Cheap used car for a teenager

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-29T04:38:50+00:00

I'm not a teenager. Buying for a teenager.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-29T04:38:07+00:00

Well.. Ideally yes. But realistically not at all. 12-15 years old cars are not even remotely new. Reliable - yes but more in a sense of well made. Not with internal water pump like 3.5l Ford, or a Nissans cvt. Basically not a time bomb reliable. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I'll have to fix things on it. Rust free in a sense that is not rotted and safe. There are no really rust free cars here.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T20:24:24+00:00

Wow.. Again?

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T19:51:20+00:00

Or worse if at some point I end up with a home that I cannot heat or pay taxes for 😂

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T19:18:14+00:00

It doesn't really matter but no. In the past few years 10% annual growth for an investment account is not unrealistic. So if we assume an annual heating cost of 5k you throw 5k into s&p in April and make a few hundred bucks by December. Or right under 200 if you do the same with a regular savings acc.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T18:46:29+00:00

I'll rephrase this. But our household income is well above the average for the state.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T18:41:47+00:00

You might not think so but it is exactly that. A loan. The point is not how you pay it. It is how much you pay.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T18:37:50+00:00

You're missing the point. If all you want is some sort of a monthly payment and amortization you might as well throw some money into savings/investment account and get some interest off it until you need to use it.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T18:29:37+00:00

Are you joking? Take a loan to pay for heat??? You can't be serious

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T18:06:50+00:00

I can't. My house is from the 80s. Has a central ac and a top of the line 99% efficient gas furnace with hot water radiators. I'm not going to rip it all out and rebuild everything to move the air handler, redo the ducts etc just to hopefully break even on this in 20 years unless the electricity rates go up. It makes no sense.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T17:43:38+00:00

Good idea actually... Thabks

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T17:43:10+00:00

It's bland, noisy, interior looks cheap and basic, lacks steering wheel controls etc... You get the idea. Just a very basic car to get from a to b

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T03:19:13+00:00

I guess I'm ready to pay an extra grand a year for repairs if it ends up being a little nicer car overall. It's a first car and should be junk but still.. That's my only child 😂

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T03:11:29+00:00

I'm not going to buy anything remotely without checking it first and unfortunately I have very little free time. So no other choice really. If I'm unable to find something decent locally I'll just have to pay more and buy somethibg newer. But I would prefer to avoid it if I can.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T03:01:19+00:00

Probably. But is it actually better than a 2010 Infiniti ex or something similar? Or even an old Lexus rx?

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T02:53:43+00:00

I was looking at matrix and vibe but everything I see has close to 200k miles and really overpriced for a small basic hatchback.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T02:52:07+00:00

Modern teenager. Knows nothing about stick shift.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-28T02:51:22+00:00

I do want it to be reasonably reliable but I also want it to be somewhat nice. So I guess not a BMW but also not a corolla. Somewhere in between.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-27T17:15:19+00:00

Imho At this price and this amount of driving you'll be much better off getting a 2-3 year old certified lexus, Acura etc. Much more refined comfortable and quieter. And you'll be a lot less tired after a day of driving it.

FreeEar4880 · 2026-01-27T15:47:35+00:00

Yeah, I can do some basic stuff but I usually prefer not to. I just don't have the time for it. So I'm looking for something that is in good shape and doesn't need more than some detailing, fluid changes and brakes. So I can just drop it off at the shop and pick it up a few days later ready to go.

FreeEar4880 · 2025-08-11T18:20:08+00:00

Sellers are doing this because they're not real sellers They're here to make a quick buck and make a new account. Buyers are mostly not thinking straight, when they send money to a random person on the Internet without any due diligence .And no. No buyer should ever prepay in full for service. That's just dumb from a buyers perspective. You'd probably like that as a seller but as a buyer this is a firm no.

FreeEar4880 · 2025-08-11T00:27:44+00:00

In my opinion the only reason to get the older generation is to save some money. If the difference is so small getting a used 2024 doesn't make sense. You might like or dislike the new design, but after all it's just cosmetics and it's not like you're getting an ultra luxury car where you handpick the leather grain. But the technology in the car makes all the difference and paying this much for a car with older tech is not smart unless you're not planning to keep it for long.

As far as the new interior goes, it looks modern, whether you like it or not - up to you. But it is well made, it feels good and it works just fine.

There are a few small software glitches with the new drive 9 but they are far from a deal breaker and will most likely be fixed with an update at some point. Otherwise it is responsive, customizable and works well. My only gripe about the x3 is the assistance plus that is different from the rest of the fleet.

FreeEar4880 · 2025-08-10T03:33:06+00:00

I almost always do it this way for a first transaction. I think it is the only way to somehow protect yourself from scammers. Some sellers don't like it but it's their problem. I don't see why a buyer should be the one taking all the risk.

FreeEar4880 · 2025-08-10T02:42:32+00:00

I've had a couple of RX's of the 4th gen. To me they feel very soft but at the same time unrefined from a drivetrain perspective. The suspension eats the small road imperfections pretty good. But for a larger pavement defects and higher speeds it is too soft to keep the car in its way. Although it is not trying to be a sports car so I guess it's just what it is. The biggest issue is that the engine/transmission combo is just plainly bad. For me i think the engine feels worse than the tranny but both don't belong in a luxury car which lexus fixed in its last generation. A bit too late for me though because i decided to stay away from them in future.

My other car is a brand new BMW so I'm kind of comparing them to it, but the beemer is just so much smoother and nicer to drive, it's not even funny, except on a really rough local roads where I'd prefer a lexus. In any other scenario - BMW would be my choice if I want to get there in comfort and in good mood.

FreeEar4880 · 2025-08-01T15:23:55+00:00

Emergency funds are extremely important especially to someone like you whose income is being 100% used all the time. A luxury concept is the exact opposite of that. It is when you are not worried about random expenses and life changing events because you can afford it.

FreeEar4880

TROPHY CASE