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Don't forget to do PassPlus - good training, and often attracts a discount on insurance.
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I wouldn't go with the Defender. If - or when, most of us did - she crashes, that's a hell of a lot of metal to drive into somebody else's Fiesta. Causing death by dangerous driving ain't popular with the courts. The bigger your weapon, the more likely it is.
I still think my luckiest escape of my life was that nobody was standing in the way when I spun off an icy road shortly after passing.
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I wouldn't go with the Defender. If - or when most of us did - she crashes that's a hell of a lot of metal to drive into somebody else's Fiesta. Causing death by dangerous driving ain't popular with the courts. The bigger your weapon the more likely it is. I still think my luckiest escape of my life was that nobody was standing in the way when I spun off an icy road shortly after passing.
Agree with Mapmaker, last Sunday morning at 1 am , a 17 year old put his car into a tree (and died) near where we live - thank goodness he didn't hit anyone else.
MVP
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In my experience, cool is whatever her 'friends' think is cool at any particular time.
My daughter was determined to get an Estelle when she passed her test. We got one as a second car. She paid half of all costs (all her own damage - concentrates the mind wonderfully). It was so uncool it seemed to exceed coolness. It did stretch my mechanic skills. It seemed that if a part of it could go wrong, then it would go wrong. A very good design that I think was let down by materials and processes. What other car at the time had unequal length front wishbones, four-pot calipers and semi-trailing arm rear suspension, apart from Porsche?
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Thanks for your comments Mapmaker and MVP. It was always at the back of my mind that a Defender was a lot of metal for a 17year old to be driving. In mitigation, I owned an old 2 1/4 LWB petrol decades ago, and it taught me all about anticipation and handling skills, reinforced by my more recent 15 year old Defender. After due consideration, I shall not suggest an old Defender.
I look forward to an interesting chat to hear her definition of 'cool'.
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She also wouldn't have any hope of changing a wheel!
The brakes are heavy and slow, the stopping distance is longer than for a car. It all reduces the safety margins for other road users. Unless she's quite a lass, I guess it would also have her in tears trying to park it. A pal of mine at school had one (to be fair, I think it was a series II). He had to give it up when his younger sister (who was no wuss) started to drive as she could barely turn the ignition key, let alone operate the clutch.
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My daughter, bit older than 17, has a Y plate Micra in a "cute" duck egg blue colour. Been a great, easy, reliable car for her.
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I dont know many 17 year olds who could afford to fuel a Landrover, I know I couldn't have done when I was that age, at current prices any road.
I would advise to take that into account as well. Something small is always "cool"
To understand Cool we must understand Teenagers, Popular things are cool, most teenages have small cars therefore small cars are "Cool" I think. :-/
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Just to voice a rearguard defence of the defender.
Its full time 4wd, dont think she'll be spinning off anywhere.
IIRC they are group 2 or something like insurance, NFU would insure very cheaply, power steering, good mirrors etc, no one will bully her on the road, and it will run all day on some filtered oil from the chip shop.
Other than that jolly silly idea, i'll go wear a pointy hat in the corner....again.
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Remember never to confuse 4wd with unlimited grip. A patch of Ice, oil or standing water does not care how many driven wheel you car has. Better option is to improve driving skills through pass plus then you will be safer no matter what you drive.
My 1.0 corsa wasnt cool for a lad but served me well and kept me safe for the first 2 year after passing my test and at £1400 a year insurance I had few other choices. Some of the girls from college did however really like the car because of the blue colour so maybe "cool" could be just picking the right colour for her?
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Fiat Cinquecento, especially the Sport model in bright yellow, Seicento or old model Panda.
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While I drive a Defender 110, the weight of such things needs to be allowed for, and as it can next to no effect, or a lot of it (icy slippery slopes etc) I'd not recommend one to a new driver.
My next door neighbours have his and hers Nissan Micras (old shape) and as far as I can tell, they are are disgustingly reliable. The now defunct Car and Car Conversions rated their handling as being good as well. While you may have problems convincing her, "its an old persons car" the fact it is, means there are some good second hand buys out there. Not much rust on them either.
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Fiat Cinquecento especially the Sport model in bright yellow Seicento or old model Panda.
I think most Fiats are good value, you could look at a Punto if she doesn't like any of these.
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Coincidentally we have just sold my wife's Ford Ka to someone looking for something cool for their 18 year old daughter.
For the parents it had to be something small, reliable, and cheap to insure and fuel. For the daughter it had to be a Ford Ka in silver, with alloys, air conditioning and PAS. Bingo.
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A 3dr Polo in black, like I had when I was twenty. ;) (My first car at 18 was a Fiat Uno, but I've blocked that traumatic experience from my mind - two words can still strike pain into my heart... manual choke.)
Preferably a Mk3 or Mk4 Polo - they lost all their charm when they got bigger. Corsas and Clios of similar ages are bean cans in comparison.
Nothing too flash - she will crash it, and she'll be a better driver for having a few scrapes.
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two words can still strike pain into my heart... manual choke.)
Why, couldn't you pull it out far enough to hang your handbag on? Hmm?
she will crash it
I do hope not!
and she'll be a better driver for having a few scrapes.
Ah, scrapes OK, crash not. Maybe. Pass+ or a few extra lessons after a couple of months would help too, perhaps!
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