OK...so I need a nice transportation car for my daughter, that she will supposedly pay me back for. Given past history, there is a 50/50 chance that will happen. Since I might end up owning it, I don't want just anything. I mean it might actually be parked next to a perfect original 914 someday.


I’m thinking in the $2-4K range that is maybe 10-15 years old. Maybe something worth putting a new engine in it if it came to that and is a cool driver. Perhaps a particular year/model Honda civic; maybe a particular Subaru that is fun to drive? Maybe a Volkswagen?

I would love to hear all your suggestions. With your suggestion, how many miles will it should run before a new engine is likely?

I would look at the newest Miata you could find for your budget. Fun car and reliable.

Subaru...for the winter months

I wouldn't highly recommend a Miata just for insurance rates. Not sure your daughters age. I have twins who are 17. I've been through a few. Bought a PT Cruiser fairly cheap first. Wasn't overly impressed & I replaced it with a 91 honda Civic. I've always loved these little Civic's & have owned like 5 over the years. I like these earlier models but they are tough to find in good shape. I finally bought a 2008 Toyota Prius for them. Not exactly a cool kids car but is very practical & has been great. I've used it on many a parts runs out of town & love the mpg. I would stick with a 4 door car overall. Volvo's always rate really high safety warning wise & are very nice cars. I don't think you can ever go to wrong with a Honda Civic

Subi or Civic SI would be cool and fun to drive.

A convertible for the lady

Good price, reliable car

320e mercedes-easy to work on and tons of parts out there-should be able to go 250k plus

You may be able to find a decent YJ Wrangler for 4k, fun and tough as nails, just don't expect comfort

4k would buy a nice Nissan 240sx if you can find one that the drift kids have not ruined yet... I really really enjoy mine.

Mazda Protege 5 would be good choice on practical side...

Lowest option, manual, base model, smallest engine for year, gas, non turbo VW golf.
You won't get it back and she will learn to drive stick.

Nice car, bur petrol consumption is high.

also, rip out the back seat and the radio. No passengers, no distractions.
I'm only partly kidding, I know people who have done this...

I am thinking the same thing for my daughter and looking at old e30 BMWs (3 series from mid 80s). But I have a couple more years to think on it...

pre '98 Volvo. I'm closing in on 300,000 on mine with nothing other than normal maintenance and a steering rack. Still has the original clutch and I'm not nice to it in any way


80's 300 D Benz. I've seen several of these pushing, and 2 over 500,000 miles


They're both tanks

So far, I think I'm digging the Civic SI, Miata, VW golf or Subi.

Subi's have about a 75% market share up here because of the AWD and bad winter roads here. Think maybe the the Miata or SI.

Anybody want to talk up the golf or Subi??

If I had to forclose, I could turn the Miata into a track car.

Boxster...

If I bought a Boxter...I wouldn't have to foreclose...She'd never get it in the first place.

I would look at the golf or jetta. I have had an old gti, an older rabbit and a newer jetta. I have run them extremely hard and each one was over 200k. Jetta still kickin.

I was going to suggest a 240sx aswell. I had an 89 coupe for my first car. Dare I say it was more fun than my 911 even with the stock engine. and there are plenty of awesome engine swap options available

my brother has a 2000 gti. With a few minor upgrades the 1.8t is very fun. also extremely handy with all the space in back.

I have an 02' GTI 1.8t with little mods and I love this car! I've put 20k miles on it since feb of this year. I track it for now until the 914 is done. I know some don't like them but I enjoy my little car. I beat the hell out of it and it keeps on trucking...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVjgkYsO6ek

This is on street tires so they "sing" a little!

Very Cool

Subi or Audi/VW donor car. That way even if she wrecks it, you can still use it.

I am in the same search. This is what I have found:

1) old volvo good, post 99 bad- check out the electrical and transmission
2) Subi 1995-2004- good if the head gasket has been replaced, if not,
discount the asking price $1500-2000 for replacement - if this has been done the other necessary stuff has usually been addressed too
3) Honda Element is a consideration, but they start at about $9500
4) Mercedes diesels are great, but in our neighborhood parts and repair are difficult
5) Nissan pathfinder ? There are many out there but at the price point you/I are looking at they will run for 3-8 weeks and then drain your bank account
6) Consider an "agent" you can contact who has access to the auto auctions- they can look for a vehicle you specify in your price range, mileage, color, etc. at the wholesale sales for a minimum fee, usually $250-500, but you must be able to pony up the cash right away

I have been lookin for a month and am still on a search. good luck

I bought my twins a 90 Isuzu Trooper when they got their license. That was in 2000 and I still got the car and drive it regularly. I got it for them because it is a tank and not that fast. Gas mileage is not that great but it is paid for and insurance is cheap.

Don't rule out the Boxster. Our local PCA zone rep bought one for his daughter. He is going to take the passenger seat out and disconnect the radio. Then he is going to add a roll cage with a bar across the passenger seat area.

He figures that she will eventually buy her own car, and he can have a spec Boxster to race.

Something with alot of airbags, something you won't be attached to, something that gets good gas mileage and cheap to repair, something with low insurance rates.

There are going to be accidents, lots of them. Little dents constantly.
She is going to put an absurd amount of miles on it.
The Insurance bill will blow your mind until she is >19.
The inside will be completely trashed within a week, if not from her, her friends.

And then, she will be tired of the car after several years and want you to buy a different one.

I have two daughters...

Honda, 1 seat, no radio, 2 doors, bullet proof, NO BOYS ALLOWED!! Bob

240sx(s-14,s-13) prices have sky rocketed. esp an LE. i've looked around. i doubt you will find a GOOD one at your price point. add an LS1 or a jdm engine (and every thing that goes with the upgrade) and it'll be pretty spendy.

a decent ford escort can be had at your price point. screw the cool factor. ins is cheap and the mpg is well over 30 around town, 35+ on the highway. she can buy something groovy when she can afford it. it's a CAR, transportation...i still drive my dad's old 92' sw. pretty bullet proof so far and it's a toss away for major problems.

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3469165385.html

That Honda element would be perfect. Doubt it will last till after Christmas though.

My usual answer. Golf/Jetta, NO automatic, BASE 2.0 NA engine ONLY. The A4s are much nicer than the 99 and older A3s, and a late '99-'02 should be well within your price range.

The Cap'n

As mentioned an Audi a4 is in your price range. The 1.8T's are stout engines and are mod friendly, but they are turbocharged and They could have been abused, The 2.8v6 is a very very strong engine. The trani's are bulletproof, the control arms have to be changed every 125k miles, but asside from that and some other little things they are solid WELL build cars that have not been beat on or abused like older civics and other typical "cheap" cars.

Personally Id pick one of these three options.

Saturn SL2 (Under rated, Boring, As reliable as the honda's, Not as beat up or abused as the hondas), Not a car to keep, but if its her first car, theres a huge likelyhood of her wrecking it in the first few months (I know my wife did, and Im glad I chose the saturn for her first car), Totaled it, luckly the body parts are all plastic and everywhere, $300 in parts and the car was back to new (new fender, suspension, door, alignment). 50k miles later and her mom drives it after she got her sports car.
Subaru impreza
Audi A4 2.8 manual if you want to teach her, but the auto's are very nice. (This will be much more expensive to maintain than the saturn or subaru, but the quality of the car and the feel/experience is much better...) If you want something to play with in the future, grab the 1.8t and get a quattro in manual Spend 5k in suspension wheels/tires and turbo upgrade and you have one killer daily driver in one of the best handling sedan chassis.

I have a Mazda 3 and love it, but they are probably a little north of your price range. Protege 5s are cool too and within your range. The only Mazda I ever had a problem with was my Millenia S, and I knew what to expect going in on that one.

IMO, and I've owned and/or worked on Audis since 1973, an A4 isn't for the new-to-driving person. Too much maintenance, some suspension weaknesses, oil sludging issues, and they don't like being driven around town a whole bunch. Great enthusiast's car, though.

The Cap'n

I'm with your thinking on this. First car needs to be a tank and also slow. Small isn't good as the likely of an accident, for beginning drivers, is high for the first couple of years. After that go with something smaller that gets better mileage.

Actually you can pick up Explorers pretty cheap and after you fix the timing belt they will do a couple of hundred thousand miles. Also 4 wheel drive is great in ice and snow. And they have air bags! Also cheap and you can still find ones that are in nice shape.

I would stay away from the Civic Si. Insurance wise it is considered a sports car. If we are talking a teenage daughter. Go with a pre 99 volvo as mentioned. Overall solid cars, decent mileage & for a sedan they are tanks. They always rank way up there in safety. If this is really for your daughter. Just get's whats best for her. Getting it with the mindset you may get stuck with it .

If all else fails & you end up getting it. Just sell the thing & buy yourself a nice 914 . Or maybe a nice new drivetrain for your current one

Haha...I've got a really nice FI 2.0 drivetrain already. I won't be putting a 350 chevy in mine.

1998-2000 Civic - Get a 5 Speed. I've had Coupes, Si's & Hatchbacks. My preference is a DX Hatch - Manual Windows, A/C, 5 Speed - they are light quick, have a fabulous suspension, never break down. My last one went 350,000 Miles before I traded it in on a S2000

Just bought my daughter a 93 BMW 318i four door 5 seed, 147k $2500. Air bag, abs,decent mpg.Owner by an older couple. She gets her license just after Christmas. Older daughter got an older BMW stick for her first car. That turned out OK. Will see how this goes.

For lots of fun and yet practical, I'd go for a Civic Si or a VW GTI.

boxster

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/cto/3485498694.html

2000 Golf 2.0= cheep insurance enough power for a new driver
My sons $3000 50k $3000 paint job homemade wheel adapters.
Good Grades got him the paint job, He and I did the nose job on the hood, and filled the trim holes.

The Ford escort, is another great choice! or toyota,honda.....but
the size idea is true....(small size works, if you know how to use it!)

I have a 95 Civic DX 4 door that I've done a bit of work on... lol. Great daily driver & after a lot of upgrades a pretty damned good performer. Cheap, reliable & paid for.

Get her a used 911.
She will likely make the payments to you for fear of losing the coolest car a kid can drive...
Or, when you repossess it, you can strip it for parts and convert your 914 ...

Everyone can win here.

damn I'd buy that!!

So would I. The salt water damage is what kept me from looking into it.

A 911 with a 1600cc stock beetle engine

No matter what car you decide to get your daughter in the end, I would recommend getting her some autocross time and track time. Learning the physics of driving, especially in her first car, will go a long way to keeping her safe. NASA (not the space program) has a good one day teen drivers clinic, like a mini autocross school for under $100 and many of the PCA clubs allow for licensed drivers under 18 to participate in their autocrosses.

As far as the car question, we had a 1996 Volvo 850 - 220K miles when it didn't pass smog but was otherwise still in great shape, I agree with others here, the later cars not as good (our 2000 S70 is not as fun to drive and the automatic in it is less responsive). I could recommend an older Volvo easy, parts can be expensive though.

Have friends that regularly track their Miatas (weekly for hours at a time) and can't kill them and they hang onto the road really well. They are cheap to maintain.

My son's car is a 914 and it has been great for him to learn to drive and autocross in and since we went through it, it is as reliable as anything else.

We have an Audi wagon and a Boxster and they are both great cars but the cost of maintenance if done through the dealer is pretty high, even for regular maintenance. Check out Pelican Parts site for do it yourself tutorials for the Boxster.

As for insurance (Allstate), it is $100 a month full coverage for my son on the 914, and can drive any of the other cars. Most of the cost goes toward liability and not for replacement of the 914. So as long as the value of the car isn't over $5-6000 I wouldn't think it would be worse than that.

Hope this is useful.

Jonathan

I would only feel comfortable putting my daughter in an older Saab or Volvo tank.

I agree with Crusty and would go with a A4 golf, with base 2.0l motor.

My wife loved her 03 and they are reliable, not overpowered for a beginner, reasonably braked, have an extremely robust chassis, have air bags everywhere and cheap to fix.

PLus it is small enough to not be running into things in parking lots/garages but has a huge carrying capacity for the trip to college (when that happens).

ANd if it ever becomes yours there are LOTS of things to do with it...