Kid driver - what car ?
 

The Covid/Ukraine/inflation thing has totally changed what I thought I knew about the used car market... The $3000-5000 used cars I had in mind seem to be 7-10K now. Nope. My original idea always was merc 300D - slow tank, but wife wants Airbags and ABS.

Need a cheap car for the kid to learn on and pass the test with, and drive for a year before he gets better and buys something else, by himself. The Ins Co said each person at home gets assigned one car for risk and premium valuation, so it's best for the student driver to actually get a cheap car and be assigned to that, vs none at all and being on the parent's pricier cars ! Interesting !

What can you think of that will have an airbag/ABS, not get him too ridiculed at school but around $5000 ? I'm more asking what to avoid - some of you may have had bad surprises buying random such cars that proved to be HIGH premiums (because insurance rules are weird)... For example my wife's car is valued EXACTLY the same as mine, and yet the premium on it was 2x as much because presumably of cost of repair or insurance charts!!! Weird.

Front wheel drive GM V-6 cars from the 90's like: Monte Carlo / Grand Prix, etc. Rock solid, tractor simple, tractor dependable, and most of all, cheap

I got my kid a 2007 civic ,

not too expensive (for obvious reasons), not too fast (pretty obvious), not too slow (so they can merge into traffic), not with super high miles unless it's a known reliable brand.

My now 34 year old daughter got a well used but cared for Camry when she was seventeen. It was a 98 and about 9 years old when I bought it from my Dad for her. She sold it after driving it through the end of high school, college, grad school and well into her professional career. Must have had it at least 10 years. I refreshed it some as a college graduation present. It was running well when she sold it.

Older one had a handed down '04 A6 8 years ago. Younger one got an '05 Forrester 2 years ago. They're both still driving them today.

You need to convince your wife that abs and airbags are just a bandaid on modern cars that are too numb and have no road feel. In high school 2002ish me and my freinds had a 46 willys jeep, 89 240sx, fiero, windstar, 88 accord, mazda 626, eclipse turbo, gti, mr2 turbo, cj-7, escort, tracker, 69 nova, gen 2 firebird, one even had a humvee. The only one that crashed alot was one that drove broken crx's all the time and my friends girlfriend rolled her mint del-sol in like a week. And other one spun out his corvette going way too fast on the highway. There were a few with lame 4 door tupperware cars but who remembers them? nobody

All wheel drive subaru, pick your year/pricepoint.

Let my son use my 2009 535xi wagon. 6 speed manual lead sled. Twin turbo for some oomph and cargo to haul god awful smelling lacrosse and hockey gear. I’m selling it soon and will miss it.

I did this same analysis. I spent waaaay too much time on it. Airbags and ABS are essential.

I bought a Volvo xc90. It was very safe. Also, I despised it, now gone.

The thing is, new drivers crash. If you prepare for this, you will sleep better. Trust me.

this, maybe an accord or camry

Volvo. Get one from eBay, FB/MP, or CL.

Well if you want ABS and airbags you’ll have to find something less than 20 years old.
I vote 2008 Ford Fusion

Got my daughter a 2012 Honda Civic when she turned 16, she will be 24 in a few weeks and still loves that little car. It actually has been a fantastic car!!!

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As a free bonus, your kid will learn how to change head gaskets…

Two seat. Less peer pressure.
My kids almost learner permit material and a masochist - wants an XK8…
I’m trying to talk him into an A5 instead.

Craigs list search min $1001 and max $5699 with clean title. Sure it's a higher price point but there is always room for negotiation. I guessing any appliance toyota/honda/hyundai or similar will fit the bill. Let him choose the color and for ~ $600 throw on some sporty rims and tires (also cheap on CL) so it does not look so pedestrian.

Where in CA are you?

Just north of GG bridge..

To recap, I'm not so much asking for the perfect idea as what to avoid. I don't wanna "find" a cheap car that works for me and then find out the insurance thinks it's literally the worst car to insure and pay as much for premium as for the car ;-)
We may have access to an old Mazda 3 and an old lexus in the family, both $3K or less. I'm totally aware it will get dinged or damaged year 1 and will not even bother repairing cosmetics on it if it happens. I'm putting my $ into driver ed, teen car control classes, and his uncle is a professional racer on the drifting series so he'll get car control time for sure (me I'm teaching apex and lines, and now "keep me out of the ditch dammit, 1 ft further left") !

I'm more worried about finding, say a nice old Mini cooperand think that is cool... and pay more in insurance than for the car, LOL. But the suggestions are welcome ! (If find a cheap 300D i'm still getting that, not fast enough to need an airbag ;-)

I found this, miata is tempting

These are the top 10 cheapest cars to insure for teenagers, including the average annual car insurance cost:

Mazda MX-5 Miata: $2640.
Subaru Outback: $2735.
Volkswagen Golf GTI: $2740.
Mini Countryman: $2766.
Volkswagen Routan: $2769.
Smart Fortwo: $2776.
Fiat 500L 19: $2786.
Honda Odyssey: $2788.
Subaru Legacy: $2792.
Mini Paceman: $2807.

100% a miata.

Entertaining to drive
Not so powerful to overwhelm
Can only have one passenger, so peer pressure/distractions/stupidity in numbers is kept to a minimum.
Gas millage is good.
Good aftermarket parts support so if he is interested in the car hobby, lots of potential
Did I mention entertaining to drive?
Tires/maintenance is cheap.
Minimal gadgets / electronic distractions. Little in the way of touch screens and buttons and nanny bells and whistles to distract
Does not attract the local law enforcement attention

Great car to learn the habits of driving in