Looking at used cars with my son

[lennyf]

I've been looking at cars as of late with my 17 yr. old boy.
Since I don't want him driving my M240i we have started to look for him.
2011 VW GTI's have been my #1 contender looking in the no more than $13k range.......
What do you guys think of the Mini Cooper S Countryman ??
I've heard mixed reviews on these cars as far as reliability.

[Eliminator 429]

With a young driver I would recommend getting insurance quotes before buying anything. The GTI is a great little car but could be costly to insure.

[mojobmw_e90]

X2 on insurance. I buy and sell beaters and first time drivers. Recently sold a 01 neon with 80k to a lady who just got her lisence 8 months ago. She paying 160 a month for that neon, I paid 130 for 6 months, same policy

[angelr]

Good choice, we have a 12 GTI and we bought my son a 12 GLI Jetta.

[Bluewater328iT]

GTI is a great car. My son bought one, over 25, so insurance was not a big issue. I don't like the Countryman. Looks bigger and clumsier than the S Coupe. Besides, the GTI is a better package than the Mini and the 2 door is almost the same size. They are discontinuing the coupe.

An older 228 might be considered as well, but I think the GTI will be cheaper.

[4130]

I had a 2005 Cooper S and absolutely loved it. However, Minis have their share of issues and remember that it's full of BMW priced parts (thanks to them being the parent company). Repairs can be more costly than other cars on items like power steering pump, alternator, etc.

Other than that, I can tell you that my car was totaled in a three car collision on a highway, it kept me safe, and it drove the remaining hour home.

[NickyC]

Get him an 06-08 Z4. The cars are absolutely bullet proof, and still look modern. A nice non ///M model can be had for less than $13k.

[Sephiroth]

Get him a 1999 camry

[overcoil]

I mean, of course if I were 17 I'd want a GTI, even though some years were considered heavy and slow, they are still in the upper range of front drive performance.

My neighbor bought his kid a used Jeep Compass, and it's actually a great little car.

[F80Dreamer]

Bought my 17 year old a new Mazda3 last year for a great deal. Awesome little car, very reliable, and all the safety features for peace of mind.

[Fundguy1]

Keep the hp low but get him something he can work on and modify. He will be excited when he does something and take more pride in his car.

[Jacblack]

Well I'm not sure of lifestyle but make sure that is a car he can afford to put gas in and maintain, unless you will be footing the bill for it. The insurance alone will murder him.

A really fun car that gets slept on is the corolla XRS of you can come across it. Has the bigger 2.5 from Camry, most were manual. Reliable and cheap.

[Alfisti]

You could do a lot worse than a 2010 9-3. Power and leather everything, built like a tank safety wise and looks good enough. Servicing schedule is extremely owner friendly. Mostly GM parts too.

[cruisingdownthestreet]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Keep the hp low but get him something he can work on and modify. He will be excited when he does something and take more pride in his car.

like a prius

[to_riffic]

I have a 03 MINI S if you're interested. You're local too, so you could check it out.

As for Countryman, whether it's a N14 or N18, they're both not that great and really not worth it. Stay away from 2nd gen MINIs. The first gen R53 is far more reliable. I had my R56 MINI for 5 yrs, it was great, but also a nightmare for maintenance.

[pukicabuki]

Originally Posted by Jacblack

A really fun car that gets slept on is the corolla XRS of you can come across it. Has the bigger 2.5 from Camry, most were manual. Reliable and cheap.

The later '09+ version of the Corolla XRS with the 2.4L is a joke. It was a poor attempt at a sporty compact car.

The one you want is the '05-06 XRS with the 1.8L 2ZZ-GE and 6-speed manual shared with the Celica GT-S and the Lotus Elise. They're hard to find though. Toyota only sold about 1100 of them in the US between those 2 years.

[Nkc]

If you're looking into hatchbacks for a kid, try out those Ford fiestas ST and focus while you're at it.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by cruisingdownthestreet

like a prius

Like a corolla, focus, jetta, gti, dart, civic, etc. I would never wish a prius on anyone. My son's driving in 2 years. I'm looking at a 328i, jetta, gti, or a 6 cylinder mustang or camaro for him.

[turbo_joe]

I would recommend getting him a Golf over a GTI. Even though 200hp doesn't sound like much it's still more than enough to get him in trouble. Golf is still a great car to learn how to turn some wrenches and insurance will be way less than the GTI.
A 5spd Golf would be the perfect car to learn how to drive in my opinion.

[Beartato]

Mazda3's are pretty nice, cheap to fix, reliable, good on gas. It's like a Corolla but fun to drive, the perfect starter car.

Can't go wrong with a GTI though.

[Germanauto]

OP I'm not sure if you remember all the stunts kids pull at that age, even rational kids with a good head on their shoulders.
Heck i'm in my mid-20s and still do some questionable things on the road.

I'd recommend a used V4 Civic, Accord, or Camry. Safe, reliable, cheap to operate, and most importantly they don't encourage any hooliganism.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

older m3 or g35