Car for a teen?

[sk3let0nz]

Hello, all. I have come across this forum to ask about which car I should get as a teen driver. I am 16 years old and in process of purchasing a vehicle in about a week or so. Here are 2 choices I've been going with, a used 2017 Infiniti Q60 or a used 2018 Mercedes CLA 250. 

 

*I will pay about half of the costs from the money I've accumulated from over time.

[Zando_]

I'd save your money and get something cheaper for now, till you get better at driving, then get a nicer car. If you're 16 I assume you haven't driven much, so a Camaro or Merc will be a lot of car to handle. 

[Amazonsucks]

7 minutes ago, sk3let0nz said:

Hello, all. I have come across this forum to ask about which car I should get as a teen driver. I am 16 years old and in process of purchasing a vehicle in about a week or so. Here are 2 choices I've been going with, a used 2017 Camaro SS or a used 2018 Mercedes CLA 250. 

 

*I will pay about half of the costs from the money I've accumulated from over time.

Get a used Lexus IS or RC instead. Camaros are plastic and all the Mercedes we had spent more time in the shop than on the road.

[Yeroh]

Where are you from? Availability and pricing is highly dependent on your region.

 

Since you've listed a Camaro I'll assume you're American or Canadian. I'd say go for something older and definitely used, even if you have the money to purchase something newer. You'll likely get scratches and dings on your first car. You'll make mistakes just like everyone else, and it would be a shame if that meant damaging or wearing down your almost-new car.

 

If you were in Europe I'd recommend a used Polo or Golf, maybe an older GTI if you want something with decent power. For North America, I can't really say for sure, but Japanese vehicles seem highly acclaimed in terms of reliability, so they'd be the obvious recommendation.

 

In any case, save your money and purchase a new/newish car once you have a couple of years of driving experience. I know that's probably not what you want to hear - people told me the same thing when I was getting started with driving, and I wanted something cool, too. It'll pay off though. You'll likely be able to afford something much nicer as well.

[Amazonsucks]

21 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

I'd save your money and get something cheaper for now, till you get better at driving, then get a nicer car. If you're 16 I assume you haven't driven much, so a Camaro or Merc will be a lot of car to handle. 

Wut? Both of those cars have lots of safety features(moreso the Mercedes) and handle well.

 

I can tell this thread is going to be 99% people arbitrarily giving him shit for getting a nice first car already so ill say this now.

 

 I absolutely hate it when parents buy themselves really nice cars and give their kid some POS deathtrap because "theres a good chance theyll wreck it!" Giving someone who is new to driving a sluggish tin can with no airbags, bad handling etc is the antithesis of common sense.

 

If theyre gonna get in a wreck shouldnt they do so in a tank of a car? And no i dont mean some truck or SUV which usually has terrible safety compared to the C Class hes looking at. I mean something solid with actual safety and high chassis torsional rigidity.

 

All the newer Mercedes and Lexus ive driven or owned handle like a dream and you can drive some with your pinkie finger. Some piece of trash car will probably be a lot harder to drive, especially for someone whose learning to drive.

 

Here are some IIHS small overlap and one Euro NCAP crash tests from the kind of car hes looking at.

 

 

[NinJake]

Focus ST or RS!!!

[Yeroh]

1 minute ago, Amazonsucks said:

Wut? Both of those cars have lots of safety features(moreso the Mercedes) and handle well.

 

I can tell this thread is going to be 99% people arbitrarily giving him shit for getting a nice first car already so ill say this now.

 

 I absolutely hate it when parents buy themselves really nice cars and give their kid some POS deathtrap because "theres a good chance theyll wreck it!" Giving someone who is new to driving a sluggish tin can with no airbags, bad handling etc is the antithesis of common sense.

 

If theyre gonna get in a wreck shouldnt they do so in a tank of a car? And no i dont mean some truck or SUV which usually has terrible safety compared to the C Class hes looking at. I mean something solid with actual safety and high chassistorsional rigidity.

Getting a safe car and getting a new car are two completely different things. There are very reliable, affordable and safe cars you could've bought in the last ten years, and if you buy them used nowadays, they're not any less safe. I doubt anyone would seriously recommend getting a cheap old car that lacks any safety features.

[Amazonsucks]

4 minutes ago, Kevaros said:

Getting a safe car and getting a new car are two completely different things. There are very reliable, affordable and safe cars you could've bought in the last ten years, and if you buy them used nowadays, they're not any less safe. I doubt anyone would seriously recommend getting a cheap old car that lacks any safety features.

He said hes getting a used car and i recommended good used cars. 

[dcgreen2k]

Just like my title suggests, you can't go wrong with a Toyota. They're bulletproof, have really low maintenance costs, and the newer models actually look pretty stylish. My personal favorites are the 2019 Corolla Hatchback and 86, and similar models are available if you want to buy them used instead.

[sk3let0nz]

I've removed the Camaro from this topic. I have a friend who owned a Camaro up until yesterday when he crashed his car. I added the 2017 Infiniti Q60, and a 2016 BMW 340i, or an Audi A3. I know these cars are on the pricey side. I understand I will be receiving hate on this thread. I am maybe in a way spoiled, but I do not plan on having my parents pay the full cost. I plan on paying half of the car cost.

[Amazonsucks]

Just now, sk3let0nz said:

I've removed the Camaro from this topic. I have a friend who owned a Camaro up until yesterday when he crashed his car. I added the 2017 Infiniti Q60, and a 2016 BMW 340i, or an Audi A3. I know these cars are on the pricey side. I understand I will be receiving hate on this thread. I am maybe in a way spoiled, but I do not plan on having my parents pay the full cost. I plan on paying half of the car cost.

Careful with the German cars though. Maintenence nightmares in my, and a lot of other people i know, experiences. Theyre often ridiculously expensive to fix too.

[sk3let0nz]

12 minutes ago, thegreengamers said:

Just like my title suggests, you can't go wrong with a Toyota. They're bulletproof, have really low maintenance costs, and the newer models actually look pretty stylish. My personal favorites are the 2019 Corolla Hatchback and 86, and similar models are available if you want to buy them used instead.

I was actually going to purchase a Subaru BRZ until I realized about the part that I did not want to be driving manual all the time. I know they include an automatic version, but it was a bit too pricey, as the 86 is similar to it. I do very much appreciate the suggestions. Considering the 2018 Camry though, that car is very stylish and looks sporty.

[sk3let0nz]

Just now, Amazonsucks said:

Careful with the German cars though. Maintenence nightmares in my, and a lot of other people i know, experiences. Theyre often ridiculously expensive to fix too.

Yes, definitely. My parents have a BMW and a Mercedes. We've had to replace the tires on the Mercedes 4 different times, luckily we were under warranty care.

[Yeroh]

7 minutes ago, sk3let0nz said:

I've removed the Camaro from this topic. I have a friend who owned a Camaro up until yesterday when he crashed his car. I added the 2017 Infiniti Q60, and a 2016 BMW 340i, or an Audi A3. I know these cars are on the pricey side. I understand I will be receiving hate on this thread. I am maybe in a way spoiled, but I do not plan on having my parents pay the full cost. I plan on paying half of the car cost.

If it's between these and you're dead-set on getting a decently new car, I'd recommend the Audi A3. I regularly got A3s as loaners from my dealership and they're quick, comfortable and very stable. I was impressed when I drove one on the Autobahn briefly, it handled 200 km/h with no effort at all. Completely subjective of course, but I also think the 2016 and newer A3s with the facelifted headlights look really good.

[Drak3]

34 minutes ago, sk3let0nz said:

We've had to replace the tires on the Mercedes 4 different times, 

Unless you're doing well below the rated miles for the tires, that's absolutely normal.

[handymanshandle]

What the hell lmao
Maybe your parents are well off but jesus I'm debating whether or not I wanna save up $8k by July of 2019 to buy a nearly loaded up Chevy Cruze. Mind you, I'm going to be 19 in January.

 

I won't give you too much shit for going straight to Infiniti or Mercedes although that's strange to say the least lol

 

I'd say if you want something a bit more premium since it appears you're getting substantial help from your family/parents in getting something decent. Look into a 2018 Buick Regal or a 2015-2018 Dodge Charger not with a Hemi. More like an SXT with the V6. ooooooorrrrr perhaps, a 2014+ Chevy Impala LTZ/Premiere with the V6.

Aside from it not being wise for a luxury car to be a  new driver's first car. There's also the maintenance costs that a Japanese luxury and German luxury car are going to have.

 

 

I won't say just go with the cheapest beater you can find since that's not something I personally want to do if I can help it. I know it may not be the most frugal choice but it's certainly the choice that is going to save a lot of headaches down the road.

[Amazonsucks]

1 hour ago, sk3let0nz said:

Yes, definitely. My parents have a BMW and a Mercedes. We've had to replace the tires on the Mercedes 4 different times, luckily we were under warranty care.

Hah we had the same problem with our C Class. The car would not hold an alignment and it rode like a truck. I think it had 3 or 4 sets of tires in just over a year with less than 15,000 miles. They would go "out of round". The later E320 we had drove nicely but eventually the head gasket failed despite being very well maintained and driven gently.

 

You should really take your parents to the Lexus dealership. Getting a Camry loaner car from the Mercedes dealership was actually what prompted us to switch to Lexus 18 years ago. The beat up Camry loaner was quieter than the Mercedes. 

 

If you geta Camry, try to get the turbo 4(8AR-FTS). I have that engine in my RC200t and its great fun. 

[sk3let0nz]

1 hour ago, Drak3 said:

Unless you're doing well below the rated miles for the tires, that's absolutely normal.

We’ve had it for a year now. Hasn’t hit 10k miles yet.

[Canada EH]

3 hours ago, sk3let0nz said:

Hello

Your insurance is going to be so high because you need theft on it and collision and you are the highest risk factor in age group for the insurer. It is best just to save your money and invest it and buy a 10 year old car to drive so you just buy the just the legally required collision of $1M liability, $2M is good if the jump in price isnt that much. Also if you buy a 4cyl instead of a 6cyle you will save so much money. Which, in 30 or 40 years will be worth a staggering

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kelvinhall05]

Get a Volvo, they're great starter cars. Cheap, very safe, and practically bulletproof. Get an S60 or XC90 if you need an SUV, or a 240 if you want something super cheap, simple, and reliable.

[Drak3]

Get a Bugatti.

 

/s.

 

Older Honda Civics are also good.

[Speed Weed]

8 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Get a Bugatti.

 

/s.

 

Older Honda Civics are also good.

Bugatti is nice, but not a lot of us will not going to own one, and your friends and family members will going to bitch you for your money. 

 

I would get a Corvette or Nissan GTR because these two are in super car class. 

[Andreas Lilja]

2 hours ago, pinksnowbirdie said:

What the hell lmao
Maybe your parents are well off but jesus I'm debating whether or not I wanna save up $8k by July of 2019 to buy a nearly loaded up Chevy Cruze. Mind you, I'm going to be 19 in January.

You're also well off, bro. 

[handymanshandle]

4 minutes ago, Raskolnikov said:

You're also well off, bro. 

Oh lmao not really kek
I only make $11/hr rn and so far I seem to get around 30 hours on average, though I expect that to go to around 40 hours and maybe up to $13/hr in a couple months if I stick with this place. lol

 

Im just getting the luxury of not having many bills to pay rn lol

[zassou]

if i had license ill get a 2nd hand honda fit, preferably 2nd gen.

 

as a common sense you dont drive fancy car when you are new.

 

also if one's not sure, get a toyota, it's a safe word in cars.