If you want to go retro

Gorgeous!! Now there's a magnet for this chick!

DG, if you are a big guy, there is no way you need a Miata. My sister had one and I drove it 600 miles on a business trip. I have NEVER ridden in a more uncomfortable, narrow seated foot restricted vehicle in my life. I'm 6'2" 190 lbs.

I'm moving toward Plan C: Public Transportation

More I think about, more I like it.

1. I keep the Avalon until I really want a different car.

2. Daughter goes to Defensive Driving Class.

3. Daughter works enough to pay her own insurance.

4. Daughter takes bus / trolley to junior college / work.

I'm having her do the research on bus routes, fares, etc. but actually I've already done it. (I just want her to start taking responsibility.) Turns out she can get from my place to school in an hour, changing buses once. She can get to work in half an hour, changing busses once. And she can get an unlimited Student Pass for $45/month.

Sounds like a pretty good solution to me.

I like it. It reinforces her responsibility in the whole thing, takes things in steps, and doesn't put you in debt. Besides the Avalon has a pretty good reliability record. I'd not give it up easily for that reason alone.

Does this mean you aren't going to buy the Chrysler Town and Country? They are real chick magnets, you know! (At least my wife thinks so)

We just bought our Element in July so these are still early returns.

I was attracted to it because it's short enough to fit comfortably into our garage and long enough to carry our tandem on the inside of the car. I was concerned that the interior would seem a little too Spartan and that the seats and the ride would be too firm for my taste.

We took it to Wisconsin last week, an 1100 mile round trip. Seats and ride quality (and air conditioner)were great. The interior is nice without being fancy. The interior is also rooooomy! The back wheel of the tandem rolls up between the front seats, but doesn't prevent the cofortable use of the arm rests. Gas mileage on the highway is around the mid 20's.

That Avalon is still a nice car with at least 100K miles left to go on it if you continue to take care of it. Get a corolla from Hertz for her. It will have all the things younger drivers need; 4 cylinders, AT, AC stereo, anti lock brakes, air bags, crush zones, &c. They need low power cars with good brakes and safety equipment. And corollas are reliable as all get out. They have good cars at reasonable prices. If you rag about the tires they will put new ones on for free. After you buy it, have it aligned, and you're set. Be sure to tell her that if this one gets stacked, she gets a bus pass. bk

Excellent plan!

+1

I like this idea a lot*.

When I turned 16, my dad got a little dodge colt for me to use. On my first day, I was a little lost and made kind of a sudden stop to make a left hand turn and the person behind me hit me. Barely. Not enough to do damage. But this was my first day!

Until I graduated from college, other things happened:

I left the car parked on a busy street and it got totaled by a drunk. I got a rental car for that, and got into an accident when the sun was glaring in my way (didn't know about sunglasses yet) and I simply didn't see the person.

Oh, and the doors of my locked jeep got stolen once... apparently they are an option and easy to resell. You just peel the gaskets off the windows (CJ-5) and you're in the car. the doors came off with 2 bolts.

Oh, and the time I put the convertible top down in the spring but had a snow shovel in the back and it did a lot of damage to the rag top. I could go on, but I've blocked a lot of these from my memory.

My sister* left a car somewhere and forgot where she put it. We never found it again. We also got rear-ended at a stoplight at a college once because the guys behind us were wolf-whistling at girls.

We drove my dad crazy. Sometimes accidents happen, but let's face it--kids lack experience.

It's amazing. When I got my own car, I never had another accident or incident. Don't know if it was age or luck, but regardless I think it's good to learn how expensive the dang things are (and the cost of insurance!) as early as possible.

She definitely won't take a car for granted anymore.
We have friends who have pulled their 2 daughters out of every scrape they got into: several cars, accidents, speeding tickets, apartment rentals gone bad, dropping out of various schools, quitting multiple jobs, putting downpayments on expensive items they couldn't pay for afterwards, etc., to the point where the parents are now deep in debt. The kids are in their mid-20's now and keep asking for more. Teaching financial responsibility is a real gift!

Another vote for Plan C! If only we had that option in the Motown area. What passes for public transport here is a sick joke.

I'm thinkin' Aston Martin...kinda James Bondy...he get the chicks doesn't he?

BTW I had a 69' Camaro very similar to your's...same color, no stripes.

I 'splained Plan C to my daughter this morning. I was waiting for the sulk or emotional outburst. Didn't happen. I think she already understands that she got herself into this mess, and she needs to do some things to get herself out of it. So, there will be some buses in her future.

I sure love my kid!

Hey DG, we just bought a Prius. If I bought another now I'd get a Fit or a Mazda 5. Both are good for hauling bikes et cetera IN the car. The Prius is NOT. One bike will fit in the back lying down, and with risk to both bikes and your back two can fit one on top of the other, but this is not optimal IMHO. We have carried two on the back with an Allen rack, but it at least is not the best design to sit on the Prius spoiler. Possible a Bones would be better. The bikes on the back cost around 6 mpg on a highway trip with the Prius.

If I could live with a trunk rack all the time I'd spring fo rthe Miata! sporty, chick magnet (Mrs Road Fan lets me pose just a bit!), fun to drive, and bikie!

I also hear Chrysler is discounting Town and Country vans in some areas, and with the feature where the seats fold down into the floor, you get a huge, flat, tall storage space. I would not want one for me, and the mpg is not that great, but if I only used it for bike trips it might be a good addition to the family.

Well then, there it is.

Road Fan

Outstanding! on the part of two people involved in this one!

Sounds like some great kid has been exposed to a regimen of outstanding parenting.

Great job!

This whole thread is more of a chick magnet than any car could be dg...

excellent dad work.

Blush!

I can get a road bike with both wheels off into the back seat of my BMW 328i.

Road Fan

We just got a Prius, and while I know I could get a bike in the back seat with it's wheels removed, I also know Mrs. Road Fan, keeper of the Prius, would not let me. Other than that, it is a super car. When my 328i is ready not to me mine anymore, we might see another Prius in the family.

Road Fan

Well, she does have one hiccup, and I understand it. She will be going to classes two days a week, from about noon to about 8:45 (there are some breaks during the day). Anyway, she's afraid to take the bus at that hour of the night; it would mean about an hour's ride with one transfer getting her home about 10:30 about three blocks from home.

I've agreed to pick her up in the evenings. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about having my 103 pound daughter out on a bus at that hour myself. So she buses there, I bring her home (until she makes friends and finds rides).

Here's what I did just about 1 1/2 yr. ago. Bought a 1995 BMW 318TI with manual tranny. My reasons: love the look of the car, hatchback that holds 2 roadbikes, 25 mpg around town, 30+ mpg on the interstate, great handling, low purchase price, reliability, low property taxes in CT, and I happen to be one of those rwd afficionados. This is a truly underappreciated car probably due to the fact that people just don't want a 4cy. BMW. For me it's perfect. When I want real speed I take out the Ducati. (BTW, my '02 Focus SVT went to my son.)