I’m looking forward to getting a used car for my son. He’ll be turning 19 later this year, and I think I’ve held him off long enough. Care to offer some interesting advice before he and I go check out the dealers here in Texas? I am thinking of giving the boy 2002 Corolla as a starter. Six years off the price should not be a bad deal.

Kent

Houston, TX

Hi there, Kent. I know that it is a tradition among the fathers of a lot of countries, including this one -getting a car for the young male. First, you have to ask yourself, how confident are you to give 4 wheels to your son? It won’t be like teaching him how to ride a bike. You won’t always be there to catch him when he falls. Much in the same manner, you have to select the right car for your son. Who knows what lie in wait on the roads of Texas? Leaving out price, these are several criteria I used to analyze your choice: safety, fuel economy, overall style. Point by point? Read on, Kent.

Safety as a concern, the 2002 still belongs to the 8th Generation of Toyota Corollas. This batch already has side airbags (on some models, so look for these) and that should take a load off your mind and off your kid while he’s on the road. Overall styling, the 2002 should not look dated as a car on the road. Besides, I doubt if your boy would be expecting an exotic European import as a first car. This should suit him just fine, or you can just spruce it up a bit with a nice sound system or some other accessory. Goodness, I know you don’t want to kill yourself with gas money issues. This model with its 1.8 Liter engine, if well-maintained, should not guzzle more gas than your son’s wallet can pump into its tank. Toyota’s work on multi-valve engine technology has proven itself time and time again.

Hope this eased your mind on the choice of car you made, Kent.

Tags: Houston Dealer, Toyota Dealer, used car