midwest bmw

Maybe you want to sell me one of those Buicks!

midwest bmw

Happy Easter, Passover and whatever else you might be celebrating this week...

As I stated on the opening post, safety is #1 for us and that means ABS, good handling, reliability and side/canopy bags too...That dictates the vehicle we are considering is newer with the newer safety technologies.

If we look at an 05 or newer vehicle, we are probably sniffing $10k and that means a car payment of around $250..Honda is offering leases terrific leases on Civics, Accords and CR-V's that could be right in that same price range with a little up-front..

Hmm....New car, warranty, safety, Honda reliability at a price I can afford..Much as I need to think hard about giving a new driver a new car it might be the most cost effective given our considerations...Course he would have to help with downpayment and maintenace...

Any thoughts on this route? I'm looking hard for a significant downside, and not finding it.

BMRMEUP

Could see him through college actually, if he takes care of it. How's the insurance on a new Accord or Civic vs. say an 02 BMW sedan? Main thing I wanted to comment on is that I would stay away from any SUV as a first car. Even those that handle well are not forgiving enough. Pickups are the same issue really. Speaking from experience, not a phone call you want to get. Good luck with your decision. You're obviously asking all the right questions.

-Mike-

+1 and nicely stated.

z06bigbird

Look at some Buick products from 2000--2005. Many out there with 20k miles, as they have been driven by seniors. Seniors have bought them because they are:

safe
reliable
economical (30 mpg)
no need for extended warr (these cars/engines last 200,000 miles)
America's best kept secret

Keep in mind the fact that for every 500 lbs you lose, you increase your chance of injury by 20%--quote from auto safety experts.

Go to cars.com or autotrader.com and screen for models with low miles
Well within your price range.

DRANGED

I knew your post looked familiar...

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=70010&st=45

lorinzo

I suggest a car that is safe, reliable and one that he can work on himself. I think it is important to know how to change the oil, filters, etc. It's also fun to tinker with audio and electrical stuff. Will serve him well in the future.

craigm1841

lets pull up a thread from 3 years ago where someone asks "what kind of oil should i use?" because they probably haven't changed their oil yet, because they haven't gotten YOUR answer yet.

why bother putting your 2 cents in now, the OP has surely made a decision or is long gone

E60714

It's your child, you decide what it is your child deserves. I got my license at 18, two years after I was supposed to because of my shitty situation. Tough times. Once I got it, though, my dad gave me the 1994 Lexus ES300 that was waiting for me since I was 16 as a hand-me-down from my dad. When I turned 19 last July, almost a year ago, my dad got me my 535. Am I fortunate? Yes. Can I say I know the full value of a dollar? Not quite, but I understand my fortunate situation and respect my parents for giving it to me. I don't brag about the car to other people, I don't think I'm better than others because of the car I drive. Giving your kid an X5 is not the worst thing you can do, and if he does his duty as a son, getting good grades, respecting you, and staying out of trouble, then he should be rewarded with A car. And since you're doing at least that much for him, going for a BMW is the extra mile. And like the 16 year old in this thread said, as long as he understand he's fortunate and it's not "normal" for a kid to get a BMW, then there should be no problem.

phileas

I'd go with an e46 lovely cars. Relatively safe i believe and you'd get better performance/economy than the bigger X5.

Or how about a mini?