off the path, new car for my daughter

Originally Posted by alewifebp

Otherwise, the usual suspects like the Honda Civic or Fit,

Fit has the same problem... This is just at 40mph vs. an accord.

I am going to assume that the car is basic transportation and that she will not need a specialized vehicle. For instance, a girl I went to college with was into horse competitions, so she needed a vehicle that could tow a horse trailer (Suburban). I will also assume that you will be keeping this car a minimum of 3 and probably more like 6 years.

You might want to look at a two year old Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, or other midsize car (similar in size to a 3 series).

If you need more cargo room , something like a 2009 Chevy TrailBlazer might be something to look at too. You might want to consider a Ford Explorer from the same era, the full frame RWD/4WD version, not the current crossover.

While the Mazda 3 is nice as is the Focus, I would not buy a small car, especially for a new driver. When a small car gets hit by a big car, bad things happen.

If you go used, do not get a car older than 3 years old (2009 model year) unless you feel like replacing it while she is in college.

I would also not buy a rare car or one that is expensive to repair. It's almost guaranteed that she will have an accident or two (maybe not her fault) over the next 5 years.

Finally, what car does her sister have? The reason I ask is that siblings compare what they have and if the older sister has a 3 series and the vehicle you get your younger daugher is a kia subcompact, there WILL be hurt feelings, and YOU will suffer because of it.

I had the same issue with my kids and opted for te VW Jetta. They love the car.

Originally Posted by newbmwguy30

I had the same issue with my kids and opted for te VW Jetta. They love the car.

Ford Fusion or VW Jetta, good cars.

I believe I'm an "expert" on this topic. My 16 year daughter, last Saturday, was side swiped into a steel pole, while driving her mother's XC 60 Volvo. She "center punched" the pole. Massive damage. Waiting to hear if it's a "total". She was riding with a friend. They both walked away without a scratch. Looking at the car, it's amazing that neither were even slightly injured. I'm a personal injury lawyer who sees a lot of wrecks. Just reviewed, out of curiosity, some photos of a client, 26 years old, who had very similar damage to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Her right leg was crushed. Ankle fused. Never will walk without a cane.

As long as my daughter lives in my house, she will be driving a Volvo. If it costs you a few extra bucks to buy a used Volvo, it's well worth it. There is no price to high to protect your child.

Originally Posted by bikerboy

I believe I'm an "expert" on this topic. My 16 year daughter, last Saturday, was side swiped into a steel pole, while driving her mother's XC 60 Volvo. She "center punched" the pole. Massive damage. Waiting to hear if it's a "total". She was riding with a friend. They both walked away without a scratch. Looking at the car, it's amazing that neither were even slightly injured. I'm a personal injury lawyer who sees a lot of wrecks. Just reviewed, out of curiosity, some photos of a client, 26 years old, who had very similar damage to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Her right leg was crushed. Ankle fused. Never will walk without a cane.

As long as my daughter lives in my house, she will be driving a Volvo. If it costs you a few extra bucks to buy a used Volvo, it's well worth it. There is no price to high to protect your child.

Volvo For Life.

I am a Volvo Afficionado and know
quite a few people who work for VCNA. It's not just a marketing gimmick. I've seen the pictures and the cars.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Volvo For Life.

I am a Volvo Afficionado and know
quite a few people who work for VCNA. It's not just a marketing gimmick. I've seen the pictures and the cars.

The biggest crash I've been in was when driving home from Stockholm cross the country. I had my girlfriend and three of her friends in the car when we were hit from behind at a stop light by a Volvo 745. I don't think he even hit the breaks. The front of his car was crumbled up and the car was full of deflated airbags. However both the guy and his girlfriend did not have a scratch on them, Volvo is expert in designing crumble zones that progressively absorbs impact to limit the forces on the passengers and in this case my car. We all felt fine and even more incredible my SAAB 9000 Turbo only had a fingernail sized scratch on the rear bumper. When I got home I took it to Saab that verified that there was no damage to anything else. One of the girls had a stiff neck for a few days but that was it. Volvo safety is for real.

No question in the 18-20k price range the best choice is the Honda Fit Sport. My 19 y.o. stepson just got his last week and loves it. He is 6'3" and has plenty of head room. Comes with 6 speakers, 160 watts, USB port for iPod, and paddle shifters with the automatic. Fold down rear seats with large cargo capacity fits of all the kids stuff. His skis even fit in the back without a ski rack. Consumer Reports highest rated in it class. Great gas mileage. We paid invoice price of $18,221 plus tax. 5-speed manual is $500 less.

Hyundai or Kia would be my choice.

If safety is #1, then get any VW. They're tops with safety.

Originally Posted by Bikie

VW Jetta/Golf Diesel.

This.

I second autounion but would go for a 2 litre golf.
Overhere a Gti costs 32000 euro, nice, save and fast cars.

Originally Posted by DreamCar

Of all the suggestions if you can really can get a Volvo with in the budget .. Then i would jump on it!

When comes to kids i think safety takes precedence of all.. Just my thought

Honestly, I don't believe this Volvo safety facade anymore. Most, if not all cars, get a 5 star rating these days. I'm looking at Top Safety Picks, and Subaru is the only brand to have all of its lineup recommended. VW/Audi have the largest number of total models, then Hyundai/Kia is right behind them.

I don't think Volvo really does anything better than them anymore. If I was totally worried about safety, I'm going directly to any German car. VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes/Porsche. All built with thick sheet metal.

My cousin flipped his '08 Jetta a couple years ago and the thing was totaled. He wasn't wearing his belt and the roof caved in. (Yes, he's an idiot) Windshield was shattered. He had NO MARKS on him.

That being said, Volvos have **** resale and can be had for dirt cheap.

Originally Posted by SuperTerp

Fit has the same problem... This is just at 40mph vs. an accord.

Note how the passenger compartment in the Fit is not compromised. The damage is all absorbed by the engine compartment. This is the proper way to design a car to protect the passengers. You want the car to absorb all the damage and protect the space in which the passengers are sitting. The driver in the Fit is protected by the front and side air bags. Looks like the Fit is well designed to protect the passenger compartment in this type of crash.

Originally Posted by Sophisto

I second autounion but would go for a 2 litre golf.
Overhere a Gti costs 32000 euro, nice, save and fast cars.

GTI is ~$23,000 for a base model one around here. 2.5L petrol Golf 4 dr is under $20k and is possibly the most solid car you will get at that price.

Golf TDI and Jetta TDI are mid $20k if you are willing to splurge a little

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Honestly, I don't believe this Volvo safety facade anymore. Most, if not all cars, get a 5 star rating these days. I'm looking at Top Safety Picks, and Subaru is the only brand to have all of its lineup recommended. VW/Audi have the largest number of total models, then Hyundai/Kia is right behind them.

I don't think Volvo really does anything better than them anymore. If I was totally worried about safety, I'm going directly to any German car. VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes/Porsche. All built with thick sheet metal.

My cousin flipped his '08 Jetta a couple years ago and the thing was totaled. He wasn't wearing his belt and the roof caved in. (Yes, he's an idiot) Windshield was shattered. He had NO MARKS on him.

That being said, Volvos have **** resale and can be had for dirt cheap.

I am not impressed by the swedish safety claims as well and you are right about what you get for these cars after a couple of years. Motor, suspension and transmission wise not top of the bill...

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Honestly, I don't believe this Volvo safety facade anymore. Most, if not all cars, get a 5 star rating these days. I'm looking at Top Safety Picks, and Subaru is the only brand to have all of its lineup recommended. VW/Audi have the largest number of total models, then Hyundai/Kia is right behind them.

I don't think Volvo really does anything better than them anymore. If I was totally worried about safety, I'm going directly to any German car. VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes/Porsche. All built with thick sheet metal.

My cousin flipped his '08 Jetta a couple years ago and the thing was totaled. He wasn't wearing his belt and the roof caved in. (Yes, he's an idiot) Windshield was shattered. He had NO MARKS on him.

That being said, Volvos have **** resale and can be had for dirt cheap.

Well yes over the time every body catches up with/copy the things ... But I think Volvos are pioneers in implementing safety features arent they? I never liked the looks though!

Originally Posted by DreamCar

Well yes over the time every body catches up with/copy the things ... But I think Volvos are pioneers in implementing safety features arent they? I never liked the looks though!

Sure, back in the sixties they were.

Originally Posted by DreamCar

Well yes over the time every body catches up with/copy the things ... But I think Volvos are pioneers in implementing safety features arent they? I never liked the looks though!

That would be Mercedes (IMO of course)

First maker with ABS, airbags, crumple zones, traction control, ESP, brake assist, etc

Mercedes has it all over Volvo when it comes to safety innovations. In the last decade, Volvo has come up with bull**** tech like City Safe, etc

In actuality the supposed lack of crashworthiness of the Honda Fit indicated in the above video is not true.

The Honda Fit has a rating of 4 stars in the NHTSA ratings. Here is a direct link to the Honda Fit's safety ratings:

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shop...odel=FIT&year=

I think the Honda Fit is the best car for the money in the 18-20k range for a young person. This includes safety.

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Honestly, I don't believe this Volvo safety facade anymore. Most, if not all cars, get a 5 star rating these days. I'm looking at Top Safety Picks, and Subaru is the only brand to have all of its lineup recommended. VW/Audi have the largest number of total models, then Hyundai/Kia is right behind them.

I don't think Volvo really does anything better than them anymore. If I was totally worried about safety, I'm going directly to any German car. VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes/Porsche. All built with thick sheet metal.

My cousin flipped his '08 Jetta a couple years ago and the thing was totaled. He wasn't wearing his belt and the roof caved in. (Yes, he's an idiot) Windshield was shattered. He had NO MARKS on him.

That being said, Volvos have **** resale and can be had for dirt cheap.

Very common mindset these days. Ever wonder why so many cars get "5 stars" but when you see crashes in the real world, the crash carnage is horrific? It's easy to engineer the car to cheat on a known test, much different (and difficult and more expensive) to engineer them for real world crash situations.

Volvo doesn't have a corner on the market, anymore, but not all cars crash equally. I'd trust the major Germans to be pretty much equal, although I think they are a still a half step behind. Anything from the East....forget it, no matter what the rating.

Mrs Dunderhi suggested a Chevy Suburban, but despite how much I hate them, I would suggest a Subaru Outback.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Volvo doesn't have a corner on the market, anymore, but not all cars crash equally. I'd trust the major Germans to be pretty much equal, although I think they are a still a half step behind. Anything from the East....forget it, no matter what the rating.

I kind thought the German cars were the leaders in this arena. I especially like the video below of an MB SL sliding upside down on the highway and then dude walks away from the crash. Not bad for a convertible.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Very common mindset these days. Ever wonder why so many cars get "5 stars" but when you see crashes in the real world, the crash carnage is horrific? It's easy to engineer the car to cheat on a known test, much different (and difficult and more expensive) to engineer them for real world crash situations.

Volvo doesn't have a corner on the market, anymore, but not all cars crash equally. I'd trust the major Germans to be pretty much equal, although I think they are a still a half step behind. Anything from the East....forget it, no matter what the rating.

What makes the Germans one step behind? Look at all of MB's safety innovations. Volvo doesn't hold a candle to them

The Jetta is no doubt also a good car but dang V.A.G. do you have to try so hard to make the VWs look so incredibly boring? I get it that you don't want to compete too hard with Audi but man are the Jettas and Passats (except the CC) the epitom of bland and boring. They are totally invisible on the road. The Volvo C30 has loads of visual personality in comparison. This could matter to a teenager. Technically they are probably comparable safety wise but only one has the safety reputation. Nothig wrong with signalling that you are a hip but safe and responsible kid ( and parent... ).

If you can stomach a used ride, I've seen plenty of BMW Z4s 07/08, with low miles and between 24-30k. I think it's a great car, but snow might become an issue unless you have another set of tires.

If thinking new and with good performance and fuel economy, I'd go with the new VW Jetta - it's very solid, well built and drives like a german car should.

If thinking about reliability, I'd recommend a Civic or a new Hyundai (Sonata for sedan or a Veloster for a cool look/looks fast car)