Originally Posted by akrogirl
I would never buy a new car for a teenager. Go for an older Volvo - they don't get much more solid than that.
--------------------------------------------
As a 28 year plus hospital volunteer, I've seen many teens brought in through ER due to car wrecks. Our own kids we made
help pay for their cars, insurance and repairs. They are all now solid citizens. One sister's kids who got everything handed to them are not quite the kind the rest of us would ever, ever lend a car key to!!
I'm with akrogirl, an older Volvo is solid. When we had our older car towed, the tow truck driver said that he had a Volvo for his wife to drive, because in his experience they held up better in wrecks.
In the last couple of weeks, we had two lovely young college girls killed in a car crash. No one hinted that they were talking on cell phones or texting, but teens are terrible about doing that!!
If you are determined to spend all that money on a niece, why not get the older car and put the rest into some college money for her? And suggest nicely that she get a job to pay insurance and maintenance? It'll make her grow up faster.