What did you get for your first car as a teenager?

[JoeFahey]

I have been leeching off my dad with borrowing his Passat most days for going to school and other odds and ends. I am tired of doing it, and I am sure he is too. He says that I should start looking for a good first car in the $3000ish range. Im sure this is similar to other teens when buying their first cars. Where do you suggest I go to look for cheap cars, and what models do you recommend? I have heard of car fax too. How much does it cost, and how does it work?
Thanks!

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Ehh I got a car to drive around because it was an extra car, but it's not like it's MY OWN car.. That said I do have it at college with me right now. So I guess ever since I got my license I could drive this car around? However it's a van, so I didn't actually drive it till almost a year after I got license, and I didn't enjoy driving it and I counted on rides unless Ic ould drive the sedan, so it took at least 2 - 3 months until I got used to driving the van, and I decided to drive it around frequently...

Anyways, it's a POS 1992 Toyota Previa. Yay minivan drivers represent! Holla!

 

[Xyo II]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Ehh I got a car to drive around because it was an extra car, but it's not like it's MY OWN car.. That said I do have it at college with me right now. So I guess ever since I got my license I could drive this car around? However it's a van, so I didn't actually drive it till almost a year after I got license, and I didn't enjoy driving it and I counted on rides unless Ic ould drive the sedan, so it took at least 2 - 3 months until I got used to driving the van, and I decided to drive it around frequently...

Anyways, it's a POS 1992 Toyota Previa. Yay minivan drivers represent! Holla!

Same here I love my minivan, with a futon matress where the back seats used to be, sound system + rope lights + minifridge = ftw

 

[nageov3t]

I got a metrocard.

didn't get my first car until I was 21, in 2003, when I got a 1996 ford escort... I upgraded into a 2003 mazda protege5 last month.

 

[MulLa]

First car was a hands me down from parents' upgrade It was a Nissan Pintara... Very reliable lasted a good 15 years before I got rid of it in the end for a trade in. Maybe purchase from parents and get dad to upgrade his own? Good "excuse" in upgrading for dad

 

[KLin]

1986 Dodge Colt :thumbsup:.

 

[thehstrybean]

'88 Jeep Cherokee we had sittin around. Just remember that anything with "4x4" in the title and the sheer fact that you're a male teenager (I assume) = high insurance...I drove a '98 Honda CRV for about 6 months...it got good gas mileage and had good insurance. Get good grades, get a discount (if your insurance company offers it), and don't get a ticket.

 

[AbAbber2k]

'88 Pontiac 6000

 

[randay]

Ferrari Testarossa :beer:

 

[BlueWeasel]

1986 Mazda 626

 

[thehstrybean]

Originally posted by: Einstein Element

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Ehh I got a car to drive around because it was an extra car, but it's not like it's MY OWN car.. That said I do have it at college with me right now. So I guess ever since I got my license I could drive this car around? However it's a van, so I didn't actually drive it till almost a year after I got license, and I didn't enjoy driving it and I counted on rides unless Ic ould drive the sedan, so it took at least 2 - 3 months until I got used to driving the van, and I decided to drive it around frequently...

Anyways, it's a POS 1992 Toyota Previa. Yay minivan drivers represent! Holla!

Same here I love my minivan, with a futon matress where the back seats used to be, sound system + rope lights + minifridge = ftw

:camera:?

 

[Chriscross3234]

About a year and a half ago my parents gave me $1,500 to go along with my $1,400 I had been saving up. We looked around at a lot of small local dealers all over the place and the best we found was a 99' Monte Carlo that had a nice interior, few dents on the outside, about 90k miles on it, and felt really comfortable when I test drived it. So far I haven't ran into any major mechanical problems, just make sure you get into the habit of doing regular maintainence and the such.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

1987 Volvo GL...

 

[Brainonska511]

My first car was my dad's 1997 Ford Taurus sedan. It was just sold for $2200 (93K miles) yesterday, but it was a good car to be driving around after I got my license since if I trashed it, it wouldn't be a big deal and the insurance was much lower than if it was a new car.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

'84 Chevy Nova. The uber sh!tty ones that were like paper thin steel japanese rip offs. It was a family car they got while I was was starting out driving. MY first car at 18 was a 95 Saab I still drive to this day.

 

[dbk]

94 Ford Taurus GL ... terrible.

 

[Xyo II]

Originally posted by: thehstrybean

Originally posted by: Einstein Element

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Ehh I got a car to drive around because it was an extra car, but it's not like it's MY OWN car.. That said I do have it at college with me right now. So I guess ever since I got my license I could drive this car around? However it's a van, so I didn't actually drive it till almost a year after I got license, and I didn't enjoy driving it and I counted on rides unless Ic ould drive the sedan, so it took at least 2 - 3 months until I got used to driving the van, and I decided to drive it around frequently...

Anyways, it's a POS 1992 Toyota Previa. Yay minivan drivers represent! Holla!

Same here I love my minivan, with a futon matress where the back seats used to be, sound system + rope lights + minifridge = ftw

:camera:?

I don't have any pics yet. It's raining outside right now, maybe I'll remember about it later

 

[SuperSix]

Fiat 124 Sport Coupe..

FIAT - Fix It Again, Tony

It was an aesome car until the tranny synchros went out, that and it's affinity for eating clutch cables.

**EDIT**

Damn.. I wish I had kept it!

 

[DurocShark]

Chevrolegs




(I didn't get my first car until I was 19. Had to buy it myself.)

 

[BurnItDwn]

My first car when I was 16 (1996) was a POS ford escort. I got it for like $3K. The car didn't even last 3 full years for me (Transmission problems, had transmission rebuilt, more transmission problems, rebuilt again under warranty, a year later, no more warranty on transmission .. Kaput)

I highly ANTIRECOMMEND a late 80s or early 90s model Escort.

 

[Mathlete]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
'88 Pontiac 6000

Sweet. Mine was a 85. Powder blue with the woody paneling and the waaaaay-back seat.

 

[Jawo]

1990 Mazda Protege, an amazingly underpowered vehicle!

 

[JulesMaximus]

My first car was a 1973 SAAB 99, beige with beige interior and a 4-spd manual transmission.

It was great in the snow, I grew up in upstate NY, but it always overheated during the summer. That car was built like a tank and I took it everywhere, even off-roading. It had ass-warmers and a great heater too, so during the cold winter months it was really nice to cruise in.

 

[2Xtreme21]

'96 Oldsmobile Achieva. It's such an old-man's car, but it gets me from point A to point B. And my parents got it for me for graduation-- uncle was going to see how much he could trade it in for and my parents decided to match the dealer's offer (which was like nothing anyway).

 

[Ika]

'96 Corolla. It'll be basically mine when my parents get a new car. Hooray.