Sponsored

Would you let your 16 year old have a Jeep?

Would you let your 16 year old have a Jeep for their first vehicle?


  • Total voters
    569

Kyanche

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Threads
7
Messages
1,334
Reaction score
1,373
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
2020 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
On one hand, if they screw up a bumper backing into something, it's the cheapest and easiest modern car to replace the bumper on. On the other hand, jeeps are kinda top heavy.
Sponsored

 

wrangler-rob

Well-Known Member
First Name
Robert
Joined
Apr 9, 2018
Threads
3
Messages
120
Reaction score
62
Location
New Jersey
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLUR
My son is 14 now and I have been thinking about this quite a bit recently. Yes, preferably 2 door manual transmission for the following reasons:

1) manual means less F-ing around with his phone
2) manual means dumb ass friends probably wonā€™t be capable of driving
3) a vehicle still meant to be worked on by owner and he can learn some self reliance
4) 2 door will limit the comfort in the back for friends to want to use his vehicle
5) a first vehicle should be something memorable and have a limited cool factor - mine an ā€˜85 Bronco II which I cared for like it a Ferrari at the time. I still have fond memories of adventures in that thing.

Now, that all said it should be used. My kid has been wheeling with me for a few years now and gets that a wrangler is for getting anywhere but done so at ā€œitā€™s paceā€ and not driven like anything else out there. He understands it isnā€™t an F1 or WRC racer and will roll if driven like one.

the two vehicles on my list are a wrangler and Subaru of some sort mainly for points 1 & 2 above.
 

roaniecowpony

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Threads
144
Messages
7,236
Reaction score
9,279
Location
SoCal
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLUR, 14 GMC 1500 CC All TERRAIN
Occupation
Retired Engineer
My son is 14 now and I have been thinking about this quite a bit recently. Yes, preferably 2 door manual transmission for the following reasons:

1) manual means less F-ing around with his phone
2) manual means dumb ass friends probably wonā€™t be capable of driving
3) a vehicle still meant to be worked on by owner and he can learn some self reliance
4) 2 door will limit the comfort in the back for friends to want to use his vehicle
5) a first vehicle should be something memorable and have a limited cool factor - mine an ā€˜85 Bronco II which I cared for like it a Ferrari at the time. I still have fond memories of adventures in that thing.

Now, that all said it should be used. My kid has been wheeling with me for a few years now and gets that a wrangler is for getting anywhere but done so at ā€œitā€™s paceā€ and not driven like anything else out there. He understands it isnā€™t an F1 or WRC racer and will roll if driven like one.

the two vehicles on my list are a wrangler and Subaru of some sort mainly for points 1 & 2 above.

My earliest recollection of a Subaru was around the mid 60s in Japan. Your son probably would get some looks in one of these.
1280px-1958_Subaru_360_01.jpg
 

ZONA.OVRLND

Well-Known Member
First Name
David
Joined
May 10, 2018
Threads
3
Messages
209
Reaction score
437
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Website
www.instagram.com
Vehicle(s)
'21 392 Hemi Wrangler - Follow on IG @ zona.ovrlnd
Build Thread
Link
Vehicle Showcase
1
My first car at 16 was a 2 door red YJ.

It was good for a while, then we were fortunate enough to sell that, and then used the money from the sale as a downpayment on a new (at the time) TJ.

I turned out just fine (I think ;) )
 

cdahl383

Well-Known Member
First Name
Carl
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
94
Reaction score
114
Location
Michigan
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Wrangler Sport S, 2019 Ram 1500, 2015 Challenger Scat Pack, 1972 Chevy Nova
Would never buy my kids a car. They can save and buy their own like I did. If they find a Jeep within their budget, then why not?
 

Sponsored

Lou Bunn

Well-Known Member
First Name
James
Joined
Feb 19, 2019
Threads
2
Messages
191
Reaction score
278
Location
Raleigh
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler JLU Sport S
Well, as the proud parent of two adult daughters now, let me share my thoughts. I get that back in the day stuff, hell I lived it - I got my license in 1975 and all the mega-buck muscle cars you see on the TV auctions were just used cars to us. I had a 1972 Z-28, my buddy had a 1969 Chevelle SS 396, my little cousin had a 1970 Mustang Mach I and on and on! They were fast, handled like crap. loud, hot (no AC) and had the bare bones vibe that some guys get all misty eyed over. In short, they were shit compared to today. Yeah, I get that simple, easy to work on, modify etc but, You haven't experienced "fun" till you tried to drive on a rainy highway with sealed beam headlights, fat bias belted tires and air shocks in the dark with the clocking ticking on the girlfriend's curfew time! So, when my oldest turned 16. we checked and got a Mazda 3, lasted her through high school, college and her first job. My youngest grew up wanting a Jeep, so we looked at Jeeps. Now this was 2014 and after she drove a JK for herself - that whole image (lifestyle stuff) went out with the, dad - this doesn't drive good and it doesn't have - long list of things - on it. She settled on a Honda Civic loaded with stuff and she had it for 4 years. I drive it now since I bought her a 2018 JL Sport S with (everything on it!) she's going to community college to be a radiologist and saved me thousands vs her sister who went to State and had to move on campus.
My advice, buy the safest vehicle you can afford, if it's a Jeep, and the teen can handle it, then ok. I think the JL is by far a better first Jeep than the older ones. I get that kids ought to learn like we did, but, don't you want better for your child than what you had? I do, and if I didn't I would not have had kids.
 

RELBUS

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Threads
16
Messages
619
Reaction score
853
Location
Chicago
Vehicle(s)
97 TJ , 22 JLURXR 392
My first car was a a 93 ford tempo that had been driven by my brother and sister throughout high school. When I was 17, I got a 97 TJ SE that was brand new. I loved that Jeep, and it has made me a life long Jeep lover. At the time, my best friend also had an identical TJ. About ten years ago, I bought that friends TJ and still own it today. My family has taken that Jeep all over the US wheeling and on adventures. Both of my boys would love for the TJ to be there first vehicle, but its just too built to be a good DD. So they will end up in something else...lets hope its a Jeep!
 

darylgordon

Well-Known Member
First Name
Daryl
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
57
Reaction score
80
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Rubicon
I have a 17 year old daughter still at home and a 36 year old son. Safety was my first consideration. I couldnā€™t live with myself if I didnā€™t buy my daughter with the safest car I could reasonable afford. While I considered the Jeep (which I realized was more about my inner child than her needs), I ultimately bought her a Subaru Crosstrek. It addresses a lot of the issues I was concerned about with a new driver. While I donā€™t have an issue giving a teenager a Jeep (especially a new Jeep with all the safety protections it offers), it really comes down to the kid. One of my daughterā€™s classmateā€™s Father bought her a Porsche Macan. One night she got into a race with some other kids while she had two of her friends inside her car and she hit a tree at high speeds killing herself and one of her friends. The other friend has recovered (for the most part), but will have life long issues to deal with. This child had no business behind the wheel of that car.
 

dpowell5523

Member
First Name
Donald
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
21
Reaction score
15
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLUR
My then 16 now 18 year old helped me make a 98 ZJ roadworthy and he drove that. No ac, one window wouldnā€™t roll down and the sunroof leaked like crazy. He put some money into it and got a few things working better, and kept up with the maintenance and oil changes on his own. No I would not have gotten him a JK or newer JL. The older wranglers were more than I was willing to spend on a new driver and he would not have been able to afford the insurance on a wrangler anyway. He drove the ZJ until he moved out and now it just sits.
 

Sponsored

RagTopDeluxe

Well-Known Member
First Name
Julie
Joined
Mar 19, 2019
Threads
21
Messages
2,123
Reaction score
3,996
Location
Northern California
Vehicle(s)
2020 Punk'n Recon
My first car was a ā€˜65 MGB with no seatbelts, crappy dual carbs, a malfunctioning gas gauge, and barely any brakes. I paid $650 of my own money. That 20 year-old car was a piece of junk, but I loved it (wish I still had it!).

Fast forward to when my daughter got her license...I didnā€™t want her having a car that frequently left her stranded. She shared our cars and we bought her a three year-old Corolla for graduation. She loved it, but unfortunately, she got in an accident and it was totaled. It did itā€™s job she kept her safe.

We took the insurance money and I got a Miata (modern incarnation of my beloved MG) and gave her my Prius. She still drives the Prius six years later. That thing is bomb-proof and extremely economical and safe. They make great cars for kids.

That said, Iā€™d get a kid a used Jeep. But even good kids have accidents, so thatā€™s a consideration.
 
Last edited:

O)()()()()(O

Well-Known Member
First Name
E
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Threads
6
Messages
96
Reaction score
126
Location
Northern NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 JLUR
When I was 16, my first cars was a gift from my father. A used Dodge Aires, gold, with the finest beige vinyl interior available. I bought my own when I was 18, an 89 YJ. I think that was the right move for me. A couple years driving under the belt before the move to the Jeep.

Would a Wrangler be ok for a 16 year oldā€™s first vehicle, yes. But, it becomes the perfect 2nd vehicle when he/she has a couple years experience.
 

wranglernoob2019

Well-Known Member
First Name
GT
Joined
Dec 1, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
88
Reaction score
205
Location
cincinanti
Vehicle(s)
JLUR 19 Firecracker Red
Vehicle Showcase
1
I will get a JLUR with steel bumper, advanced safety and with Do Not Disturb during driving features. The safety of the kid is the most important thing to me - the jeep is insured, and not too worried about it.
 

smokinjeep

Well-Known Member
First Name
jim
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Threads
40
Messages
343
Reaction score
325
Location
MN
Vehicle(s)
2019 JL on order
Picked this up while mistakenly looking at Craigslist while in LA. I'm in MN. 33" tires and 4" lift. Daughter wants a jeep and I want a jeep buddy to go out riding with. No worries about her driving it. I hope it doesnt get damaged and her hurt but she needs a car so why not a jeep?

04 JL.JPG
 
 



Top