By Dr. Jim Dahle, WCI Founder[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Update August 2020: Originally published in November 2019, Whitney and I teamed up for this post about this new (to us) car. It is now August 2020, and it is still running great and just passed emissions again and continues to teach Whitney important lessons. Most recently she learned that a car will not run forever on empty and that if you do not turn the lights off when you get out, it will not start when you come back to it. She also got to learn how to jumpstart a car! This Spring she rattle-canned it and now looks like an Easter Egg. She is currently regretting that decision so it may be a new color soon.]
Q&A with Whitney Dahle, Age 16
We decided to do this post interview style. Enjoy!
I understand you were recently involved in the purchase of a “new” car for you to learn to drive and then drive to high school. What were the criteria your dad gave you for the car?
Whitney:
Yes, recently (as in 4 months ago) we purchased a “new to me” car that I’ve been learning to drive. However, my dad imagined a set of nearly impossible criteria. It had to run well, (which isn’t easy to find for that cheap of a price), it wouldn't need any immediate repairs (which was REALLY difficult to find), and it had to be a manual transmission or “stick-shift” which really helped the ever-narrowing options. But the real kicker: the car had to be under $1,000. I began searching around the beginning of May and found some interesting listings on a local Craigslist-like website (KSL.com). One (my personal favorite) read, “Bought this car for my son to learn to drive stick, he crashed it into the mailbox, I gave up, so good luck!” Unfortunately, we didn’t get that one or that would’ve been a great story, but not to say my car doesn’t look like it’s been crashed into a mailbox.
Jim:
As regular readers are well aware, we could easily have gone out and bought Whitney a brand-new Tesla to drive to high school. But what kind of message would buying a new car have sent to her? Imagine how hard your life would be if you started out flying first class and then found yourself riding in coach later? So we decided not even to put Whitney in coach. She's basically riding on the wing, the cargo hold, or the lavatory. We hope she'll appreciate being able to ride in coach later. The reasoning behind the criteria was:
- Manual transmission: Katie and I both drive Toyota Sequoias with automatic transmissions, but we feel strongly that our children need to learn to drive a manual transmission under our guidance as teenagers. So the options were to buy ourselves another car to drive or to simply buy a third one.
- Running: Pretty much any car that actually runs is worth $1,000, but the point of this criteria was simply that I didn't want a “mechanic's special.”
- No immediate repairs: Similar to above, I didn't want to have to do any initial work on the car, so anything, where the brake lights or windshield wipers weren't working, was out. That didn't mean the power mirrors or door handles had to work, but it had to both run and have its safety equipment working.
- < $1,000: Three reasons for this criteria. First, it is meant to be a disposable car. So any large repair or even minor collision totals the car. Second, I wanted to teach both Whitney and my readers that short-term transportation can be very cheap. I have often said that reliable transportation costs $5,000. A $1,000 car isn't reliable, but it is transportation. Third, I wanted Whitney to have to learn to shop for a car. It's easy to find a $5,000 car. A $1,000 car requires more work. She had to make the calls and decisions.
What did you end up with?
Sweet ride eh?
Whitney:
After a couple of weeks of searching, I ended up with a 1997 Nissan Altima that’s the same (very attractive) color as our 12-year-old couch, with a manual transmission. It was originally listed at $900 but we were able to get it down to $800 due to my expert bargaining skills. Actually, it’s because we had to meet the guy at a burger place because he left his house while we were test driving the car and he gave us a discount for our time. It was kind of a crazy story, especially given that he left the signed title in the car. Now my car may not look that beautiful on the outside, but it’s got a nice personality. It’s a little banged up but still looks pretty decent and runs well, nothing a sub-par paint job can’t fix, right?
Jim:
We don't have a 12-year-old couch. We've never had one that new. In fact, Katie and I have never actually purchased a couch in our lives. We're looking forward to getting a couple next Spring, though.
I heard the car cost even less than $800. Why was that?
Whitney:
The actual cost of the car came to $796.68 due to the $3.32 in change left in the ashtray. And yes, I did only count it up for this article. But among the change found there were also a few gas receipts and a movie ticket for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which coincidentally came out the year I was born.
Jim:
I told Whitney that by paying only $800, she would have $200 left over for repairs.
Now every sub-$1,000 car has a few quirks. What quirks does your car have?
Whitney:
Every car has some quirks that you get used to after a while, but this one has some especially interesting quirks. For starters, the windshield wipers, radio, and mirror adjusting buttons won’t work if you turn the ignition too far, which we figured out a couple weeks after getting the car. The other (slightly more annoying) quirk is that, when unlocked from the driver’s door with one of the keys, the alarm will occasionally go off until you unlock it from the passenger’s side (my neighbors especially enjoyed that quirk after we tried to unlock it at 10 pm).
Jim:
But wait, there's more! She apparently hasn't noticed all of the quirks yet. It leaks oil for starters. There are two brand new tires, one moderately worn tire, and one nearly bald tire. The driver's door only opens from the inside, too. That one is getting a little old, so I think it is going to provide Whitney an opportunity to learn to work on the car very soon.
How does it run?
Whitney:
Honestly? It runs great. Although I put about three months of starts on it in about three weeks, we haven’t had any problems with it actually driving. Driving an old car is perfect to learn on, because if I hit an overhanging tree branch, who cares? Just another scratch to add to the other 900, right?
Jim:
Three weeks? You mean three days? In between the time Whitney wrote this and publication, it broke for the first time, about 4 months after purchasing. That quirky ignition has finally gone out. So now Whitney definitely gets to learn how to work on a car since it will no longer start.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Update just prior to publication: We fixed the door handle. It was a broken $2 clip. We also swapped out the ignition ourselves. It cost $53 and some time–good family activity. We even got the $5 FOB we bought to work after that, so hopefully the alarm issue is also solved. Still below $1,000 too, but I think it may need a battery soon.]
How long do you think the car will last? How will you know when it dies? What will you do then?
Whitney:
I’m hoping it lasts quite a while, (I’m already slightly attached) and I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts quite a while due to the new transmission and clutch that was installed not long before we bought it. We’re planning on painting it purple, which is my sister’s favorite color, so she’s hoping it lasts long enough for her to drive, but I’m not sure it’ll last THAT long.
Jim:
It's a disposable car. I'm not going to throw it away for an ignition we can do ourselves with a Youtube video, but I'm certainly not going to put $1,000 into it. If those two want to paint the car, they better hurry. If it lasts a year, I'll feel like I got my money's worth out of it. I'll be ecstatic if Maren (# 2) gets to learn to drive in it, too. When it dies, we will buy another one. How fun is it to get a new car every 6-12 months?
I understand that you’re not the only one driving it around.
Whitney:
Half the time my car isn't even home anymore! My mom uses it to drive carpool, and my dad just zips around on his way to work. They say it’s because it gets such good gas mileage, but I’m convinced it’s because they just think it’s fun to drive and they don’t care if it gets a little ding or two. Even my littlest sister likes driving in it because she can get in by herself because it isn’t as tall.
Jim:
It's actually been really convenient to have a third car around when one goes into the shop or someone comes to visit. Katie and I both drive it occasionally, especially when we're running Whitney around. I really don't care if my 2005 Sequoia with just as many miles as this Altima gets a ding either.
What lessons did you learn from the buying process?
Whitney:
After inquiring about multiple cars, and going to see three different ones, I’ve learned the important questions to ask. For example, “any known mechanical issues?” may not cover the fact that the A/C is totally busted for somebody, as we learned from the second car we looked at. Just like, “Has marijuana (which is illegal in Utah) been smoked in it before?” Which we learned from the first car we looked at.
How are your driving lessons going?
Whitney:
I mean, the fact that my parents feel the need to have a giant bumper sticker on my car that reads, “STUDENT DRIVER” should tell you something, but in my personal opinion I think I’m pretty good. I only stalled eight times in a row that one time… Joking aside, I drive everywhere now so I’ve gotten the hang of it, and my parents are right that a stick is fun to drive, but it just started snowing here, so we’ll see how I feel about that in a week or two.
Jim:
She's terrible. The whole neighborhood is having fun watching, though. I'm a little biased, but I had to drive two Alaskan Winters with my parents before I was allowed to get my license. She only has 6 more months and a single Winter before she turns 16. I'm hoping for significant improvement.
A lot of doctors think any car with more than 50,000 miles is not reliable and so borrow $30,000-$40,000 in order to buy a car. What would you say to them?
Whitney:
That’s absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I would drive my car through rural Mexico. It’s not quite that reliable, but it gets me from point A to point B just as well as a brand new Tesla. However, I don’t think that I would ever borrow money for a car. Just listen to the Dave Ramsey Show — every other person on the show has car payments and thousands of dollars of debt. As much as a car seems essential, it is a luxury. I could be riding the public transportation bus to school every day, which would take four times as long, but it’s definitely cheaper. If you can’t afford it, take the time to save, or find another option. It may not be easy or ideal, but few things in life are.
Jim:
Amazing how much smarter a 15-year-old can be about cars than a surprising number of residents and even attendings. While a $1,000 car is not reliable, a $5,000 car is and you can easily expect to get 5 good years out of a $10,000 car. I see little reason to ever borrow more than $5-10K for a car and no reason for an attending physician to ever be in a position where they need to borrow for one.
What other lessons do you expect you will learn from this car?
Whitney:
I expect to probably learn some humility. My car will definitely stick out like a sore thumb in the parking lot of my high-income school. However, that may be because of the paint job. Either way, who wants to park an expensive car in a high school parking lot anyways? Are you asking for a nice big dent? I’ve also been learning what to do if your car spins out, as well as basic mechanical procedures like changing a tire or checking the oil.
Jim:
I've got her convinced that she's at the high-income school. Apparently she doesn't even know about the private one down the street. As far as the lessons to learn, I mostly want her to realize that transportation can be very cheap, learn to work on a car a bit, learn to drive a stick, and mostly learn that she isn't what she drives. This week she got to learn to identify all the parts under the hood, check the oil, and top it off.
Your parents are quite wealthy. They could probably buy you a nice pick-up truck, a new Volvo, or even a Tesla to drive. But they didn’t. Why do you think that is? Are they just cheap or are they trying to teach you something?
Whitney:
They are definitely trying to teach me something. My soccer coach has always said, “It doesn’t matter if you win if you didn’t learn anything.” and I think that applies perfectly to this situation. Not only did I learn how to buy a car but the next time I would ever be driving a Tesla would be after I’m well into my career so it wouldn’t make sense for me to be getting accustomed to one now when I won’t be driving another nice car for some time. Besides, who wants to peak in high school? By living a somewhat more humble life, my parents are showing me that I don’t need a successful blog and a high-income job to have a nice life. They are creating an example of an attainable lifestyle for me.
Jim:
Looks like she learned the lesson. Maybe if this one dies quickly she'll get to upgrade to a $5K car.
Which car has more miles, yours or your dad’s?
Whitney:
They actually have about the same amount, around 242,000 miles which just means they’ve been on their fair share of adventures. That’s even with the extra 7 years my car has on my dad’s. In fact, my dad’s car is only worth about 3 times as much as mine according to Kelley Blue Book.
Jim:
Wow. My car really is only worth $3K now. Strangely, I consider it very reliable and took it all the way to Cabo San Lucas this year and routinely tow a boat 6 hours each way to Lake Powell with it.
Do you look forward to having something nicer to drive when you get older?
Whitney:
Yes and no. I love being able to drive a car that’s unique and you can tell whose it is when you pull up. I also enjoy the fact that I don’t have to stress about telling my parents if I scratched it or if someone hit it in the parking lot. It’s not a big deal. However, I would love a nice, new car, but that just gives me a goal to work towards in the future. It would feel so much better to buy my dream car with my hard-earned money than to just be handed the key.
Jim:
Yes. When this one dies, I'll get something nicer. I mean, Katie will and I'll get her Sequoia.
What are your thoughts about driving an old car? Would you buy your child a beater?
Great post! You recently asked for suggestions to improve the podcast. You seemed to suggest that while your efforts are packed with useful information you are not that entertaining. You are clearly wrong about this. If Christy Teigen had a financial blog it might look something like WCI. Also Congratulations on raising such a such an immpressive young woman! Cheers Whitney.
Reductio ad absurdum invoked above. Ridiculous extremes do not disprove an argument. I expected better.
I’m not sure anybody but you knows exactly which comment or paragraph in the post above you’re referring too, but thanks for stopping by to let us know of your disappointment.
We bought different cars for each of our kids. The lesson I would share is to go as cheap as you can muster, and hopefully you will be smarter than we were. Oh well, better late than never.
Our oldest came home from college one semester and decided she wasn’t going back, and she didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. We told her that it would be her decision what to do with the rest of her life, but she could not just hang out in her room until she decided. Get a job, go back to school, or find somewhere else to live. She only lasted 3 days at her friend’s house. And school was a no at that moment, so we bought a very old Camry from a neighbor for $500, dents included, so she could get to her job. She worked (and learned about life) before eventually going back to school. There were some tough lessons, and now as a late 20-something not only is her work unfathomably meaningful and impactful, she is also approaching her first million in self made net worth.
And on another note, our youngest had seemed so on track. (Looks can be deceiving.) We bought him a new Civic Si with a stick, in red no less. Big mistake. He is finishing college part time on the slow track. He does have a great job, but he also ran up his credit cards despite all of our efforts to educate him on finances (Dad, how can you go wrong with zero interest for six months? Free money? NO!!!) He is now making good money and very responsible at work, and learning the painful lessons of debt meaning the first day of the week you are working for the bank, not for yourself. The financial discussions are ongoing, and the painful consequences are his tuition. In the future, we don’t want any of our hard earned money going to someone who doesn’t know how to handle it.
Great article Jim. Best in a while. Funny!
The safety argument has too many holes. If you were really concerned about your child’s safety over everything else then you would not allow them to drive.
The very small improvement in safety features to not make up for the 30X the cost.
It is just an excuse to give your kid (and yourself) the car you want.
It would be difficult to find a car without airbags or antilock breaks.
I would be interested to see how much difference these other more recent safety features really make with some decent evidence. Not a story about how the backup camera kept your neighbor from backing over the mailbox.
Whitney congrats on the car! And also your reasoning for financial thriftiness and the happiness that a certain amount of spending in car buying supersedes most doctors (including my wife who is an anesthesiologist . . . hopefully she won’t read this). although highly intelligent my wife took some convincing to stop leasing and to not buy a new car, but even then now still insists she can’t drive a car more than 30K miles even if the price is within our budget. She lacks the in depth thought process that you have shown.
Jim, what a great job teaching your oldest the values that you espouse. Holy schmoly. I hope to teach my 2 kids the same.
I think though that the comments on safety does hold some merit. I myself was shopping for a car and came across on the “electronic stability control” feature while reading how to buy a car on the Bogleheads forum. They seemed to have argued that is a worthwhile safety feature, and became standard in 2008 on all cars. do you guys think that is a good reason not to buy a car older than 2008? Or is this some stupid ploy for car companies to sucker me in not to buy old used cars?
Also, despite the in depth thought process of buying this car, was there any consideration on the long term cost to you and dad overall? I was listening to the ChooseFI podcast, and Jim you had these guys on your podcast, and they are all about optimization, getting the most out of each dollar you spend. They had a whole podcast about car buying and they argued that the most economical car is a 10 year old used that will last forever, and repairs of this age car should be minimal and justified, but any older the risk of running to the car into the ground and having to spend money on another car gets too high. Whitney, your car actually may not be the most economical because it is too crappy- the ChooseFI guys say that past 10 years, especially with 200k miles, that that car won’t last too long, a lot of time and money will be wasted on repairs, and you will to waste money in the long run in purchasing another car. Hopefully your car continues though to run for another 200k miles and proves the ChooseFI guys wrong. Was their any thought on the long term optimization of buying a car that maximizes the value of your dollar and avoiding future costs of buying another car, outside of the object lessons that Whitney will learn?
Again congrats on the car!
Financial Optimization is an interesting concept. But financial optimization is different for each individual.
How much is your time worth if you need to make repairs?
How much is a very high level of vehicle reliability worth?
How much are more recent safety upgrades worth to you?
The answers to each of these questions are very different for different folks. Whitney is not relying on her car to get her to the hospital in an emergency, but you or I may be relying on our vehicle to do that. And Whitney is not losing financially productive time at work to make a repair.
My personal financial optimization plan for much of my physician career was to purchase a new, reliable Japanese vehicle, use it for several years, and then sell it at a high resale value and repeat the cycle. What did I get? A reasonably low cost of ownership for me as a highly compensated professional, superlative reliability, and minimal maintenance hassle.
More recently I have been buying Teslas for further time optimization as these days time feels more valuable than money. (Continuing to work after achieving FI creates a whole new financial scenario.) So I now value no trips to the gas station with home charging, and no needed or recommended routine maintenance visits. I do still have to buy new tires every few years, though.
I don’t care if it is the most economical. The goal wasn’t to buy the most economical. The goal was to show her that one can buy transportation that will take you from point A to point B for a few months for less than $1,000. And have some fun at the same time. And learn to drive a stick shift.
Whether any given safety feature is worth it depends on whether you need it or not. If the likelihood of you being in a wreck is 5% and the likelihood of that particular feature either preventing/minimizing the damage from the wreck is 5%, then the likelihood of it being worth it is 5% * 5% = 1/400.
I have no idea what those two inputs actually are. Perhaps the likelihood of wreck is higher and the likelihood of that feature making a difference is much lower, dunno.
This post is among my favorites of all time, teaching your daughter in many dimensions, economics, auto repairs, driving a stick, just great!
I have to commend you for learning to drive on stick shift! Unfortunately manual transmission is dying in this country and the 12 year old stick shift we have may not live to see the day our kids drive. The other advantage of driving a “beater” is you learn a bit about the basics of operation and maintenance. New cars are almost impossible to service at home.
Jim, have you read articles about car safety by decade? They have definitely gotten safer over the years (even from 10 years ago). We decided to buy a newer (but still used) Toyota SUV for the family chiefly because of the improved safety. I understand reliable transportation can be had on the cheap, but we only get one shot at life and for someone that can afford to buy a safer car, it’s not unreasonable to make that choice. Of course it’s a decision we each make for ourselves and there is no right answer, but it’s not unreasonable to buy a newer car for safety. Thank you.
Didn’t say it was unreasonable. It’s your money, you get to spend it as you like.
I’m just saying I deliberately chose (and continue to choose) not to live my life in the safest way possible. For example, I volunteered to go overseas where certain people were likely shoot at me given the opportunity because I felt the decrease in safety was worth what else could be accomplished by it. This is a similar example. There are some things I can teach my daughter with an $800 car that I cannot teach her with a 2018 car.
I understand lots of other people don’t hang off the side of mountains, join the military, or drive $800 cars. But it reminds me of a few quotes:
Perhaps we could change that to
Also this one:
I also don’t want to reach the end of my life and discover I have not lived at all because I was overly concerned about my safety or getting sued or whatever. So I have a trampoline and a boat and I practice medicine even though I don’t have to and I jump off cliffs and climb mountains and yes, drive cars built (gasp!) in the 1990s.
I actually find it hilarious that a car that was considered perfectly safe just a few years ago is somehow now a deathtrap. What did you guys drive in the 1990s? Did you have any idea how risky that was!? You must have been terrified all the time.
This is actually the third Altima from the 1990s that I have driven. I had a 95 and a 98. This one feels about as safe as those did.
But for those of you safety maximizers out there, I assume you’re all driving 2019s and buying 2020s now. Or rather have moved so close to work you can walk. And call a cab after a night shift. Or ride the bus. Otherwise, all we’re talking about is a matter of degree, not a matter of principle. It seems you too are taking risks with your safety. I hope it works out for you!
The statistics do show that modern cars are safer, but the improvement is virtually unmeasurable. From the ’20s through through the ’80’s, there were about 20 deaths per 100,000 people. Over the past fifty years, it’s slowly dropped to about 10 deaths per 100,000 people. The majority of vehicle safety innovations are actually for limiting product liability claims, not reducing fatalities.
Personally, I’d bet even that small improvement is from access to better emergency care, not “safer” vehicles. Similar to the reduction in military fatalities on the battlefield. Funny enough, today’s “vehicle death rate” is the same as in 1920. The biggest “vehicle safety improvements” over the past century are better roads, lighting, signage and signals. But that’s certainly not anyone’s takeaway when you watch a new car commercial with kids in the backseat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in_U.S._by_year
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in_U.S._by_year#/media/File:US_traffic_deaths_per_VMT,_VMT,_per_capita,_and_total_annual_deaths.png
Chris — You correctly state that the mortality rate has been slowly dropping, but do you have any evidence to base your claim that improvements in car safety is not the reason why? A study from NHTSA (https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812528) suggests that for the years 2012-2016, there was a linear relationship between the model year of the car and the mortality rate of occupants. So your theory that it’s all due to better emergency care doesn’t exactly pan out.
Jim — Let’s not jump to extremes. I never said that a 1990s or 2000s car is a “death trap,” just not as safe as modern cars. And of course as technology advances we consider whether we need to update what we have. I wouldn’t want a computer from the 1990s in my office. Also, how many head on collisions have you been in? How safe your car “feels” isn’t really tested until that point. Lastly, do you go around sticking forks into sockets for the DMT rush?? Then you’re not living life to the fullest… Come on, man. Try to have a discussion without being over the top.
In a 1990s Altima? Just one. It held up pretty darn well. Whitney probably doesn’t remember it though, she was only 3 days old.
I did just learn what a “DMT rush” is though.
There’s many factors involved and no one knows the answer. My point is that while everyone thinks about safety being directly proportional to the cost & model year of the vehicle, they don’t bother paying attention to other factors that are known problems and easy to control.
Teenagers get into *far* more accidents because they’re lousy drivers – inexperienced, easily distracted and often driving with a group of friends. Buying a different vehicle doesn’t change any of that. Taking a defensive driving course, banning same age passengers for the first year and doing basic maintenance (decent tires, turn signals, horn, lights) are more useful.
Pick any age group and there’s a similar list of problem behavior and fixes that can be addressed before relying on 27 airbags and crumple zones to keep everyone alive after the car crashes.
In Utah you can’t drive with friends by law for 6 months.
I am about to buy a car and the safety calculation for me goes like this (at the risk of sounding like those old mastercard commercials):
Price of old used Toyota Highlander 2009 w/ 200K miles that would fit our family needs: $10,000
Price of used Toyota Highlander 2016 with 10K miles that my wife thinks is “safer”: $32,000
Opportunity cost of investing $32,000-$10,000= $22,000 and assuming 5% real for 30 years: $95,082.73
Giving in to just buying the highlander b/c my wife thinks it’s safer and so she does not yell at me and thinks I’m cutting to close to the bone and reams into me for not being a real man because I can’t afford a newer used SUV: PRICELESS!!
Actually, not so much a safety calculation as much as keep the wife happy calculation.
We are signing for the 2016 Highlander tomorrow.
Good for you Whitney!
My 1st vehicle was a truck I borrowed from my brother, he had bought it for $200. An ’85 Toyota pickup.
2nd vehicle, I purchased myself, was a ’91 Jeep for $1100. Got rear-ended 2 weeks later and the car was totaled due to rear frame damage, I got $1150 and the Jeep returned to me. I drove that Jeep for 4 more years with minimal repairs required. My family traded it in for “cash for clunkers” when I was out of the country as a missionary.
3rd vehicle, I bought a ’96 Honda Civic with >200K miles for $1000. I drove it for 3 years then sold it for $800 when I moved for medical school. Bought a bike instead and rode that to school. The Honda is still running fine.
4th vehicle, I bought a ’02 Oldsmobile Alero for $1300. I’m still driving it today 5 years later. Replaced a battery, some tires, brakes, oil changes, but never a big repair required.
This is only to show you that it doesn’t take a lot of money to get a reliable vehicle. Any vehicle sale or exchange I’ve made has NOT been due to vehicle failure. I have never been totally stranded on the side of the road or had catastrophic repairs required that cost more than the vehicle itself. I have been involved in multiple collisions (none my fault) in these vehicles without injury. I think you’ll have fond memories of driving this car, even when you’ve upgraded to nicer and newer things.
Keep it up!
Thanks for sharing your experience and making my point for me.
Being stranded is not even that big of a deal in the age of the cell phone. Worst case scenario, I call an Uber and a tow truck.
I personally bought a beater for about $2,500.
On day 2, the engine crapped out exactly reaching my driveway. No warning lights just some sounds a block from my house. Some type of aluminum block. A new motor would have been more than the car.
It is possible to purchase a private sale vehicle and lose it all very quickly. Anyone that gets taken, hates to admit it. The car probably had the odometer rolled back.
That’s a terrible story, but certainly a risk for any car.
One thing I do that perhaps may help is I give it a really aggressive test drive. Basically I drive it like I stole it. I figure if I can’t break it in a half hour of doing that, I probably won’t break it in the first few months anyway.
I should have known better. Private sale parked beside a strategic location with a number to call. Looked GREAT and drove well but it was a “professional” that recycles totaled cars. The line was selling it for a neighbor that was moving. Any mechanic inspection would probably flagged it. I would call it similar to a banana peel in the transmission to eliminate the gear grinding. The only time I will buy a private sale is if I know or am referred to a trusted person. No more phone numbers and I get an inspection. My fault completely. The cliche about used car salesmen is basically true. Buyer beware. Every car is for sale, some have significant undisclosed defects.
Yes, it seems you were definitely swindled which is certainly a risk of buying from a private party. That’s why it is cheaper to buy private party. Caveat Emptor! You can certainly decrease your risk by taking it to a mechanic and having them look over it a bit.
But I wouldn’t necessarily assume that this is the norm. It certainly isn’t or no one would ever buy from a private party and in reality, this happens thousands of times a day across the country.
Many lessons can be learned buying a used car for your 16 year old. Here is another. Different slant.
https://youtu.be/TPWmAdHNpbg
Fun story.
I really love (or at least, used to love) driving a manual transmission car. From what I am told by car dealers, manual transmissions are (sadly) quickly becoming phased out and a thing of the past. I am not sure how important it is to teach a skill that may not be able to be put into practice in the future…
That’s why I don’t teach residents to intubate. 🙂
Until it is never used, it is worth teaching IMHO. Plus it’s fun. Whitney asked if we could get another stick shift when this one died.
Might be counterproductive from the deferred gratification standpoint. There are actual technological reasons, the engineering has made the clutch and manual shifting obsolete.
A brief write up attempts to explain it.
Please tell Whitney to ignore the vehicles, they aren’t really practical in high school or college. Lamborghini is a might impractical.
https://www.lamborghinipalmbeach.com/blog/transmission-options-for-the-lamborghini-huracan/
Thank you so much for this post. I shared it with my husband because I knew we would be buying a third vehicle for our 15 year old son to drive back and forth to school soon and wanted to make sure we didn’t overspend. We are blessed to have a dear friend who buys & sells used cars. He found us a great deal on a 2006 Toyota Highlander with 160k miles for $3,000. It has a dent in the fender and needs a new headlight assembly which might be why others overlooked it at auction. The engine is solid.
DH and #1 son will replace the headlight and we will have the man child detail the interior. We pray this vehicle last him through college.
I don’t know if you’ll make it through college but you should certainly make it through high school.
While I love the idea of all of this and the lessons learned, my biggest fear is the lack of modern safety features on an older car. I want to set them up to be as safe as possible and that will cost me money. Many teens die each year from car accidents that may have been avoided had there been proper air bags or other safety features that may have prevented the accident in the first place. Maybe I’m just a worry wort, but safety is not a place I will make a sacrifice.
Truly, if you want them as safe as possible, drive them yourself in a Hummer. Everything else is a compromise.