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Car Value Useful Trouble free life Mileage vs Age for Teen Car

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bosco2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22
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2014-04-01          189873

How do you look at Car age versus mileage.

For me I had been looking at enjoyable car life as 10 years or 100,000 miles. In terms of trade in value it seems that at 5 years dealers will give you 50% of what you paid before tax.

I am looking for a car for my kid to commute to college next year.

With car loans on new cars a record low rates it seems hard to buy any used car, very little more for new compact car.

But giving my kid a new car seems ridiculous since has no respect for other peoples property :(

In looking at used compact cars in the 10 to 14k price range, you see cars like 2012 with 100,000 miles and 2006 with 37,000 miles both being sold for $14,000. Which is better? Maybe neither! Why would I bother with a 2006 corolla at $14k when a 2014 is $19k?

The reason I can see is to have the car intentionally be more of a beater at any cost just to not spoil the boy :-)





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Car Value Useful Trouble free life Mileage vs Age for Teen Car

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2014-04-01          189880

Bosco;

Your question brings back lots of school car memories, some good, some not so good.
At the time we had three kids in the drive to school age group so we started with the used Dodge "K" cars. The hundred dollar class of K's were sometimes a good one sometimes not, we had half a dozen out in the trees that usually had cracked the head. It wasn't the cost of them so much as always having to rescue a kid with a broken down car a hundred miles away at a college parking lot.
At the time you could buy a somewhat barebones Ranger pickups for about 4,500.
That turned out much better except a college kid with a pickup is a very popular guy, everybody wants to borrow it to move something and nobody puts any gas in it.
They did take pretty good care of them, the oldest daughter kept hers after college till it had like 180K.
I don't know if this helps but one of our kids recently bought a year old Impala fleet car with 30K miles from the Chevy dealer with a new warranty, and about 10K$ off new list.

Frank.

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Car Value Useful Trouble free life Mileage vs Age for Teen Car

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2014-04-01          189882

A vehicle purchase should have many considerations.

1. If you live in a climate with harsh winters an all-wheel drive or 4WD vehicle is a possible choice.

2. Most compact cars are a death trap.

3. Would your kid develop a pride in ownership if it were a sharp used or new vehicle?

4. A SUV of some sort would allow for the kid to transport stuff back and forth to college and to varying apartments. Teaches them self sufficiencies and independence.

I have only one daughter. In high school she had a 2 door Pontiac Grand Am. Her yearbook voted her car the coolest senior girl's car. We live in Michigan. As she commuted to college and later moved to school and drove all over, I purchased her a new Ford Explorer in her 2nd year of college. Considered it safe, could drive anywhere and transported lots of stuff and friends. She made the last year of payments after she graduated. She drove it 175,000 miles before purchasing her next new vehicle. When purchasing a new vehicle, it is best to purchase at end of model year with lots of discounts and incentives. ....

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Car Value Useful Trouble free life Mileage vs Age for Teen Car

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bosco2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22
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2014-04-01          189883

Yooper,

I remember at the High School parking space orientation meeting, they said that when picking a car for a teen SIZE MATTERS. That could be taken a couple of ways, like a small car is easier to park or the your thinking small can be deadly.

No question most sedans of any size do not fare well when an SUV hits them from the side in particular.

And yup AWD should be really be on it... for use here.. probably need a compact SUV at the smallest...

As far as used AWD compact SUV's not many people giving up their used ones after this winter, not at low prices anyway. ....

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Car Value Useful Trouble free life Mileage vs Age for Teen Car

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cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2014-04-02          189895

Sometimes the rental agencies offer vehicles which can be had for a substantial discount. My credit union will finance them right on the spot, the prices are generally on the windshield of each car offered. These units are a year old, perhaps two and come with a warranty. I have owned at least three of these vehicles. ....

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Car Value Useful Trouble free life Mileage vs Age for Teen Car

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2014-04-02          189897

I have two suggestions or thoughts might be better.

Good to library and look at the annual review book of Consumer Reports on cars. They have it for 10 year old cars I think or may say last ten years of history. Look for safety and other issues on it. This is from real owners reports and for me has always been dependable.

Second, you may want to check on insurance. This will vary with companies and states but it will probably cost more if house at their school if they live away from home. Also normally older is less on insurance. But my suggestion is have say two or three in mind and have your agent to give you the prices on each one.

Then have long talk with about the dangers of driving and being on their own and pray for them and their parents!kt


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