HELP: What suv would u pick for an almost 17 year old boy (my son)? I have 4 I am looking at ?

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TheCamoTrooper@reddit

None, he doesn't need an SUV (realistically no one does) a little civic or accord, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla or Camry is plenty good and likely much more affordable in terms of insurance, repairs and gas

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OriginalAnt3190@reddit

Looking for car info and stumbled upon this. Living in Houston, it’s almost a must to have a larger car. At least an suv. When It floods It’s the annoying jacked up trucks and suvs that you will be grateful for. I had an explorer sport when I turned 16. Lasted me until I graduated college.

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TheCamoTrooper@reddit

Living in Canada where we get plenty of snow and flooding, it really isn't. An aftermarket modified truck is different from OE, you shouldn't take any car through water higher than the sidewall, which is only a few inches, as the factory intake routing is usually near the bottom and you'll flood the engine if an SUV just as easily as a Honda civic.

So given it's not really all that necessary combined with the numerous drawbacks of SUVs/Trucks (especially for a new driver) there's no reason to be buying a new teen driver an SUV over just a beater civic or something

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dwfmba@reddit

The Volvo or the CX-30. The Cadillac has weird build quality issues plus a 17 year old in a Cadillac is weird. You will regret getting a front wheel drive car in Maine so the 2nd Mazda should be out too. Personally I'd take the Volvo.

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zmaneman1@reddit

Do not buy an actual child a car the size of New Hampshire. Get them a small, reliable car with good gas mileage, like a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic.

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InterestingShoe1831@reddit

> Get them a small, reliable car with good gas mileage, like a Toyota Camry

An absolutely fucking massive saloon car.

> or Honda Civic

Another mid-sized hatch. Small is a Fiesta, Corsa, Fabia, Clio, i20 etc..

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zmaneman1@reddit

There might be a culture difference here… most of the ones you mentioned can’t be easily bought in the states, and relative to the obscenely large average car in America, anything that is a car rather than a crossover or SUV can be considered small.

The focus and similar sized cars aren’t even made anymore, at least for American market.

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CarCounsel@reddit

The Camry isn’t small. And tbh neither is the Civic any longer! But agree.

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zmaneman1@reddit

Well… it’s about as small as you can get nowadays I guess, unless you live in the European market.

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CarCounsel@reddit

Not really. There are cars considerably smaller.

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MisterBitterness42@reddit

Yeeah, when I was 16 I had the good ole Bronco II up on 2 wheels a few times..

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zmaneman1@reddit

I had my dad’s ram on two wheels a time or two as well… it’s definitely a good thing I had a sedan as my first car.

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Photocrazy11@reddit

If he wants room to haul stuff, a Honda Fit. They stopped selling them in the US in 2020. They are smaller, get better mileage, and have more storage than many SUVs. You can get them with manual or automatic. The newer ones have CVTs instead of old automatic. There are a few people on r/hondafit that have over 500k miles on them. Mine is a 2020. The 2015 and later models have a 5 star crash test rating.

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CarCounsel@reddit

Don’t go turbo. And reconsider the SUV if you value his safety. It’s not all roses.

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InterestingShoe1831@reddit

> Don’t go turbo

Eh? All cars have turbos now.

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CarCounsel@reddit

Not all.

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InterestingShoe1831@reddit

Yes. All cars (apart from some very high performance naturally aspirated vehicles - like a 911) have turbos. There's a reason 1.0 cars have good performance now.

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CarCounsel@reddit

Again. No. Not all. Less talk more study, buddy.

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InterestingShoe1831@reddit

They’re old cars. All modern cars have turbos other than some niche very high performance ones.

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CarCounsel@reddit

Again: wrong.

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youdidittoyouagain@reddit

Yeah the turbo is too much car for him. He’d also have to get used to using the infotainment system and it’s not for a beginner. I had that engine in the Mazda 3 and it burned oil. If he doesn’t know how to maintain the car, he will definitely fry an engine. Also the rear differential goes out time to time and all the service depot will do it reflash it. In my opinion it’s not a car for a teenager. I know Reddit loves Mazda. But I doubt many have ever owned one.

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MTLinVAN@reddit

Look, OP’s specially asking about SUVs. I don’t think they care about our opinion otherwise. So if it’s an SUV you’re looking for, hear me out. The Mercedes GLK. You can get them decently priced. The engine is a naturally aspirated V6. There are plenty of parts to go around and any mechanic can work on it (not just dealerships). The fact that there are still so many on the road I think speaks to the reliability. I owned one and outside minor maintenance work, never had issues. In fact, if I had to buy a second car, I’d probably buy a newer model than the one I had owned and be happy with it.

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InterestingShoe1831@reddit

SUV? I'd buy them a 1.0 Ford Fiesta or Corsa and be done with it. SUV... 17... jesus wept...

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Oriasten77@reddit

No child should have a Volvo or Cadillac anything for a first car. I had a 1982 Ford Station Wagon, in 1997. I'm not saying a first car should be 15 years old, but a 5 to 10 year old car that's pretty basic is the way to go. Sure if you find an older Volvo at a good price in good condition go for it. They ARE safe cars. But nothing pisses me off more than seeing an inexperienced child driving something only mommy and daddy could have gotten them. Sports cars, large pickup trucks with oversized wheels and tires. And we wonder why so many kids die in car accidents before they get out of high school.

Get them a Honda CRV, Civic, Toyota Corolla, Camry, Nissan Sentra, Versa.... Something basic but reliable as hell that won't die on the road and pretty much guaranteed to get them from point A to B. Most kids are so happy to GET a car they don't care what it is. If it rolls and has a stereo they're happy. As it should be.

The ones with rich parents can fuck themselves cuz they're spoiled anyways. But if raised right and start off with a humble car, they'll grow up into better people for it.

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AbaloneMindless1605@reddit (OP)

My parents both passed away and my dad wanted to do this for me as part of his last wishes he is not a spoiled or rich kid and gets great grades. We also live in Maine and have harsh winters

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Oriasten77@reddit

Now that I can get behind. Don't get me wrong I'd love to have had a Volvo suv, or car. But I see too many obvousily rich kids driving stuff more expensive than what I drive at 47 and it irks me. Safety in the snow is important, and that's a good reason. I'm glad he's not a spoiled shit, lol. I live in the south and have had cars and suvs. I paid for most of them. Right now I have a 2019 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk with all the fixings including a full panoramic sunroof. Still rather humble compared to the $50k monstrosities I see rich 20 year olds driving. (It's the south so jacked up late model pickups with oversized tires is the trend. They all drive like assholes, and will continue to act like that their whole life short of a major life changing experience.

My car is red and flashy but it's also inexpensive in comparison. And I'm 47. My first car was barely worth 500 dollars when I got it. Though in today's world that would get you a rather shitty car so I understand spending more. But no first car for a kid should be more than 20k used. And buying a new car is too nice.... Not to mention almost impossible to get with 20k.

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dfacedxa@reddit

Buy him something more realistic for a young man and put the rest into an investment account.

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InterestingShoe1831@reddit

> My parents both passed away and my dad wanted to do this for me as part of his last wishes
> he is not a spoiled or rich kid and gets great grades.

Sorry to hear you have lost both parents. What your father wanted for your son, however, is irrelevant imo. You do what's safe & appropriate, not what someone 'wanted'.

> We also live in Maine and have harsh winters

So?

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AbaloneMindless1605@reddit (OP)

For him *

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Tanya7500@reddit

Exactly

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UnderwhelmingAF@reddit

Yep….if it’s me, that kid’s getting a 15 year old 4-cylinder Camry.

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BoringDad40@reddit

I had more minor fender-benders between the ages of 16 and 18 than I'd care to admit. I'd recommend something easy to maneuver, cheap to repair, and small enough to limit damage to the things he will inevitably bump into. So... None of the above.

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GetawayDriving@reddit

Don’t listen to the high horsing. The Mazda is pretty good, and barely an SUV. Volvo will be the safest. The Cadillac will probably easier to service than the Volvo if needs pop up, and it has fewer miles, but what a weird first car for a kid. It’s a little more old man lux.

Why not a Corolla Cross or HR-V? Those would have a higher chance is being trouble-free.

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BiGkru@reddit

Corolla 2003 sub 200k miles. Thank me later

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NZsNextTopBogan@reddit

Late 2000s to early 2010s Hyundai Tucson. They’re gonna crash it.

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CarCounsel@reddit

More reason it be safe. This isn’t the answer. Sincerely someone internal to Hyundai 2007-2009.

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TheMazdaMx5Enjoyer@reddit

That car was like the seventh best selling vehicle on the entire planet

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CarCounsel@reddit

My point stands. Gets a poor rating in multiple crash safety measures. Do your homework before offering advice that could maim or kill.

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Chocol8Cheese@reddit

The Volvo!

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National-Wolverine-1@reddit

Get em a Camry. Better gas mileage, damn near bulletproof, safe, reliable, affordable to fix, often a 300k mi car. Take the rest of the money you almost spent on too much vehicle and establish a fix it fund.

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prepare__yourself@reddit

Too small for a 17 year old. Get him a new Escalade. Or a bus

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Whack-a-Moole@reddit

Whichever you will be least mad about it getting smashed.

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Lexicon444@reddit

Expect it to become a bumper car. Depending on your budget which, based on your budget is quite high, you might want to get him a smaller car. Think an accord or a Camry. Something that is safe, reliable and easy to maneuver.

An SUV for a new driver is very risky especially if they didn’t practice in one initially. And many SUVs have massive blind spots in front of the hood due to their square shape.

You need to focus on safety and something that you won’t mind getting beat up or dented.

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Own_Bluejay_7144@reddit

Since he is going to scrape something or put all of those too large, top heavy vehicles in a ditch, I would say the Cadillac. The parts should be more readily available from a domestic manufacturer. Otherwise, you may have to wait a month for a new fender from Japan or Sweden.

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Odd_Hat6001@reddit

Mazda

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DaddyBeanDaddyBean@reddit

Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4.

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Thumper45@reddit

Out of those vehciles I would not pick any.
If your son is like most 17 year old boys, this thing will get trashed in no time. The cost of ownership is also higher for an SUV, and despite what most people seem to thing, and SUV is not inherantly more safe due to its size.

If it must be an SUV go for something that is super reliable like a Rav4 or something like that. Atleast before it gets rolled it will be reliable and cheaper to keep maintained.

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Tekkki_@reddit

Just go with a hatchback or sedan, no reason for a suv. Volvo, Mazda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford

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Hvemorefunnn@reddit

How about 09-11 Honda CRV does, save some money on a slightly older car that he will end up banging up anyway. Unless he is paying for it, it doesn’t matter if he thinks it’s cool or not , it’s a set of wheels to get around. He should be grateful for getting a car handed to him instead of working for it.

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AbaloneMindless1605@reddit (OP)

Yeah, that’s what I have and I love my Honda CRV but my son feels it looks like a soccer mom car

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CarCounsel@reddit

Why not give him that and get yourself the new car that will invariably be scratched and abused?

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legardeur2@reddit

Your son’s right.

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CarCounsel@reddit

More reason to have him drive that.

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Fast_Cloud_4711@reddit

F*** him and what he wants. He'll get what he gets where he can buy his own Jesus wept.

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Better_Pomegranate70@reddit

Tell him kick rocks then

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Hvemorefunnn@reddit

Then you know how good CRVs are, driving is a privilege not a right lol. Think about what your first car was. I know we want to give our kids the world but what lessons does that teach them. They need to understand that working hard for something will pay off.

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Lov3I5Treacherous@reddit

Then he can buy his own car? wtf lol

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grateful_goat@reddit

Old Tacoma. Gives you access to truck when you need it

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FatBlueSloth@reddit

I had a Tahoe as my first car and am still driving it 10 years later. Got it with 70k miles on it too

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Gigahurt77@reddit

WTH! Get him a beater. He is most definitely going to wreak this vehicle. Give something good in a couple of years if you must.

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inide@reddit

None of those.
Get him a VW Golf with 100k+ miles on it.
It's plenty big enough for him and a couple of friends, they're reliable enough to regularly hit 200k, have decent visibility and no real blind spots and are cheap enough that you don't have to care when he inevitably damages it.
He can have an expensive car in a few years when he's a more capable and confident driver.

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jstar77@reddit

I got a 2016 Mazda CX-5 for my teenager it's been a great choice so far. Given where we live AWD and ground clearance was a must.

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Potential-Ant-6320@reddit

I'd personally want the turbo cx-30

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Fast_Cloud_4711@reddit

Something about $5,000. If they manage not to wreck it in 2 years then I'll get him something nicer if you want.

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ovidcado@reddit

An suv for a new driver is asking for them to be in an at fault accident. Get an old sedan or hatchback that’ll be less expensive to fix or replace when they inevitably crash. SUVs are hard to park hard to keep in lanes hard to make tight turns in all of which new drivers struggle with.

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AhJeezNotThisAgain@reddit

I'm in favor of a car made in the last 5-7 years for safety reasons. Compared to a 15+ year-old car, they have (or are likely to have):

Safer passenger compartment due to improved roof-crush standards (google "boron steel pillar");

Active collision avoidance;

Improves vehicle stability control systems;

Blind spot monitoring;

Lane departure warning;

"Eyes on the road" monitoring;

Better headlights;

etc.

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Spud8000@reddit

none of the above. do a Rav 4

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Numerous_Teacher_392@reddit

Why not a 911 Dakar?

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Engnerd1@reddit

Get the a Subaru Impreza or crosstrek

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CarCounsel@reddit

Just get him a Civic hatch hybrid and live happily ever after.

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JustATaddMaddLadd@reddit

Pick an old reliable car. Some have already said them, Camry's and Accords. Part of being young is not having the nice things. It gives you something to strive for and knowledge that they can deal with less. I have friends who will bankrupt themselves with a new car because they believe that not having carplay and heated seats are the end of the world.

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Strict_Cold609@reddit

Volvo for safety reasons

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Ambitious_Ad_9637@reddit

I wouldn’t put a 17 year old in either of the first two. Too much pep for a new driver. I’d be in 4Runner, Pathfinder territory.

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zeracloaks@reddit

I would go with the Mazda CX-5 Touring FWD out of the list you provided. The CX-30 with turbo will be fun but the gas efficiency is pitiful and another component to watch out for if regular maintenance isn't done.

Have you considered Subarus as well? Even their Impreza hatchbacks can take the place of a crossover or SUV and look sportier.

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pbgod@reddit

If you asked me to pick a car for college kid, nothing on that list would have made my list.

Those "SUVs" offer minimal functionality over a sedan that would cost less to buy and to own. You're looking at low-end luxury vehicles that are out of warranty.

It sounds like you have about $20k to spend, stretch it a little bit, and just buy a brand new Corolla or Civic that you won't have to worry about for years.

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AbruptMango@reddit

How much sporting and utilitating does a 17 year old do that he needs a vehicle made specifically for that?

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ottrocity@reddit

As a kid who drove an SUV at 17...none of them. A car. A Civic or Camry or Focus or something like that.

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i_imagine@reddit

CX30 or CX5. Volvo might have expensive insurance and depending where you live, can be costly to maintain as well. Cadillac also has expensive insurance and is way too much car for a kid. CX30 and CX5 are simple and use tried and true powertrains (especially the CX5). Insurance will be cheapest on them and they don't cost much to maintain either

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