Why does he NEED a car! My advice put him off getting one. Wait until his frontal lobe is developed a bit more (like at say 20 years old or more) and he can make better decisions and buy it himself.
susiekewsie,
Sep 30, 4:08am
trogedon:I'll admit it's not a 'must have' (we're not out in the wops or anything). It would give him a bit of independence with some of his activities, and that's a plus for me also (as a single parent).He's not a petrolhead either - he's an unusually sensible and cautious kid, and a good careful driver, which is why neither me nor his dad are at all worried about this.
stevo2,
Sep 30, 5:46am
Most Toyotas, (NOT Cavalier's). Nissan Sunny Pulsar Wingroad. Mazda 323 or Laser should all be in the $3k range and should all be suitable for his needs.
miss-shortae,
Sep 30, 6:06am
corolla. i owned 1 not long ago. cheap to fill, cheap to run, cheap to service, and was very cheap to repaired, and very very easy to drive and park
afer_daily,
Sep 30, 6:28am
fiat multipla!
socram,
Sep 30, 6:32am
I seem to remember well my first car.I was 18 before I manageda motorbike (wages were low in those days) and my 21st birthday for my first car - a Minivan.All I could afford and I didn't expect any assistance from my parents, who couldn't afford to run car themselves anyway. I treasured that Minivan and I learned a lot and by then, as Trog says, I was a responsible driver and exercised good judgement, which is probably why I never had a road accident when I was young. Agree with above posters.His money, his choice, his knowledge growth.Just insist he has insurance.
extrayda,
Sep 30, 7:22am
Jazz - did you not read the part that said son! (half joking, the ad even says daughters car!).My first car was a 5 litre V8 XA Fairmont.Sounds cool, and I loved it, but in reality it was old, tired, and didn't go very fast (until I upgraded it to a 7.6 litre, with the rest). Anyway, back on topic - I did buy the car myself, and was expected to always keep it insured & wof/rego'd.I learnt a lot from that car by having to look after it myself. However, not really a car I would recommend for a new driver ;-) As above basic Nissan / Toyota would be my choice, and what ideally my son will get when he is old enough to drive (a few years off yet). Definitely insist on insurance / wof, which along with maintenance should be for him to organise / sort out. Good luck!
susiekewsie,
Sep 30, 7:32am
Yes, he knows he'll have to be responsible for rego, WOF, insurance and all maintenance and running costs.That's why we need to be pretty careful what we buy - he has some income, but not a huge amount, so he'll have to budget carefully to be able to cover all costs of the car.Some themes coming out: Toyotas and Nissans (or maybe the Mazda 323).Thanks to those who took time to comment and advise!
socram,
Sep 30, 9:03am
Just as an aside.All cars are money pits.If it were my son at 16, I'd rather he learned to ride on two wheels a) to give him the independenceb)motorcyclists generally make better car drivers as they learn to read the road and traffic conditions and c) with the prices of houses always on the up, I'd rather he saved for the deposit on a house.
johnf_456,
Sep 30, 9:07am
I disagree, alot of bikes are very expensive for what they are. Compared to what the some money spent on car would get you. Then you have to factor in expensive safety gear which still wron't save you in a big crash.
Sure riding a bike will teach you to be aware of your surrounding but I would learn the basics in a car before moving to a bike. Cars are a lot more forgiving for novice drivers.
mrfxit,
Sep 30, 9:15am
LOL Kaz, totally SPOT ON.
curlcrown,
Sep 30, 11:27pm
Forget about the lileage. Nissan sunnys are good. Same running gear as a pulsar but cheaper becase they are less sought after and a bit booring.
timmo1,
Oct 1, 12:37am
It's nothing at all to do with 'this generation'- There were parents/kids like that in my generation, my fathers generation and the generation before that.
curlcrown,
Oct 1, 12:38am
curlcrown wrote: Forget about the lileage. Nissan sunnys are good. Same running gear as a pulsar but cheaper becase they are less sought after and a bit booring.[/quote
Forget about mileage I meant to say.
mrfxit,
Oct 1, 1:44am
A little OT but . Antiques Road Show Recent episode where a woman admitted to paying £15,000because she "liked" that silver set. When told it could be worth in excess of £40,000, there was almost NO change in expression as if to say "oh . ok" in a "who really cares" sort of manner There are ppl that DO care what happens & those that don't really care . THEN theres ppl that care with a strong sense of comprehension
xpfairmont,
Oct 1, 2:18am
you could get him a 1300cc mid 90's Toyota Starlet. cheap, and it's hard to get in trouble in one
zak1998,
Oct 1, 3:02am
Nissan GTR
kazbanz,
Oct 1, 6:51am
Suzie just to answer your question. He would take what he was given and be B###$$## gratefull that his parent had spent their hard earned money buying him a car.Incidently thats basically his exact words. Given what I do for a living my lad got lucky because I got him a 96 sunny in manual as his first car. He would have taken the mira
kazbanz,
Oct 1, 6:52am
The difference is though that thisgeneration has been taught at school a sense of entitlement without the responsibility that goes with it
deviant.s,
Oct 1, 7:07am
Cynos is a girls car, your son should tell you that :p
My 16 year old son bought a '91 1300 manual corolla hatch for $1500. Perfect little car, flys through warrants, cant go fast, cheap on gas and he will probably still be able to sell it for what he paid for it when he wants to upgrade.
pebbles61,
Oct 1, 8:36am
ADO16
mrfxit,
Oct 1, 8:41am
At 15 years old, I totally rebuilt my 1st car from a pile of parts left in a paddock by my brother. Even the engine was in parts. Reg & wof done
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.