What should be my first car, based off of my wants/needs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MiuraSV777
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You're going to be 16 in Michigan, you don't need anything fast or RWD. The first good snow storm and you'll end up facing oncoming traffic. Michigan's driver's education is hilariously bad about teaching you car control in poor weather...and it's almost always poor weather here for half the year.

Buy something cheap and FWD. Don't worry about a manual if you find a good deal on something automatic and don't really worry about how it's going to look. Sure we all want something awesome when we turn 16, but remember you need to learn how to drive first and statistically you will crash your first car. There's a reason so many 16 year olds Michigan drive old Buick's, Oldsmobile's, Grand Am's and Grand Prix, they are all cheap to buy and cheap to own.

If you want something 4WD, look at any number of late 90's/early 00's SUV's. They aren't going to be that great on gas and they aren't going to be as cheap to own, but you will have 4WD. You'll have to pay Jeep-Tax, but a Cherokee might not be bad and they are everywhere. The Blazer/S-10 suggestion isn't bad, but the 4.3L is horrid on gas. I used to get about 14-16mpg in my Blazer, but it really wasn't a problem when gas was a $1.29 a gallon.

Although with you being so close to Ann Arbor, I have to imagine Subaru's are a dime a dozen since I think everyone in Ann Arbor drives one.

Set your sights low for your first car, drive it through high school and then worry about getting something a little better once you sort out how to drive a little better.
 
I'd recommend looking for something like a late 90's civic. Good enough to be fun, but slow enough to be safe. You can get a manual, and FWD will really help in the winter, though winter tyres will also help. Plus, with the civicc, you get good mileage, insurance is likely cheap, and it's very reliable.
 
Gonna add on to the above that winter tires are just as important than the drivetrain, if not moreso. An AWD car on summer tires is going to slide off the road in the snow just as much as a hairy chested Camaro would.
 
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I'd nominate the 5.0 fox. Had one and loved it and I didn't kill myself in it despite being under 20 when I had it.....
 
+1 On the Foxbody. I was looking at 'em but they were out of my price range.
 
ND4SPD
I'd nominate the 5.0 fox. Had one and loved it and I didn't kill myself in it despite being under 20 when I had it.....
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I know a few of my friends have them and were just fine, couple were 4 pots, some had V8s, everyone was ok.


I saw we were going to a sportier type car theme here so I figured I'd recommend it. You really can't go wrong with one because it has so many plus's about it.
 
Classic VW Beetle and Karmann-Ghia. It fits your criteria, although I'm not sure if they're the types of cars you're looking for.
 
Definitely plus one for a Legacy/Impreza.
Do you guys get the 3.0 6 cylinder there? 3.0R Spec B?

I am 16 and have a Legacy for my first car and it is awesome. The interior is 10x as nice as some of my friends European cars (old Audis and BMW's) and the both the H4 and H6 motor is a sweet power plant mated to the AWD. In the H6, You can say goodbye to most V6 Mustangs and Camaros (apart from the new ones I'd guess).
Plus they are one of the safest cars on the road, if you have an accident the inside turns into a jumping castle with all the air bags :P

The only thing I can fault them for, is the clutches in the manuals. Here they have the 6 speed STI derived box, and the clutches are $1k + to change. It's the same in the NA 4 cylinders in the 2.5/2.0L variants with the 5 speed, the rest of the car is generally cheap to maintain (a lot cheaper than an Audi).

That's my (admittedly bias) $0.02
 
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MiuraSV777
Sorry, i just like how four wheel drive cars respond, i probably shouldnt have put it under "must-haves"...And being restricted to just the road 24/7 :p
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How much experience do you have driving AWD, RWD, and FWD cars, being not 16 and all?

The 325iX wouldn't be a bad bet, but they will be a bit pricier than newer AWD cars from Japan (90's Subarus, etc), and most E30's have a bit of a premium tacked on these days. Lovely cars, I'd personally take a regular 325i simply because I enjoy RWD more than AWD.

The Celica's would be a bit of a headache, as the turbo AWD variants demand a bit of a premium and the 3S-GTE has a bit more maintenance to go with its turbo.

Honestly, FWD isn't a bad choice for a first car, and there are a lot of cheap, reliable options. Plus you're less likely to get a bit over confident thanks to AWD, and don't say you'll be an exception because everyone that is 16 says that.

Though... 6 grand is about what I paid for my M3 a few years back...
 
I'll throw in the obligatory "buy a Corolla" post. Mine's been rock solid reliable, good on gas, enough room for all my stuff and to carry friends around, enough grunt to safely pass and merge, but not enough that you'll be tempted to push the limits.

You can basically replace Corolla with anything Japanese from the late 90's-early 2000's.
 
Except the 2.2 Camry, I'm not so sure that MiuraSV777 has the ability to handle it. :sly:
 
I found this but can't really tell if it's total rubbish or not. It might be worth checking out anyway, it's not too far away from you.
 
Looks like a total dog to me.
 
It's your first car, get something fairly cheap, fairly simple, and fairly easy to drive. If you don't care that much about it that's probably a good thing, as it's highly possible you'll damage it in some way.
 
djinline
I found this but can't really tell if it's total rubbish or not. It might be worth checking out anyway, it's not too far away from you.
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There's really not much left of that. The amount of things wrong with it makes it sound like an cliche of an American car from the 70s.
 
MiuraSV777
Sorry, i just like how four wheel drive cars respond, i probably shouldnt have put it under "must-haves"...And being restricted to just the road 24/7 :p
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Most four wheel drive cars handle like absolute rubbish. Many four wheel drive vehicles on the road use a haldex clutch for the center differential. What this means is that the car (usually based on a front-wheel drive platform) will act like a front-wheel drive car 99% of the time and that last 1% of the time, it will simply understeer less.

Even older Imprezas and STIs had their fair share of understeer... much more so than some front-drivers. The new Lancer Ralliart? Lovely transmission, but it's heavier and less responsive than the regular front-wheel drive Lancer. (okay, so it's faster in a straight line). The only time you'll feel the benefit of that fancy all-wheel drive system is when you've got the engine wound up past 6,000 rpm and the rear LSD finally, finally comes to the party.

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Echo what others have said here. Just buy a car. Any car. Make it simple. Make it cheap. Make it economical. Get your dings and dents over with, and save up money to buy a car you really want a few more years down the road, when you have more experience.
 
As someone who will start looking for a car in the summer ,(will be a cheap one).I have a decision to make,cars in the price bracket I can afford are either 1.6 or 1.4 so here is the thing,should I sacrifice the added (POWWWAAARRR :p ) for a better fuel economy? .And yes Fuel economy for me is big seeing as prices here for fuel might triple soon.
 
You need a bug! Its not a 4wd but whatever. This one is for 3200E.

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Too bad its in Finland.
 
xXKingJoshXx
Classic VW Beetle and Karmann-Ghia. It fits your criteria, although I'm not sure if they're the types of cars you're looking for.
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Both of those cars would get eaten alive by rust after a Michigan winter. We dump more salt on our roads then anywhere else I've ever been.

djinline
I found this but can't really tell if it's total rubbish or not. It might be worth checking out anyway, it's not too far away from you.
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Looks like a pretty standard car from Ypsi-tucky. But you'd have to have rocks in your head if you were buying that car for anything other than a project.
 
If you don't mind a front wheel drive car that only came with an automatic; I've posted this several times in various other first car suggestion threads:

1996-2007 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable-

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You can easily pick one up in great condition for around $2-5000. Despite what you may have read, these cars actually handle fairly well for what they are, especially with better tires. Power is adequate with the more common Vulcan V6, plentiful with the higher output but less common Duratec V6. These cars never came with a manual transmission, only a 4-speed automatic which is a bit on the fragile side, so pay close attention to how the transmission shifts if you decide to test drive one. Other trouble spots are the factory coolant tank in the 96-03's develops cracks in it after while; OEM replacements run about $60. Also, change the coolant in the Vulcan engine every 2 years; it is infamous for rust in the cooling system which can lead to very bad things. Finally, watch out if the rear of the car is sagging, that means the struts/springs are shot and replacement is apparently very expensive. If anybody asks why I am a strong supporter of this car, I've been the proud owner of one for seven and a half years with little trouble. 👍 The only non-maintenance items I've had to change out were the fuel pump (very expensive :ouch:, but I'm fairly confident the Motorcraft replacement unit is not made in China) and the mentioned coolant tank.
 
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I updated the first post... I am sorry i was kind-of strict on what should be on the car(s), but I was just kind of exited to get a car, as I that it wouldnt be too long before I get one. So, start posting any car you feel would be a good first car, as long as it is somewhat reasonable

Also, I am putting all of the suggestions in a list on the first post

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Manual, short wheelbase... Mazda2. :D

Within the 4k price range, you can get some sweet Protege5s. Since it's a hatch/wagon, it has good weight balance. The steering is second to none (or Miata) and the manual transmission is decent if it's been cared for. Oh, and less understeer than WRXs of the same year.
 
@OP

The Mustang was a '87-'93, not '87-'83 =P

Just thought I'd point that out. +1 on the Taurus aswell,
 
My recommendation is an old Mustang 4 banger with a stick. Cheap to buy, like 500 bucks sometimes, cheap to run, has a 2 liter ford engine, and easy to get parts. The hatchback model can carry lots of stuff.

I've got 2 daughters. The oldest one got a Mustang from the guy next door for 400 bucks. A new battery, some plugs and it was ready to go. Funny thing though, about once a month it would come home with a different front fender and a different story on "someone ran into my car at the Mall and just drove away". About 4 or 5 fenders later and a year and a half of driving she figured out how not to run into things and then got into a used Bimmer and worked her way up. She now drives a Porche Turbo Cayenne.

The youngest daughter is 20. She has written off two cars so far and is working on the third, an older Civic. So many accidents that her licence is suspended?!?!?! So, my point is, don't put any money into your first car, and get some miles under you belt before going exotic. Of all your choices, the Miata would probably be the most fun. You could have a streetable track car, rally car, do those races through the cones in the Mall parking lot and just have a fun drive, all with the Miata.

Most guys and gals have wipeouts on their first cars so don't feel bad. Just get the cheapest car to fix and be happy. Audis and their ilk cost a bundle to repair. The other day I picked up my daughters Porche from the dealer where an oil change and a plug change cost her 3200.00$. You could buy 3 old Mustangs for that money!! Think about it.
Cheers, Peter
 
I nominate the Chevy S10 as well, but if you can find a s10 zr-2 I would recommend that instead of the regular.. Since your in Michigan you will need something that can get around in the snow with no major problems (Was my first vehicle when I started driving at 16). If you aren't big on having room for friends go for it.

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That is the pic of mine when my father first purchased it in 2007. Since then it has been my daily driver to this day because my father passed and I decided to keep his cars (2002 Camaro z28 6 speed MT)
 
Taurus? Besides being a totally ugly "Jellybean" car, they where/are junk. They always come into our autoshop with some problem or another. I wouldn't trust the head gaskets or tranny's on them either.
 
A 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. $3000 - $6000 for the price. I know a lot of people with manual Imprezas, so I don't think it would be a problem to find one like that. And it looks sexy, too!

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A 16 year old in Michigan wouldn't be able to afford the insurance on an STi.
 
^This.

I also see them all the time with ruined suspension in the back, and it's never anything but Tauruses. My friend has one and it's crap.

Edit: This was at Antonisbob.
 
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