When the issue came up about a year ago of my getting my first car, it was quite an ordeal. The notion of a new car was out of the question. They did not get one when they were my age, so I certainly was not going to get one either. My mother wanted me to drive a large boat-of-a-car, something like a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis. So, my father bought one of my grandmother's cars from her, since she needed to get rid of one of them. Well, this was a 1985 Oldsmobile Delta 88, not exactly my idea of an ideal teenage car. So, I drove it around a bit, and did not much care for the feel of floating around in an old granny-car. It was in great condition, but it just did not feel right. So I talked to my parents about it, and they unwillingly decided to comply. I then resorted to driving a minivan, not exactly a "cool" car either.

After a few months of that, I decided to talk to my parents again. I had mentioned a few cars which would be "acceptable" for a kid my age to drive like a Honda Civic or Accord, or a Toyota Corolla or Camry. Well, conveniently, an acquaintance of my father's was selling his 1991 Toyota Camry. My dad told me that I needed to go and see the car for myself, and then I could make the final decision.

So I went to see the car, and I immediately felt a sense of normalcy. Yes, the car was brown, but it was not solid brown, and there were a few other cosmetic problems. But I knew that this car would be acceptable and that I could see myself driving this vehicle comfortably. It had power windows & locks, digital radio, illuminated entry and ignition, automatic lights, and very comfortable seats. I also found the interior to have a quality finish.

It has been 9 months now since I bought the car, and I have not had any real problems with it. I had to replace the power antenna and the windshield wipers, which was not too bad. I replaced all of the hubcaps and the two rear speakers, which was a personal choice. There was also a rip in the dashboard, which I fixed. All in all, a total of around $5,000 was spent on this car after the minor repairs were made. I would strongly recommend this car to ANYONE, especially those of you who are searching for a first car for a new driver.
Amount Paid (US$): 4500