As a teenager and short on funds, I purchased my first car and only car so far, a 90 Mazda Protege from a family friend. THe previous owner had kept the miles down and I purchased the 10 year old car with just 73000 miles. Since that original purchase almost two years ago I have put on about 18000 miles, but the car continues to run great.
Aside from regular maintnence with oil changes and such, Ihave had very few problems with the car. We have replaced a couple of belts, some spark plugs and wires, but that is about it. For the most part all I do is buy gas, turn the key, and go.
I would recommend this car to any first driver or parent looking for a car for their teenager. It is a 4 cylinder with about 120hp, very easy to handle, and fun to drive. The only draw backs with the car are the automatic seatbelts which tend to get wrapped up around unexpecting passengers, and the automatic transmission that always shifts harder than comfortable.
Amount Paid (US$): 1200