Cost of your first car?

[project15]

In 2000, my parents bought me a 91 honda accord with 119k miles for my 16th birthday for $3k. That car was great. No accidents, not a powerful engine, but it was so much fun and I loved it.

Sure, I would've rather had a brand new sports car, but it was a car that gave me my freedom and taught me responsibility as well as how to save money to pay for insurance and gas when the bills were due.

[sandrark]

Originally Posted by irmanator

in 1994 I bought a 1983 chevette for 350, and i had to learn manual in order to actually drive it.

LOL! I bought a 1982 Chevette in 1986, for $1500. I already drove stick, which helped - many people wouldn't consider it due to the manual tranny, so I got a deal. I was 21.

I drove it from 50K miles to 116K miles in 1990. So 66K in 4 years or so. I drive a lot.

Today - I wouldn't spend more than $5K, given inflation. There are plenty of 100K mile cars with a lot of life left in them still.

Sandi

[boosami]

Mine was a 10 year old Toyota I bought for for about $1,200.

[GREENBACK]

My first car was a '78 Ford Fairmont in 1983. Price was 1k. Paid cash for it and drove it quite a bit before running into a telephone pole two years later. Bought a '79 Fairmont afterwards for $1200. Lasted 6yrs. So I got my money's worth. I didn't own a car until I was 18 and only because I was going off to college 4 hours away. I'd say a reliable equivalent to that car would maybe run 4 or 5 k nowadays. Some kids are good at talking their parents into buying the "sizzle" when the focus should be on the "steak".

[davrobins]

I don't believe in expensive cars for the 1st pick. Mine was for $1,400

[feh]

I was 22 when I bought my first car (after college graduation) - 1988 Pontiac GrandAm. Bought it new for $9175.

[Like2Plan]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I can't say I agree with this statement. I don't think there are any stats showing that a majority of new drivers have accidents.

"In 2007, 4,946 teenagers (ages 13-19) died in the United States from crash injuries. Such injuries are by far the leading public health problem among people 13-19 years old. In 2005, the latest year for which data are available, 33 percent of all deaths among 16-19 year-olds from all causes were related to motor vehicles.1 The crash risk among teenage drivers is particularly high during the first months of licensure.2,3

Teenage drivers have high rates of both fatal and nonfatal crashes compared with adult drivers. Teenagers drive less than all but the oldest people, but their numbers of crashes and crash deaths are disproportionately high. Based on crashes of all severities, the crash rate per mile driven for 16-19 year-olds is 4 times the risk for drivers 20 and older. Risk is highest at age 16. The crash rate per mile driven is nearly twice as high for 16 year-olds as it is for 18-19 year-olds4 The rate of deaths per 100,000 people in 2007 peaked at age 19 for male drivers (22 per 100,000) and at age 18 for male passengers (12 per 100,000). Death rates peaked at age 18 for female drivers (9 per 100,000) and at ages 17-18 for female passengers (8 per 100,000).

Many teenagers die as passengers in motor vehicle crashes. Sixty-one percent of teenage passenger deaths in 2007 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 20 percent occurred when a teenager was driving.

A 2007 Highway Loss Data Institute study reported that overall collision (vehicle damage) losses for vehicles insured for teenagers to drive are more than double those for vehicles insured for use by adults only. 5"

Link to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The above statistics only apply to the reported accidents... Sometimes a small ding or a scratch (single vehicle involvement) is taken care of off the books without going through police/insurance.

...I feel a poll coming on!link to poll

[disneysteve]

Sorry to stray OT. I wasn't arguing the fact that new drivers have more accidents. I believe that's true. I was disagreeing with this statement:

chances are they are going to get into an accident

That makes it sound like the majority of new drivers will have an accident. I don't think that's true. I think the rate is higher than for more experienced drivers but still low overall.

As for the death rate, I'm not sure but I suspect more teens skip wearing a seatbelt because it isn't cool, so when there are crashes, they are much more likely to die, be ejected, suffer serious injury, etc. Teens aren't known for their good judgement afterall.

[Pitman]

89 Corolla given to me from my grandmother. This was back in 2005, the car had only 50K miles on it, and it cost $11 to fill up the tank.

[Like2Plan]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Sorry to stray OT. I wasn't arguing the fact that new drivers have more accidents. I believe that's true. I was disagreeing with this statement:

That makes it sound like the majority of new drivers will have an accident. I don't think that's true. I think the rate is higher than for more experienced drivers but still low overall.

I didn't use to believe it either, but I am now at an age where a lot of my contemporaries have kids just starting out driving. It would be an exaggeration to say the majority will be in a serious accident, but may be not such a far reach when minor scratches, et'c. are included. I wouldn't say 100%, but I bet it is pretty high.

As for the death rate, I'm not sure but I suspect more teens skip wearing a seatbelt because it isn't cool, so when there are crashes, they are much more likely to die, be ejected, suffer serious injury, etc. Teens aren't known for their good judgement afterall.

I think that is a big contributor. Inexperience--over correcting little mistakes with disastrous results, speed ( a biggie) and peer pressure also come to mind.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

As for the death rate, I'm not sure but I suspect more teens skip wearing a seatbelt because it isn't cool, so when there are crashes, they are much more likely to die, be ejected, suffer serious injury, etc. Teens aren't known for their good judgement afterall.

Originally Posted by Like2Plan

I think that is a big contributor. Inexperience--over correcting little mistakes with disastrous results, speed ( a biggie) and peer pressure also come to mind.

Another possibility, which goes to the topic of this thread, is that new drivers are probably more likely to be driving old cars and junkers that may not have all the up-to-date safety features, ABS, traction control, side curtain airbags, etc.

[spicy14lingo]

My first car was almost 4 years old and it cost $2,100 which I paid the payments on. Kids are too spoiled when they get extravagent cars right off because let's face it.... they'll prob wreck sooner rather than later for lack of experience if nothing else - I did.

[globetraveler]

First Car?

1988 Suzuki Samurai @ age 15.

Paid $2,500.00 for it used in 1994.

Pretty fun to drive, but terrible safety ratings.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I don't even remember much about my first car. It did not seem terribly important to me, I guess. Fist car was bought with my husband. I was about 28. The car was a Toyota Tercel, used, but I don't recall how old or what year. Maybe three years old. Don't know how much we paid.

Don't really have an opinion on how much to spend on a teen's first car. May I just say, "It depends"?

[maat55]

My first car was a 68 Olds Cutlass Supreme. I paid 500, painted it Viking Red, put air shocks on the back with a set of 60 wide tires. I bought it with 53k miles on it.

[raygong2000]

I am looking forward to my dream car!

[wraddylan]

My car is 2500$.

[Brad VanGuard]

Well we just bought our family a stick shift Chevy S-10 so that our kids could learn how to drive one. We got it for about $3000. It's a '98 and in excellent condition.