What do F10 drivers buy for their teenagers to drive?

I made the mistake of letting my 2 teenage children drive and share our third car, which in all cases was a pretty good car - too good. If I had to do it again, I would buy a used police car or a Ford F150 or some such thing. Curb rash would never be a concern again.. and those..."oops, I bumped into the side of the garage backing up" would never bother me.

As an 18 year old my parents didn't help me out at all with my first vehicle! I wheel and dealed while working and saving up money, went through 4 vehicles through age 16 to now to get my bimmer (which is currently in the shop) starting off with a scooter, then a motorcycle, to an Acura integrity, to the e36!

We bought my 15 year old a 2012 Honda Accord EX-L V-6. It should last her through high school and college.

One horsepower is plenty...for now.

Definitely a used car. Maybe a Prius

The standing offer is the use of the oldest car in the family fleet -- currently a 1993 Volvo 850.

The first teenage boy (now 26) declined to use the family car and eventually procured his very own Honda Civic.

Teenage boy #2 is now contemplating the offer....

Originally Posted by SimiClyde

The standing offer is the use of the oldest car in the family fleet -- currently a 1993 Volvo 850.

The first teenage boy (now 26) declined to use the family car and eventually procured his very own Honda Civic.

Teenage boy #2 is now contemplating the offer....

I think Honda Civic is all high school boy dream.

I came to america to live and enjoy the american dream.
I guess im gonna let my 2 month old daughter enjoy it as well
for now it is "will give free advice on car selection, but pay for your own car"
but dont know how it will turn out after 15 years and 10 months.

Got my 16 year old a 2009 328 x drive coupe with 62,000 miles.

Originally Posted by cordoor

Very cool!

I need to get through two daughters before my son starts driving but buying a car that needs a few projects sounds like a great idea for when he gets there.

-Corey

We also pulled all of the wood trim from the dash and door panels and wrapped them with carbon fiber. Great one day project with my son.

Next up is a set of H&R springs...

I bought my teenager an E39 a year ago. It was mint at the time and now it looks like its been through a war. Lesson learned. Next time I buy a camry or accord.

I've been reading these answers and feel compelled to write this. I've been driving BMWs since 1973. Obviously, I'm fond of them. I have a 16 year old daughter who I love dearly. I bought her a Volvo XC60. Reason being, the safety testing. I can't give you a number of the parents of new drivers I've talked to who have told me about their new drivers being involved in traffic accidents. A lot.

I would NOT under any circumstances buy a used 3 series or a Honda or Toyota anything for my child. Unbelievably, my daughter was involved in a head on collision, with a friend in the car. She center punched a pole, after being cut off. Her new car was totaled. She and her friend walked out of that Volvo without a scratch. I went out and bought her another Volvo XC 60. A 2010 with 35,000 miles. I can state without question that buying that Volvo was one the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

My dad helped me buy an E46 330i ZHP when I was 17 (he drove an X5 back then). I was about ready to buy an older E46 323, but he gave me some extra money to get the car I really wanted -- something I was extremely grateful for. That car was great to learn on IMO. I really loved that car. Washed it every week, detailed it every month. Always did all the necessary preventative maintenance, etc... I never got into an accident with it (or any other car for that matter). I've always taken driving seriously though, and my parents knew that.

I am male, if it makes a difference.

My daughter is 16 and just got her learner's permit. I have no idea what car we will decide on a year from now but I plan to make a trip to South Carolina where she can attend the BMW Teen Driving School (and I will spend a day at the M Driving session). I think this will be an invaluable experience for her.

I thought I would post an update (I'm the OP).

We decided 15K was our spending limit. We also decided we needed low miles. This ruled out most (if not all) AWD sedans (too expensive with few miles). The wife said no to Suburu.

Our daughter won't drive much. We live 30 seconds from her school. She has soccer and a few other activities, but they aren't far either. And she will only occasionally drive the freeway.

So what I did was go to the magazine archives and dug up the vehicles that had done well in comparisons in the past, looked online to find some locally, and then went and looked at them.

We landed on a Mazda3. Today we purchased a 2010 Mazda3 s Sport with 38K miles on it for under 15K, white exterior, black interior with brushed aluminum. She loves it. I think it drives nicely for such a car.

I'll report back in a few years how it went.

-Corey

Originally Posted by shredace

I plan to make a trip to South Carolina where she can attend the BMW Teen Driving School.

This is a great idea. I should look to see if there is a similar driving school in my area and get her some lessons for her birthday or something. It wouldn't be BMW's driving school, but better than nothing.

-Corey

2003 Dodge Durango with 126K miles.

2010 Jetta Wolfsburg 2.0T with DSG 33k miles $16k CPO.

kids a car geek, very bad disease.

Most important feature for teen is stability control.
Highly recommend 2 day teen driving school at BMW Performance Center in SC.
We did this in August, it is absolutely unbelievable how much they teach, about proper driving and awareness.
Every driver (teen and adult) should participate in a program like this.

The adult program was also unbelievably good, educational and fun.