are rice rockets hondas are very reliable cars

 

Don't buy her a new car till after the first fender bender it could be an expensive lesson.... Oh wait you own a body shop...

It's really a tossup between honda or VW, both

But seriously, I would be careful getting a 16 year old a brand new car until she has driven for a year and learned judgement, otherwise her pretty new car will have lots of scrapes. My nextdoor neighbor bought his 16year old an 04 jetta earlier this year and within the first two weeks it had two small dents from her hitting little things(i.e. mail box when backing out) due to lack of judgement. Now that she's got 6months on her belt, I can tell you she is a much better driver and does not hit anything.

That being said, when I was 16, I had a 930 turbo and proceeded to be in the wrong gear and poped the clutch into my dad's car when I thought I was in reverse. He wasn't amused and a few thousand dollars later I bought a Nissan Stanza to drive everyday until I could handle the 930(which I drove once I got my senior license @17 and which I kept till about 2 years ago).

Have I scared you yet....
The one good thing these days is kids have cellphones....and you can always hide a GPS in the car also

Cheers,
Corey

 

I agree civic...price insurance too...here in NJ it is a commonly stolen car, so insurance is higher higher for a car in that class.....but then again NJ is insurance hell.

I would focus on safety rating then reliabilty, economy, comfort...a car can always be replaced

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm

 

Easy............Honda

 

Thanks.

I too think the Honda is bulletproof, but it is tin-can like inside. The Jetta, on the other hand, for a couple grand more, is really damn nice. For 21 or so I can get full leather (many of them are rolling in with this, though a 16yr old should have vinyl or cloth), 2.0 liter 4-banger with plenty of pull with two adults inside, and a decent build quality.

I have heard a few horror stories about the Jetta, and the damn thing is assembled in Mexico now (bummer) but seems to be solid. And safety wise, I think the Jetta is above the civic. The '05 we looked at just came in, has front , rear, side window curtain airbags and seems solid as a rock.

My wife and I are a bit torn on the ‘new’ car issue too. I got a new one at 16, but this city was half the size back then, and the only SUV on the road was a VW van! And I know I’ll be painting bumpers and fixing dents on that thing, but it’s a fun time.

Insurance is a ***** though – both the civic and the jetta are highly rated premiums, and a 16 yr old with a 1000 deduct runs close to $3600 a year! Ouch! I am not putting her on the Porsche – that’s for sure!

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Two daughters now 34 and 26. The oldest was in a Honda Civic that I bought used. She drove it for 8 years with absolutely no problems. Traded it on her own for a Mitsubishi (Shame on Her). Second Daughter in a used VW - Lots of headaches - After 4 years I put her in an Acura Integra. My suggestion however, would be to find a good one or two year old car. They will appreciate a new one much better either on your dollar after college or on their own. My first daughter thought she was in the demolition derby. Second daughter never a ticket or an accident.
Good Luck

 

I would go for the jetta...

 

Jetta. I would not put my daughter in a japanese rocket plus if you seen them bend like piece of paper... if something happen, I want her to be able walk away... those SUV just way oversize today...

 

get used first...!

even if its only for 6months. then get her anything new thats safe. but the first one will get hit, let them learn to pay attention in a POS. as long as its safe...

 

I had a Jetta as my first car. I would go with the Jetta again, great car!!

 

What ever you get, make sure it at least has ABS. I'm 16, and I drive an old eclipse, its quick, but no ABS sucks alot. I almost rear ended my friends suburban when someone cut him off on a dark road in pouring rain. I was at least 10 carlengths behind him but I came very close. The only reason I missed was because at the last second I stopped braking to swerve onto the shoulder.

Anyways I would really recommend the Jetta, a friend of mine has one, and its a very safe car. The Honda is nice, dont get me wrong, but the Jetta has the quality, and every teen girl drives a civic or a beatle.

My 2 cents

 

I recommend a 1994 Geo Metro, 50 mpg, 3 cylinders, and dang cool!

 

I had a 2 litre Jetta and it was an electrical trainwreck. I won't own another one. Had nothing but problems.

How about a new Mazda 3? They are neat looking and reliable, too? For 21, you could buy a used Mazda 6S with the killer engine, 17" wheels, Bose stereo - everything.

Or how about a Corolla S? Heck, there are many nice cars out there for 20 or less, but I don't think the Jetta is the best pick.