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by Anton Bekerman on October 29th, 2003

Anton Bekerman

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What would be the best car for a beginning driver? And how can I learn more about cars?

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Answers. 8 helpful answers below.

  • by 8 Jan 2004-10 Dec 2009 on January 21st, 2004

    8 Jan 2004-10 Dec 2009

    The best car for any person will be reliable,.relatively affordable, and within the abilities of the driver to control.

    For a beginning driver, these will usually be used foreign FWD 4-cylinder compact cars. They are forgiving in the snow, easy to manuever in traffic (especially parking lots), and available at quite reasonable prices. A bonus is if the car is cheap enough that wrecking it won't cause undue financial strain. I flipped a $3,000 used car before and it hurt a lot less than it would've to have flipped a $22,000 car that I'd still be paying on after the insurance company gypped me.

    Heck, I'm an experienced driver and I drive a reliable 1989 VW Golf that I picked up for $350 and put only another $70 of work into. Before that, I drove a 1987 Toyota Corolla I picked up for $500; those things are virtually indestructable.



    I learned a lot about cars through hands-on experience and the Haynes and Chilton manuals for the cars I've owned. With just a book and some basic hand tools, I changed my own rear struts for $45 (parts) and actually managed to do a head gasket (minus the machine work, which wasn't necessary in this case anyways) for under $50 instead of the $550-1200 most places charge. Sport Compact Car has also taught me a lot, especially the "Suck, Squish, Bang, Blow" series of tech articles they ran a few years ago.



    Response to detractors (past, present, and future) - I am merely answering this question based on my personal experiences. Like most people, beginning drivers are NOT always made of money so they may want to start inexpensively. If you (or your millionaire parents) can afford ANY car you want, you can afford a driver for it too.
    Unless you wish to donate a vehicle that meets YOUR appproval to me, absolutely free, taxes paid and fully registered, and repair it as long as I own it, then I would appreciate it if you refrain from such derogatory behavior. This includes all of you snobs who have more dollars than brain cells.
    On second thought, just refrain from such comments and allow me to exercise my right to have different tastes and opinions than you, and give me a job that pays $2.4 million per year.

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  • by Sekani on November 16th, 2003

    Sekani

    The best cars for new drivers are usually compact cars. There are several vehicles in this class (Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevy Cavalier, Saturn Ion, Nissan Sentra, etc.); if you can, check them all out to find out which one you prefer the most.

    As for learning more, you'd be surprised what you can learn from just reading the owner's manual on a vehicle. You could also try picking up "Auto Repair for Dummies."

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  • by WarSpite on November 16th, 2003

    WarSpite

    A cheap, used car. Preferably something not too old or cheap, because you don't want unreliable. You want a car you know you can smash without having a nervous breakdown. There's hardly a driver out there who didn't have an accident or two in his teenage years. Some of these accidents are because of inexperience, some are because teenagers get cocky and do dumb stuff, but most are because you simply get cocky and comfortable and think you know everything, and you stop paying attention.

    It's only when you feel you're experienced - not relaxed - that you should consider getting a more expensive car. Of course, all bets are off if daddy is rich.

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  • by Jack Scotty on February 21st, 2005

    Jack Scotty

    The best car for a beginning driver would be anything that is American made and has as very few accesories and options as possible.

    Even though many "foreign" cars are made right here in the US and some American cars are made in Canada and Mexico, I am talking about cars like your chevy's and dodge and ford products that arent hybrids or badge sharing versions of foreign cars. You want to start out with something American made primarily because most of the parts are cheaper and more readily available than that of foreign cars.

    I am particularly partial to GM cars because many of the parts are shared amongst the 5 major divisions (Olds, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Caddilac, and Buick) and if you need to get a particular part from a scrap yard chances are that you will find it. Also if you have to seek assistance from a dealership, almost any GM dealership will be able to help you.

    Having a vehicle that is completely stripped of options is also good because there are less distractions and it conditions a new driver to be contientous of things like locking doors and remembering to turn off the headlights. (I think that everyone at one point or another in their career has left the lights on only to be greeted by a dead battery the next day.)
    Its not too uncommon for a teenager to be involved in an accident because he was adusting the radio.

    For the second part of the question- The best way to learn about cars is to get a repair manual specific for your make and model of vehicle. You ought to change your own oil at least once or twice in the course of having your first car. Also do the other maintenence items like:

    - changing the air filter and PCV valve. Learn how to change belts and hoses.
    - Practice changing your tire so you will be better prepared if you have a flat.
    - Periodically look under the hood for loose wires and hoses.. and check around for loose nuts and bolts.
    - If you dont know how to give someone a jumpstart, buy a set of cables and have someone teach you.

    If you practice these things on a regular basis you will better identify problems as they occur. Even if you dont do the work yourself it pays to know what do and how its done.

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  • by Leslie Peak on June 11th, 2005

    Leslie Peak

    The best car for a beginner is something easy to maintain and easy to control. My choice would be a Mitsubishi Galant or possibly and Eclipse. Chevy Cavaliers are a good choice also. It seems they run forever with not a whole lot of problems. But for a beginner, used cars would be best. Accidents do happen to the young ones who have loud music and other things on their minds.
    To learn more about cars find a trusted mechanic in your area and ask the questions you would most like the answers to. Or you can go on the internet and type in any answer you have. Or you could work on your own car when a problem arose.

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  • by Darth Belal on January 18th, 2004

    Darth Belal

    The smaller less expensive cars would be a good starting point. They have less power and are a bit more forgiving if you over react. IF you get one of the older pick up trucks, the ones with out anti lock-breaks, bear in mind that without weight in the back, the car will tend to fish tail if you break hard on slick roads. That happened to me when I drove my first truck.

    My advice to you is to learn to drive with an automatic, you need to concentrate on the road, shifting gears could be a hazardous distraction to a novice driver. However, once you are comfortable driving, and are a hands on kind of person, do try a standard. They can be cantakarous (mine was!) and learning to drive one will certainly wake you up. But once you learn to drive one, you will have a degree of control over your car you simply can't get with an automatic. You can hold the car at a certain speed when going down hill and can downshift for extra power when going up a hill.

    For specific models, I've driven a Ford Escort and liked it. It was good in snow and fuel effecient. Also, Toyotas have a well earned reputation for being hard to kill. I'd probably try to find a used Ford Focus or Toyota Camry or Echo if I were in your shoes.

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  • by Crate Amps on December 9th, 2004

    Crate Amps

    Cars today have basically no seperate frame and body. The body sheet metal is welded together and is quite strong. Do to the smaller size though, for safety, crumple zones are added (zones of the car that crush fairly easily) to absorb an impact during a crash. This is a good idea, except for minor accidents. If your at high speeds this is good, but if someone backs up into the side of your car or some other little thing like that, there can be severe damage to your car that is extremely expensive. Minor accidents like that are common with beginners. If you are willing to pay more, trucks and SUVs still have a seperate frame and body. They can absorb a whole lot more damage and are less likely to be totaled in a minor accident. A Chevy Trail Blazer backed up into the side of our Aerostar and now our front passenger door is completely crumpled in and it won't open all the way anymore. We got lucky and got an estimate that said that repairs would be more slightly less than the vehicle was worth. The Trail Blazer's only damage was a little smudge on the bumper and small dent in the plastic part of the bumper that you had to know were to look for it to see.

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  • by Kelly Masters on February 8th, 2005

    Kelly Masters

    Let me answer your question this way...my first vehicle was a 1974 Ford Thuderbird. Within 3 months of getting this (on my own) I was in a head-on collision with a tow truck. The hood of my Thunderbird was shortened by several feet, and part of the engine was under the dashboard--but I was alive! My right foot was crushed, but the pain which plagues me to this day is a reminder to be careful. I now have a 14 year old son and we have been looking for a vehicle for him. What are we looking for? Not a newer model made from aluminum, but an older model vehicle-he likes the low-riders. They are very safe due to being made from actual steel and will protect him in his first wreck. If I had been in a "modern" car (1991) I would have died in the wreck and not lived to see my baby grow up, and I want him to have the same opportunity to live and learn without becoming a highway casualty.

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