Budget $10K or below.

Graduation surprise.

Reliable cars only please...

 

A very good lesson for up and coming young man is humility.

Therefore, I recommend a used Beetle, in yellow

 

More criteria needed. For example, he may have cargo needs (he likes to go camping, surfing, offroading or he needs to drive around a few passengers), or he is going to college in an area with cold winters (so FWD or AWD preferred), etc.

Thanks a lot, dad.

 

Hyundai with 100k miles/10 year warranty, don't buy a used car. The Scions are a little bit over 10k but I think that is a great choice.

 

i'd go with a car has no power. preferably stick. 18 year olds aren't too smart with their cars. pretty much all guys are at that age. i sure was. i blame the "invincibility" feeling

yaris, versa, prius, fit, corolla, civic, xB

 

I think a used Fit would be a great choice. Very versatile vehicle which will be helpful when moving in and out of college dorm rooms

 

One or two year old Chevy Cavalier.
That's what I picked up for my kids first cars.
Decent car for a few years till they're able to get something better.

 

A 2004 Honda Accord sedan.

 

I have agree that the hyundais are priced aggressively and they have a stellar warranty. I also agree that if you can stick to a new car ( if you can). Most people don't dump cars that are in great shape

 

I would second this. I bought my youngest son a 94 Accord EX. It had about 70k miles on it. He beat the **** out of it for 110,000 more miles. Very few problems - made me a believer, cause that car went through hell

 

You can actually buy a NEW Nissan Versa for under 10k, its stripped but new.

 

Ok.

Yeah he's going to college in the midwest (greater Chicago), so FWD/AWD are definitely plusses.

He's never driven a manual before...

And I would like the car to have the basics like power windows/locks, AC, etc.

Probably shopping used, but I'll check out a new Versa or Hyundai

 

WOW

the mental picture that brings

 

10k? get a 5.0 mustang, 4k to buy and 6k for mods? you'll be doing EASY 11's/12's, perfect for a 18yr old

 

3rd Generation 4Runner. They ran from 96-02. They had the solid 3.4L motor and are very reliable. You can easily pick up a 4wd for $6K-$8k. Don't be afraid to buy one with more than 100k miles.