Hey guys,
Just wondering if you can help me out. I've been asked to find a car for my brother in-law who just turned 17. These are the following criterias:

1) budget is $12k-15k
2) low insurance cost
3) low miles (will need to be preowned)
4) he wants a sedan

Thus far, I haven't had a chance to really research any potential vehicles aside from these two:

1) Honda Civic Sedan (2001-2003)
2) Nissan Sentra GXE or SE-R (2002)

I found a decent '02 Sentra SE-R with 18k miles for $11k. It seems like the best bang for the buck. However, I've heard of a few recalls for this generation Sentra. Also, should the insurance cost be a concern here?

Thus far, the civics are priced much too high. I think the insurance would cost much less, but are they worth the high prices for less power?

I still need to check w/ my father in-law's insurance for these potential vehicles.

Also, I'd find a decent acura for the budget... but the kid's parents do not want to purchase a high mileage vehicle over 35k miles.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

Mazda 3 could probably be found in that price range new. A SVT Focus could be found with some miles for that amount also.

 

Mazda 3 / Protege 5

 

I like the Civic for a "first car". I think that the higher prices that you're seeing for the civics vs. the sentra are indictitive of the higher resale value of the civic.

It might cost more to get into a civic, but you'll probably get more for it when the kid is ready to upgrade.

Honda has their model year end sales event going on, so you should be able to get a civic for the high range of your budget.

I'd stay away from the korean car makers (kia, hyundai) as they tend to have poor re-sale values.

 

srt-4 used

 

For a 17 yr old, I wouldn't get him a SE-R. Moderate power and 17 yr old testosterone don't mix well. Get a used LX civic-it has power windows, door locks, etc. and has enough power to get around. Anything more would be asking for trouble.
Just my opinion-I have seen to many a nice car ruined by inexperienced young drivers.

 

Ok for that price range get him an accord, not a civic

 

i sa get him a brand new hyundai accent lol

no joke....my friend had a 5-speed as his first car....it was a good daily driver, good mileage, and isn't fast so the kid can't go crazy....0-60 is in double digits or something. 1.5 liter motor

 

Get him a 96-99' 4 door Honda Accord Ex (5spd). Very good sedan that he can later add some mods too, if he is into cars. If he is not than he aint no man. J/k
You could also get him an Infiniti G20 (2000-2002) with low miles.
Last you could go with a 4 door Acura Integra GSR (1998-2001) with low miles.
Tip: Shop around and try to find those 3 vehicles because they are very good sport sedans and can be easily moded. Well atleast the Accord and GSR.

BTW don't get him a Civic, please. There are much better cars out there than the played out .

 

maxima TL ES300 are all great cars that can be found in that price range, might have afew more miles on it than 35k, but they will all for many more years.

 

Try and find a used WRX in the 12-15k range.

 

Insurance isnt gonna be low for any honda/acura car that is worth modding or a larger than base engine....high theft or more power = high insurance

 

I think you ought to check out the new Scion tC....

tC has decent power (not too weak, not too powerful) and it look pretty nice too.


WRX and Neon SRT-4 are probably a bad choice to 17 year old.

 

w00t tC all the way. I'm 18 and put down a deposit on one yesterday.

 

when i was 17 i wanted a camaro, eclipse or mustang.

 

how about a used CL?

 

so what car you ended up getting?

 

i like a 98-02 accord coupe. or a 97-99 CL

civics are great first cars too

 

Accords, older TL

 

 

How about this?

 

The best person to ask this question will be an insurance agent. The insurance for a 17 year old will be at least $120/month if not more. The cost of insurance will easily be as much if not even more than a car note. When I was in college and wanted to buy a car my first stop was my insurance agent. I asked what car was the cheapest to insure and they quickly said Saturn (may not be true anymore). I got a Saturn and was a very happy camper.

The second thing to keep in mind is gas mileage and price of gas. Don't get a car that will have to use premium gas (ie CL). The lower the price of gas the better.

The third thing is warranty. Many car companies are offering long ass warranties now. While not a necessity a car with 2 years and 20K miles left on the warranty would be damn nice. That being said I just had a limited 1 year 12K mile warranty on my Saturn when I bought it.

Don't rule any car out. My wife's college car was a used '94 Kia Sportage EX 4X4. It is still running and now it is my daily driver with 120K+ miles!

Well that's my 2 cents!

 

wow that Stang could run with Titan Motorsports Supra

 

Sentra SE-R or used Accord. My

 

Hey,
Thanks for the reply guys... sorry, work has tied me up since I posted this thread.

There are some interesting suggestions here, I would personally buy some of them for myself!

But the primary concern here is the insurance coverage for my brother in-law's parents.
The used WRX, Integra, TL, and especially the SRT-4 will shoot the insurance premium through the roof for his parents who can't afford to pay that much.

I think I'm leaning towards searching for a used civic for him. He's not into modding yet... and my wife doesn't want to him to start either.

I'll let you guys know what he ends up buying.

Any other possible vehicles? Keeping in mind low insurance is what this kid's parents need.

Thanks again.
Dave

 

Thanks... that was an excellent 2 cents.
I completely agree with you... that's why one of the main criteria is low insurance coverage. This is a conscious 17yr old looking for a fuel efficient vehicle. So at least he's thinking about that.

His father asked the agent for a quote based upon a brand new toyota corolla (yuck!)... it's $2200/yr.!!! Keep in mind that this is NJ, the state of "rip me off insurance".

Supposedly, with good grades... Allstate will lower it to $1600/yr.

 

ended up getting a 95 325i

 

Nice!

 

Accord 5MT to FILL UP da CHICKS

 

May be think about the Mazda 3 i? I think it is in your price range.

 

04 hyndai elentra GT... tons of features... ABS, PW AM/FM/CD/MP3. PL, keyless entry, moonroof, leather, auto. all for 15k.. a bit more
5 year bumber to bumber upgradeable to 10 years (for $800 more)

and the car in reality get 25 mpg (it has a digital readout) in NYC area city miles...

it has decent power. and the price...

resale sucks major ass but it appears that this is a car would really help him out for at least 10 years

 

I helped my girlfriend buy a 2001 Infinity G20 with all the cool stuff like a OEM body-kit and chrome factory rims for only $13,000 with 38K miles on it. Leather, power w/l, sunroof, 6-disk, etc........
It is a GREAT non-expensive car, little 4 cylinder so it's not too fast, but fast enough when you need it to be.
And insurance for her is only $1800 a year, and after her history, that is DAMN good. I would buy another one in a heartbeat if I was looking to spend $12-$14k for a car.
But that is just my opinion.
Good luck and happy shopping!

B

 

Simple, a '77 Olds Cutlass.




This one even comes with the girl:

 

i would get my kid an 2nd generation eagle talon turbo. Its an AWD tsi turbo that whips and looks really sports.



4g63 Swap and you're good to go. :WOOT:

 

thanks for the idea.... but the insurance coverage for his parents is one key factor.
i'm leaning towards an '02 or '03 Civic EX.

i'd go for the LX model... but it has no ABS brakes. for someone starting off, ABS would be helpful.

 

My 2 Cents:
Here is a list of my insurance premiums for the maximum coverage available through unitrin over the last 6 years:
65 Buick Electra 225: 1180/yr
92 Accord LX: 1200/yr
94 Civic LX: 1380/yr
95 Integra GS-R: 1490/yr
97 Mustang GT: 1430/yr
99 Acura CL 3.0: 1390/yr

Point is that at least with Unitrin, I can't seem to make a car make too much difference in the rates. But i can tell you that the mix if Mileage, Ride Quality and Speed in the GSR beat out any car i have ever driven in my book, unless you like RWD and Girls, then the mustang is your bet!

 

ford festiva!!!!!!lol he will get all of the honeys in that whip.

 

99-00 civic si

 

Mazada 3 new, older TL used.