Black box was a boon with my children - the mileage bonus for a good score was a real incentive to drive safely …
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Agree, had one put in the Skoda… interestingly it was my daughter who got more speeding warning from it than my son…
Hmm… bit of a mixed bag with occupancy fatalities… if your a motorway driver they are safer, if you a rural or small road driver they are more deadly… from the US 2019 FARS vehicle fatality report…
Pickups and SUVs are proportionally more likely than cars to be in fatal single-vehicle crashes, especially rollovers. However, pickups and SUVs generally are heavier than cars, so occupant deaths in SUVs and pickups are less likely to occur in multiple-vehicle crashes.
Certainly around these parts I see more crashed SUVs than regular cars…
I agree, I recently changed from a Cayenne to a VW Up! and I really enjoy the little VW. It’s fun to drive and very economical.
I still have a Boxster for the summer weekend drives though!
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Tell me it’s none of my business, but why does she need a car, or to drive at all? It would great if our society offered alternative safe transport systems so as not to force us all to adopt massively destructive concept of private cars.
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We bought a 10yo Corsa last summer for our daughter to learn on (and to be our second car when diaries clash). It’s needed some of the usual replacements but it passed MOT fine last month and drives perfectly well.
Given the cancellation of all driving lessons for most of the last year, it’s enabled her to keep in practice whilst she waits for a test slot to come up (some time in 2024, the way it’s looking).
Mark
If you know what to look for or someone who does then consider a CatC write off. You’ll save up to 50% and get a much newer car. My lads 2yr old Corsa was just over £5k. CatC is light damage only or sometimes purely cosmetic. Repair quality can vary so you do need to be in the know a bit but bottom line is if the kids do some further damage then the car wont depreciate any further. Good investment as you get your money back! If you’re unlucky you may need to spend a few hundred quid on getting a few bits fixed, e.g I did a £50 suspension arm and a £80 set of springs.
This is easily the most depressing thread in the forum. Toyota Yaris?
After he graduated with a 4 year honours degree in commerce, I paid for some decent transportation for eldest son; allowed him to choose and negotiate with the dealer.
Haha definitely. Life is too short for boring cars.
However, I’m not sure where the op’s based but in the UK a Mustang would cost a fortune for a 17 year old to insure and then there’s fuel.
I’m always surprised at the prices of Mustangs when I visit the US. They’re the equivalent of $50k USD here (5.0 GT). They’re relatively cheap stateside.
Back in the 90s my wife’s boss gave his son a sports car when he passed his test (Not certain what - I have in mind it may have been a Toyota Supra). Within 4 months it was a write-off, and the son was in a coma for several weeks, touch and go as to whether he would make it.
In my view new drivers may have passed their test but they still need to learn to drive, and gain road sense. In that time unless they are demonstrably able to keep a light right foot at all times and never be tempted to show off, a car with restricted ability, and not mattering too much if it gets the odd scrape, makes far more sense to me. After a couple of years then they can progress… Insurance companies in Britain at least seem to reflect the same idea with their premiums! If you can persuade them to take the advanced driving test run by the Institute of Advanced Motorists, so much the better - it will help them learn skill with responsibility.
Yes, should note he had been driving for 6 years when gifted the mustang and had lots of accident free miles driving his mother’s Toyota Camry, his grandfather’s Ford Taurus, both wagons, and my CLK 430. I had no concerns other than (him) learning a manual transmission on a 300hp sports car. I had some trouble with it initially.
If memory serves, 26k Canadian $ in 2011
We run a 1981 Mini as our second car. It is fantastic fun to drive. But it is not for the open road. I wouldn’t drive ours past about 80-90km/hr (50-55mph) so it’s too slow for regular traffic nevermind the thought of hitting something or being hit.
It’s easy to look after but like all old cars needs regular work. In the four years we have had ours we have had the engine, clutch and gearbox completely rebuilt (it’s like a new engine now) and the brakes and steering overhauled.
Last weekend we packed into it, for a short journey:
- me
- our 11 year old
- three large teenage cricketers
- three large cricket bags (two poking out the boot, one strapped on top)
- plus our (large) dog
Admittedly one of them was without a seatbelt. But needs must when the cricketer asks for a lift for him and his mates!
Kid at work had one. He had TWO insurance policies cancelled within the space of a few months for breaking the limit. Then commensurate huge hikes when he eventually found another company to take him on board. Further he was again booked a few months back (black box period now over with) for doing 90+ on the M62! There was something to be said for the ‘starter’ cars back when I was a nipper - 0-60 was VERY slow… in fact you would struggle to get to 60 at all without the car falling to bits!
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Arr… yes happy memories: John-o-Groats to Land-End in an 850 Mini. Two lads sleeping in it. You would do anything to NOT have to slow down; it took too long getting the speed up again. Sideways through all the corners… excellent fun 
However, then, you couldn’t get petrol on a Sunday in Scotland!
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It’s a good point however in the UK public transport can be very poor especially in rural areas and some not so rural.
Then there is the cost, even with limited subsidies buses and trains can be expensive.
If you live and work in a city or major town I would certainly avoid having a car. Although my sons partner lives 2 or 3 miles from where she works and it’s 3 different buses to get there (she doesn’t drive, but does use an illegal in this country, electric scooter and the train)
It is always a joy to go to other cities around the world where public transport costs seem very reasonable which encourages use.
Ours is a 1,000 (well, 985). Since the motor was rebuilt, after a gasket blew, it’s now a little powerhouse. I can whistle up the hill in 3rd.
It is very impressive that you slept in the Mini.
Anyway, back to topic - @YetiZone and @Innocent_Bystander I can’t recommend a Mini as the safe or low running cost option, but for creating memories I can’t recommend it more highly We’ll be teaching our oldest to drive in it soon so he can learn a manual gearbox. Around town you can’t beat it.
Ours is on the left. Couldn’t resist a photo when we chanced upon a twin:
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@winkyincanada Public transport outside of city to city and inner city commuting is somewhat lacking here in the UK. There are exceptions of course, but it is a little compromised where we live. My daughter needs to travel to a sixth form college and uses the bus service which passes through some dodgy areas, then has a mile walk home in a poorly lit area. More than once, my daughter has felt uncomfortable when travelling home from college (esp after dark), so the sooner she can travel independently the better. She is not alone on this, all of her peers have felt the same. Mostly they travel together, but due to differing class times this is not always possible.
@anon39880737 Those Minis are lovely. An original Mini would not be the safest choice I agree! But, I had one of the best test drives I’ve ever had in the last of the run out Rover Mini Coopers, a factory wide arch kit, brushed aluminium dash and wide Minilite wheels. Such a fun and joyous car to drive that I agonised over buying it, but the thought of traveling from London to North Wales (to visit family) in one was not that appealing, so I bought a MK2 Golf GTi as an all rounder.
@Deeg Good point, I hadn’t thought of that issue, they are in the Apple ecosystem currently.
A black box is a very good idea, although my daughter is very level headed and I would trust her without, but I do like the idea of using one, from both a monitoring and cost perspective.
Thanks for all of the suggestions, very helpful and informative. I now have more than enough to go on. And the NCAP observations are especially pertinent - the more metal the better. I’ll take some time to do more research, as mentioned there is no rush on this. Thanks all.
Best advice, especially (but not exclusively) for young men is don’t buy him anything “cool”. He will probably wrap it round a lamp post due to showing off, inexperience, mobile 'phone use or poor judgement when weather/road surface conditions turn bad.
My brother has 3 kids close in age. In one year, he had to come to the rescue after 10 incidents, only one of which was a theft. The Yaris advice is sound but make it a rough one.
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Unless public transport is subsidised, it doesn’t work.
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