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I’m European (moved to the US at the end of 2019) and have always driven manual (except for a semi-auto Smart Fortwo). I may be biased but I prefer by far manual transmissions, not only you have a better overall control, but you get to know your vehicle better.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against automatics and they’re pretty handy in traffic, highway, etc
My main problem is that I feel drivers get easily distracted, particularly with their phones. In my area (New England), the amount of people driving and texting is insane.

In your case, especially with a 16yo who I assume must be glued to their phone at all times, a manual transmission will help him keeping a hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shifter!

That said, my jeep is a 2.0 so I was limited to the auto and that 8-speed is pretty good! 😂
In my mind, Automatics are putting North American drivers at a disadvantage versus their European and Asian counterparts (where manuals still dominate by a long margin). In almost all of EU and Asia you get a restricted license if you take your road test in an Automatic.

Even in my house, the wife bullies me into Automatics. I want to go back to a manual! They are dying in North America but are still thriving significantly in EU and most of Asia.
Thanks everyone for the thoughts. Let me ask the full-time 4WD question differently. Is the full-time 4WD safer because it redirects power and brakes to four wheels instead of two? I’m thinking along the line of Audi’s Quattro that really holds the road.

Since you guys touched on it, my wife and I are on the fence whether or not to buy a manual. Two weeks ago, it was a given that having him drive a manual was safer. He and I test drove a new manual Civic, and after an hour, he got the hang of it. It was fun to see him learn. I really enjoyed the test drive too :).

I think that driving a manual will force him to pay more attention, and thus be a safer. Both my wife and I grew up driving manuals, and she says she would like to have one again, too.

So why the question about full time FWD? It’s because I started looking at getting a 4xe, and full-time 4WD is standard on it. When I started digging into it, I began to think that if it helps the Jeep hold the road better, then it may be safer to get an automatic with it, than buying a manual.
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Thanks for answering the question on the full-time 4WD not having any correlation with increased stability control.

My wife and I have also struggled with the best vehicle to get him and whether or not he pays for it. Feel free to shoot holes in my rationale.

I am going with a new over used Jeep because of the advanced safety feature package - especially auto stop. that feature would have saved me from every wreck I had in my younger days. I looked at 2018 Rubicon’s with the feature, but a new one can be had for not a lot more $$.

If we decided to go with a safe car with a manual, it narrows our choices down to a Subaru or Honda. Subaru’s are great, but I find them hard to look at (except the WRX which would be unsafe for me.) I drove an Accord and was really impressed. If we don’t get a Jeep, that is what we will end up with. My wife and I drive midsize SUV’s, and I couldn’t help but think when I drove the Accord that sitting low wasn’t as safe as being higher in a Jeep with beefy bumpers and rock sliders . I also have it in my mind that a manual Jeep will slow him down: at least off the line maybe?

His mom wants him to pay for a vehicle, but I take the opposite approach. I want it to be my vehicle, so he understands that he is taking care of something that the family drives too, and it isn’t his. He said something the other day that caught my attention too: “I’ll take better care of something if it is new(er) than I would an older car.”

Most importantly, If he doesn’t act appropriately, I can take the car away if it is mine. I read somewhere that I should make him ask everyday for the keys to the vehicle, and which one he can drive. That will give him a daily reminder that the family depends on the cars for work, and also gives me the ability to ask where he is going and when he will be home. I thought that was pretty clever because it should result in him being safer.

In the end, he is a really good kid. Teens aren’t spoiled or have less of a work ethic because their parents gave them a nice car to drive. Those morals and ethics were set a lot earlier in their life, and I cross my fingers we’ve done a good job so far. He hasn’t asked for a new vehicle, and doesn’t expect one, so I’m taking that as a good sign.

My biggest worry that I hope I don’t regret is that his buddies will probably want to ride with him all the time. Half of teen motor vehicle fatalities occur when they are passengers. Teens die when they are in a car and the driver shows off or is distracted by their friends. Getting him the Jeep likely increases that probability.

There is one potentially huge bonus in buying a Jeep. I’m not banking on it, but I’m getting some cues that he will enjoy wrenching on it with me. If we do that together in the last two and a half years he lives at home, I can’t think of a bigger win for me.
 

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Go buy yourself a Jeep and him a Honda of you must. Everyone is different and I’m sure he’s a good kid. I’m one of 5 and we all had to work to buy our own car. I drove my dads 81 CJ5 to work when he let me. When I had the cash I bought my first car, a 1968 RS/SS 396 Camaro. It was beat to hell but I took good care of it. I spent time and money making sure it got me to work and back.

That was many years ago but it taught me a valuable lesson. I agree with your wife. Make him pay for it.

Be honest with yourself and buy the Jeep for yourself and stop trying to justify it. We all see what you want. Who cares what he wants. He will get what he pays for, or what you choose to get him.
 

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It’s safer in regards to scenarios where you wouldn’t even
Thanks for answering the question on the full-time 4WD not having any correlation with increased stability control.

My wife and I have also struggled with the best vehicle to get him and whether or not he pays for it. Feel free to shoot holes in my rationale.

I am going with a new over used Jeep because of the advanced safety feature package - especially auto stop. that feature would have saved me from every wreck I had in my younger days. I looked at 2018 Rubicon’s with the feature, but a new one can be had for not a lot more $$.

If we decided to go with a safe car with a manual, it narrows our choices down to a Subaru or Honda. Subaru’s are great, but I find them hard to look at (except the WRX which would be unsafe for me.) I drove an Accord and was really impressed. If we don’t get a Jeep, that is what we will end up with. My wife and I drive midsize SUV’s, and I couldn’t help but think when I drove the Accord that sitting low wasn’t as safe as being higher in a Jeep with beefy bumpers and rock sliders . I also have it in my mind that a manual Jeep will slow him down: at least off the line maybe?

His mom wants him to pay for a vehicle, but I take the opposite approach. I want it to be my vehicle, so he understands that he is taking care of something that the family drives too, and it isn’t his. He said something the other day that caught my attention too: “I’ll take better care of something if it is new(er) than I would an older car.”

Most importantly, If he doesn’t act appropriately, I can take the car away if it is mine. I read somewhere that I should make him ask everyday for the keys to the vehicle, and which one he can drive. That will give him a daily reminder that the family depends on the cars for work, and also gives me the ability to ask where he is going and when he will be home. I thought that was pretty clever because it should result in him being safer.

In the end, he is a really good kid. Teens aren’t spoiled or have less of a work ethic because their parents gave them a nice car to drive. Those morals and ethics were set a lot earlier in their life, and I cross my fingers we’ve done a good job so far. He hasn’t asked for a new vehicle, and doesn’t expect one, so I’m taking that as a good sign.

My biggest worry that I hope I don’t regret is that his buddies will probably want to ride with him all the time. Half of teen motor vehicle fatalities occur when they are passengers. Teens die when they are in a car and the driver shows off or is distracted by their friends. Getting him the Jeep likely increases that probability.

There is one potentially huge bonus in buying a Jeep. I’m not banking on it, but I’m getting some cues that he will enjoy wrenching on it with me. If we do that together in the last two and a half years he lives at home, I can’t think of a bigger win for me.
Get a dash cam, this one has live streaming with 2 way comms
https://www.owlcam.com/
 

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Statistically speaking, one of the biggest contributors to teens getting in accidents is having multiple friends in the car. The more friends he can haul around, the more likely he’ll get in a wreck. Therefore I vote that you should get a two-door with manual transmission, take the back seat out, and let him drive it when you aren’t using it!
 

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Thanks for answering the question on the full-time 4WD not having any correlation with increased stability control.
I've heard before that it would be more ideal in the snow since it'll help you immediately instead of having to drop into 4hi. But I can't see anyone reasonably driving above the upper limit of 4hi in bad snow conditions where they'd need 4WD anyway? But I've never lived in a snowy area, so no idea.

Subaru’s are great, but I find them hard to look at
lol me too. Everyone I know that has one adores their Subaru. The only Subaru I like is the BRZ.

My wife and I drive midsize SUV’s, and I couldn’t help but think when I drove the Accord that sitting low wasn’t as safe as being higher in a Jeep with beefy bumpers and rock sliders . I also have it in my mind that a manual Jeep will slow him down: at least off the line maybe?
I always felt kinda the opposite. Honestly. Before I bought the Jeep, my daily driver was the family's Chrysler 300. Prior to that I learned to drive on Mustangs. I'm used to low RWD cars. I had to get used to driving a Jeep. They sit high and by comparison, are all kinds of awkward and bumpy and the suspension and steering are so much more vague. Plus if you get into a serious accident it'll probably roll over, making everything worse. I was especially afraid of that because my first jeep was a JK. Plus modern cars have all kinds of safety equipment, all kinds of crash testing, and a lot of roof structure. A jeep doesn't have much of that.

The bumpers are great though. For one, the stock plastic bumpers are incredibly cheap to replace if you scratch one up.

Also - 270+HP is not exactly slow. It's not fast either like a WRX STI, but a 3.6 jeep can still get to 60mph in under 7 seconds.

His mom wants him to pay for a vehicle, but I take the opposite approach. I want it to be my vehicle, so he understands that he is taking care of something that the family drives too, and it isn’t his. He said something the other day that caught my attention too: “I’ll take better care of something if it is new(er) than I would an older car.”
I feel like that comes down to the person. Pride is also tricky. If someone gets too proud they might get cocky and end up showing off, and.. yeaaah...

Most importantly, If he doesn’t act appropriately, I can take the car away if it is mine. I read somewhere that I should make him ask everyday for the keys to the vehicle, and which one he can drive. That will give him a daily reminder that the family depends on the cars for work, and also gives me the ability to ask where he is going and when he will be home. I thought that was pretty clever because it should result in him being safer.
Agreed.

In the end, he is a really good kid. Teens aren’t spoiled or have less of a work ethic because their parents gave them a nice car to drive. Those morals and ethics were set a lot earlier in their life, and I cross my fingers we’ve done a good job so far. He hasn’t asked for a new vehicle, and doesn’t expect one, so I’m taking that as a good sign.
I'm glad to hear that!

My biggest worry that I hope I don’t regret is that his buddies will probably want to ride with him all the time.
If nobody in his friend group has a Jeep, then yes. In my experience they're also pretty popular with the ladies - most Jeep drivers I know are women! I apologize if I sound silly or sexist, but I think Jeeps are one of the few vehicles where people of all kinds will come and ask questions. It's not like owning a Mustang or a Corvette where you only attract old guys with it.

On the plus side, it'll usually interest people that want to buy one themselves, and people that want to know more about driving without the top on. Stuff like that. Not "hey let's drag race!". That's a good thing.

Half of teen motor vehicle fatalities occur when they are passengers. Teens die when they are in a car and the driver shows off or is distracted by their friends. Getting him the Jeep likely increases that probability.
Again, the good thing here is they probably won't get on about racing it.

There is one potentially huge bonus in buying a Jeep. I’m not banking on it, but I’m getting some cues that he will enjoy wrenching on it with me. If we do that together in the last two and a half years he lives at home, I can’t think of a bigger win for me.
One of the best parts is there are plenty of opportunities for that with mods and upgrades.

BTW: I'm pretty sure you've already done all your research, but you should be able to get all of the safety features on any trim level - it doesn't have to be a Rubicon. Just thought I'd remind ya.

Take care, and happy jeeping!
 

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It depends on each individual, obviously. But if my parents had installed some electronic nanny that kept track of my every move and told them where I was at all times, it would have pissed me off to no end. Trust is a two-way street. The way to earn and establish trust starts, well, with showing that we trust someone.

Getting his friends in the Jeep with him is perhaps the biggest hazard, as it’s been for the past 100 years. The difference nowadays, IMO, is the amount of additional distractions we can have while in motion.

Perhaps the best safety device for teens would be some sort of cellphone jammer that renders every mobile device on board inoperable. If someone needs to make a call, no matter who, the vehicle has to be stopped and in Park. That would greatly reduce the amount of distractions they can get inside the vehicle. It would also limit the number of his friends that want to get a ride from him.

In the absence of such jammer, the next best thing might be to lead by example, and refrain from using your mobile devices while driving, and pulling over if you need to get on the phone.
 
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Best thing you can do for a teen driver is send them to a professional crash avoidance school. Its the indian, not the arrow.

i take a vastly different approach to parenting, but this isnt a parenting forum.
 

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If my number one issue was safety I wouldn't be putting a 16 year old new driver into a Jeep at all.
Safety rating of the Wrangler here in the UK particularly for side on collisions has the lowest score possible....
 

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IMO. Automatic is inherently safer than manual, particularly for a newer driver. One less thing to think about when driving. That’s what I bought for my daughter.

a buddy however bought his daughter a manual with the thought that if she has to have a hand on the stick shift, it can’t be on her cell phone. Tough to argue with that school of thought.
 

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my 2 cents...
one of my cars is a subaru wrx. a very good full time awd. in general for family members with kids, just starting to drive, i always recommend some sort of awd. where this really comes into play is in the rain and snow. some folks have said having it might encourage bad behavior. to me thats a second consideration and seems a bit silly in a jeep. perhaps in something like a porsche turbo the kid might get the idea it made him a formula one driver, but in a jeep? awd vehicles are simply safer when road conditions deteriorate. and that is when driving is more dangerous.
 

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Yes, it offers a safety factor... Select "Auto" when the weather is 'snowy' and it will handle the rest. It doesn't take away from developing winter driving skills... It just engages 4WD faster than a person can... I'd have ordered it if it was available on the diesel
 

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It you do not have to have the Rock-Trac, the Selec-Trac is the way to go for the streets and around town and on the highway. I have the part time 4WD, but there are many times, around town I wish I had AWD. I love the setup on my Escalade where I can choose between RWD, AWD or 4WD.
 

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If my number one issue was safety I wouldn't be putting a 16 year old new driver into a Jeep at all.
Safety rating of the Wrangler here in the UK particularly for side on collisions has the lowest score possible....
Yeah, giving a 16 year old something that is relatively quick, stops poorly, and handles poorly as a first vehicle is pretty much begging for an accident. And the Wrangler is not the vehicle you want that accident to be in. He will do something stupid and your responsibility is for him to live until college.

Get them something boring that is a top safety pick and put good winter tires on it. Subaru is a good choice or there are a lot of other AWD crossovers available if that is a must have.
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