The world isn’t really built for kids to move around in anymore. With nowhere to go and life increasingly online, fewer teens than ever are getting their driver’s license. But not all kids can turn down the keys forever. Some teens are going to have to drive, so what kind of car do you give a barely grown bipedal ape with unhinged hormones and an underdeveloped brain? We asked you that very question earlier this week, and a good chunk of you answered, a manual of course!
OK Jalopnik readers, we get it; your kids are going to grow up right, knowing how to change their own oil and row their own gears. Nearly 180 responses and a good chunk of them mentioned a manual transmission, an option on offer on probably 10 percent of mass produced consumer cars on offer over the last decade. Let’s be real though; driving stick is a bit of an affectation today and, once your kids are grown and deep into the EV era, driving stick will be like knowing how to run a switchboard or a word processor. Not that manuals won’t exist, but it’ll be reserved for a select few dorks (who will probably still be working at and reading this website.)
Besides manuals, you had other interesting answers, most of which involved old, reliable and slow cars. Can’t say I can argue much with that take. Scroll through to see what your fellow Jalopniks recommend, and then make your parenting decisions accordingly.
The best thing a parent can pass down to their kids; a car
The best car for a teen driver is the car you’ve had for years prior to them getting their license. The car they learned to drive on and are most comfortable behind the wheel of. The car that while likely older you know every inch of, and all its service history and needs. The car that you don’t have to buy specifically for them. It’s probably a practical crossover, sedan, or maybe even a minivan, so probably not something they’re going to be showing off which is just fine but will be practical enough to get through high school and college.
As a bonus, handing a car down to them means you don’t have to buy one for them, you get to pick out a new car for yourself!
and
If you can swing it, probably the family car that could stand to be replaced. My CX-5 will be 11 years old once my kid’s eligible for his driver’s license, it’s not perfect, but it’s not huge or overpowered, and at least we know the history of the thing.
We’re also lucky enough that he can depend on transit to start (so, if he does get hand-me-down car, it’s probably a few years later if he ends up somewhere more car-dependent for post-secondary).
From Wantsamanuelalpharomero and Maymar
Stick it to the youths
A manual. My kids aren’t getting near an automatic until they can drive a manual.
and
“but why?”
“Because, if the only thing you learn how to drive is an auto, then all you can drive is an auto. If you learn to drive Stick, you can drive anything with wheels.”
Paul R and Chase
Mazda: Safe and not too much fun
2nd gen (2009 – 2013) Mazda 3. Plentiful, affordable, reliable, and fun to drive without having too much on tap to get a new driver into trouble. I can also verify they are safe. My wife and I bought a new 2011 that she drove for a couple of years before it was totaled by a red light runner driving a police-auctioned Crown Vic at ridiculous speed. She got t-boned right in the driver’s side and pushed into a utility pole, completely knocking it over. The scene was so gnarly all the local news crews showed up. She walked away without a scratch.
I just realized that I still have an old photo in my Google drive of the aftermath after it got hauled to the yard…
and
Currently teaching on a 2017 manual hatch Mazda3. Wish braking performance would be a bit better. She actually enjoys driving it and is proud to be one of the very few who is driving a stick!!
From Funky Dynamite and DLBedford
A safe choice
I went for a Volvo V50 1.6D, because it ticks many of the boxes:
Volvo safety (as demonstrated by the first one which is, alas, no longer with us)
ESP and numerous airbags
far from fast, but not obnoxiously slow
excellent mileage
cheap parts (at least here in Europe – by now changing a rear view mirror is like fixing a puncture on my bike)
small enough for city parking
big enough for stuff when I need to borrow it
And they can be had for 3-4k with lots of life left in them.
and
Outstanding choice. The S40 / V50 was built on the Ford Compact Platform, which is great. Those cars had a really good road feel. I felt connected driving the S40. Those legendary Volvo seats helped me stay focused as well.
From Ara Can and Mister Sterling
Another manual, but this father dreams of EVs
My 17-year-old is in my former Pontiac Vibe GT, manual.
Good visibility, remarkably reliable, and he’s learning to drive stick.
If money wasn’t an issue, it would be a new Bolt, or even a Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. Something efficient enough and cheap enough that I don’t really care how he bangs it up.
From potbellyjoe
Kids raised by Jalopnik readers are the stick-drivingest kids
My kids got stuck with a 2000 Ford Escort—manual transmission, no radio. It forced them to focus on driving, actually feel the car, and (bonus!) there were no distractions. The downside? They drove it into the ground and it eventually shuffled off to the junkyard.
The upside? My daughter now works at a dealership, and whenever a stick-shift needs moving, they pull her out of the office because none of the salesmen can drive one. So really, that old Escort was her driver’s ed, her college course, and her job training program all in one.
For contrast, my first car was a rusty but rumbly ’68 Impala with a V8. Basically a barge with two couches and one-wheel drive. It could smoke the right rear tire for half a block but had the handling of a La-Z-Boy on roller skates. Somehow, I survived it.
So my pick for a teen driver is a 10-ish-year-old, non-sports car with a hand-shaker. Something like a 2015 Sonata, Corolla, or Civic with a stick. Safe, reliable, zero temptation to show off—plus it guarantees your kid won’t be texting, TikTok’ing, or blasting bad music while they learn.
From Papa Chris
Oh, the life lessons a Corolla can teach you!
An old Corolla. Cheap as chips to run and insure, and if it crashes…who cars. Get another. Also, the kid can learn to wrench on it – which is an essential skill that is lost on most of today’s kids. Also, bonus if it is a manual – great mechanical anti-theft.
From ChaosphereVIII
Logical deduction
I’m going a different approach here, here me out. The vehicle shouldn’t be too large for a new driver of any age, but especially teens. I would also actually discourage a 4 door, as we all know even if the law says they can’t have anyone else with them but immediate family and anyone over 25, kids will still defy it. So a smaller 2 door should more easily discourage having more than 1 passenger. But I would also like my kid to be able to grow as a driver, and understand the relationships and dynamics of operating a vehicle, and car control. EVs are much better at control, but they are too jumpy to start with I would feel just because of the instant torque, nor would I want them to develop a heavy foot. So I think a 2 door manual, that is slow enough, but challenging enough for my child to properly learn and not to just neanderthal their way on the pedal, would be the perfect car…I’m choosing the Honda CR-Z. Good MPGs, with Honda safety and reliability.
From Agon Targeryan
Reliable and from Japan is redundant
My daughter is almost 13, so I’m starting to plan for her eventual driving career. I’d suggest something reliable from Japan, so I’ve been into the Mazda CX-30s. They are attractive, not too fast, and reliable. You also can’t go wrong with a Honda CRV.
From Dan Gemmell
Always a Nissan Sentra
I’m gonna suggest what I got my teen – A Nissan Sentra.
Safe.
Compact.
Boring.
Fast “enough”.
Reliable.
Great pricing with insurers.
Those are the only words you wanna see your kid driving.
From PLAN-B 77