would you let your 18 year old have a Jeep

[ShadowsPapa]

So yea - probably going to provide them with a hand-me-down to get started as long as their behavior and ethics are in line.

Real similar to how my ex-wife handled our oldest son - he got the rusty Oldsmobile but paid for repairs and gas and such. That was fine as he was always A+ student and well-behaved. (BTW - the ex and I are still good friends, never fought over things and never ever said anything negative in front of the kids. We do still have mutual respect for each other and our parenting methods)


My brother worked out a system of credits - he'd buy the car and his kids could buy from him using credits when money was tight. The credits were like you said - behavior, grades - don't be a problem. It worked out well. Heck, his oldest is one of the nicest young men of his age I've ever met.

There's a lot of good ways that not only work, but encourage hard work, ethics, paying bills, and so on.

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[ChrisNLA]

Real similar to how my ex-wife handled our oldest son - he got the rusty Oldsmobile but paid for repairs and gas and such. That was fine as he was always A+ student and well-behaved. (BTW - the ex and I are still good friends, never fought over things and never ever said anything negative in front of the kids. We do still have mutual respect for each other and our parenting methods)


My brother worked out a system of credits - he'd buy the car and his kids could buy from him using credits when money was tight. The credits were like you said - behavior, grades - don't be a problem. It worked out well. Heck, his oldest is one of the nicest young men of his age I've ever met.

There's a lot of good ways that not only work, but encourage hard work, ethics, paying bills, and so on.

There is definitely a few ways to go about it.

If we lived in the city, I'd certainly not be opposed to the 'get a job and work towards it' aspect - but it's not always practical.

Again - a lot of it depends on them...

Keep in mine the oldest is 12 so we got a little time.

But their dad / step mom once said 'They gonna have to buy their own car!'

I said sure thing - but you're signing up for hauling they ass to work first

They're good kids. I think they'll earn a sh!tbox to get started with. Especially the oldest - since she has already helped me change the alternator in the van more than once...

 

[Rusty PW]

I'm on the fence. My daughter? Yes, but the back seat is removed. maybe the passenger seat too... I don't really want my kiddo getting cute-girl-in-a-lifted-jeep attention.

Should have seen the attention my daughter would get when she drove my lifted 1999 Dodge regular cab/short bed 4x4 to school.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Should have seen the attention my daughter would get when she drove my lifted 1999 Dodge regular cab/short bed 4x4 to school.

Exactly! My 13 year old is already eyeing the 99 Wrangler. it's only sitting on 31s but I have a feeling she wants to change that as well. It makes me proud AND worried.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

I think it largely depends on the area. I don't they are a great vehicle for inexperienced drivers in any climate that gets significant snow or ice.

A Wrangler is too light and too short of a wheelbase which leaves for a sketchy drive on any slippery road, and you don't want them running in 4x4 all the time. It's a very fine line between keeping control and sliding out when in a Wrangler.

A Gladiator isn't great for slippery roads either, but much better than a Wrangler.

 

[AstroZombie]

My son drove our cars regularly all through high school and started driving when he was 14 and i trust his driving more than i trust someone else I will never admit to openly. He took my Tacoma to college though.

 

[AstroZombie]

My first car was an AMC eagle then an '86 XJ then an '80 something Subaru wagon with selectable 4x4 and low range. I would buy another one of those in a heartbeat. That this was unstoppable. Even with 5 full grown adults

 

[BlueScapegoat]

I think it largely depends on the area. I don't they are a great vehicle for inexperienced drivers in any climate that gets significant snow or ice.

A Wrangler is too light and too short of a wheelbase which leaves for a sketchy drive on any slippery road, and you don't want them running in 4x4 all the time. It's a very fine line between keeping control and sliding out when in a Wrangler.

A Gladiator isn't great for slippery roads either, but much better than a Wrangler.

A TJ is both the worst vehicle I've ever driven in the snow and the best. If you're cool with going sideways and shift locking and dumping the clutch it's really easy to point exactly where you want, and it's going to go there.

But that's not something most people have any interest in doing, either.

I've probably said it enough times for somebody to see this comment and roll their eyes, but solid axle Jeeps, especially with stick shifts and lockers, are like fighter jets. Incredibly precise and controllable only because of their inherent instability.

 

[DJK_Juicy]

Yes, but only if whichever model my 18 y/o gets has the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) nannies.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

A Wrangler is too light and too short of a wheelbase which leaves for a sketchy drive on any slippery road, and you don't want them running in 4x4 all the time. It's a very fine line between keeping control and sliding out when in a Wrangler.

A TJ is both the worst vehicle I've ever driven in the snow and the best. If you're cool with going sideways and shift locking and dumping the clutch it's really easy to point exactly where you want, and it's going to go there.
But that's not something most people have any interest in doing, either.

Yes, but only if whichever model my 18 y/o gets has the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) nannies.

These remind me of something that was confusing to me the first time I heard it. "A safe knife is a SHARP knife." How could more dangerous be safer?
With all the nanny levels we have in cars these days, no one knows how to actually drive anymore. ABS killed the pump-the-brakes skills, next thing we'll be living in the land of WALL-E's space ships.

Believe in teaching kids to drive vehicles that are as manual as possible. First car I bought (on my own) had only a driver's side manual mirror, manual locks, manual windows, and no power steering. It was all I could afford and it made me appreciate the power seats, windows, STEERING, and locks. Hence why I have a 99 TJ with a manual, a soft top, and half doors (I'm not subjecting them to no power steering, that shit was HORRIBLE)

 

[JTdiRtyD]

These remind me of something that was confusing to me the first time I heard it. "A safe knife is a SHARP knife." How could more dangerous be safer?
With all the nanny levels we have in cars these days, no one knows how to actually drive anymore. ABS killed the pump-the-brakes skills, next thing we'll be living in the land of WALL-E's space ships.

Believe in teaching kids to drive vehicles that are as manual as possible. First car I bought (on my own) had only a driver's side manual mirror, manual locks, manual windows, and no power steering. It was all I could afford and it made me appreciate the power seats, windows, STEERING, and locks. Hence why I have a 99 TJ with a manual, a soft top, and half doors (I'm not subjecting them to no power steering, that shit was HORRIBLE)

I agree that kids should learn to drive without the assists, I just think theres better vechiles out there to learn in.

I don't consider myself a professional driver, but I've done enough screwing around in my days and enough performance driving events that my abilities to keep a vehicle under control are prtty good, but my YJ and my TJ were the two vehicles that were always a gamble on slippery roads. It didn't take much to lose control in those.

I remember when I first got my YJ I was cruising along on a back road. Roads were clear, but there was a shaded spot and some ice built up. Ass end went out without warning. It could have happened in any vehicle, but the light weight and short wheelbase means it's much easier for the ass end to kick out, and it kicks out much faster. Longer wheelbases are slower to go and easier to correct.

 

[ChrisNLA]

These remind me of something that was confusing to me the first time I heard it. "A safe knife is a SHARP knife." How could more dangerous be safer?
With all the nanny levels we have in cars these days, no one knows how to actually drive anymore. ABS killed the pump-the-brakes skills, next thing we'll be living in the land of WALL-E's space ships.

Believe in teaching kids to drive vehicles that are as manual as possible. First car I bought (on my own) had only a driver's side manual mirror, manual locks, manual windows, and no power steering. It was all I could afford and it made me appreciate the power seats, windows, STEERING, and locks. Hence why I have a 99 TJ with a manual, a soft top, and half doors (I'm not subjecting them to no power steering, that shit was HORRIBLE)

My 9 year old step son has a couple knives. I overheard him saying you don't want it to be too sharp because that's dangerous (talking to his little brother) and I was like nah you want it to be sharp AF. Sharp knife cuts easy, low effort. Dull knife hard to cut, you push through things harder - end up stabbing yourself or something.

He had to ponder that awhile

My personal preference is that there first car has the 'normal' helpers. Power steering, ABS, power windows, locks. I am not worried about the collision avoidance, blind spot, etc stuff.

Their mom had a Passat that the ABS didn't work in. Rear ended people twice in it because it wouldn't stop. YES, she should have been paying attention, following further, etc - but ABS would have probably reduced these wild ass slides and saved us some insurance deductibles.

Ultimately that car was totaled in a situation that no usual nannies was gonna fix it (missing a stop sign in heavy fog).

Her current van, ironically, the ABS is inop on it too - but the brakes are so small it literally will not lock the tires up other than on a sopping wet road. We tried.

I have also been relentless on my mission to get her to pay attention better. She is great now. So good in fact that if she messages me and she knows that I know she is driving somewhere - she will be like I WAS GETTING GAS WHEN I SENT THAT DONT COME AT ME BRO

Anyway - I'm all for the kids learning but they're probably going to tear up enough stuff without taking the basic nannies out of the car.

My big problems are phones in cars, friends in cars, and driving late (which means you're tired or was doing shit you shouldn't have been). See too many kids around here, 17-19 years old, killed in the middle of the night. The story is always the same. Straightened out a curve and went off the road into the woods.

 

[ChrisNLA]

I agree that kids should learn to drive without the assists, I just think theres better vechiles out there to learn in.

I don't consider myself a professional driver, but I've done enough screwing around in my days and enough performance driving events that my abilities to keep a vehicle under control are prtty good, but my YJ and my TJ were the two vehicles that were always a gamble on slippery roads. It didn't take much to lose control in those.

I remember when I first got my YJ I was cruising along on a back road. Roads were clear, but there was a shaded spot and some ice built up. Ass end went out without warning. It could have happened in any vehicle, but the light weight and short wheelbase means it's much easier for the ass end to kick out, and it kicks out much faster. Longer wheelbases are slower to go and easier to correct.

My second vehicle was a 2005 Silverado. Longer than a hot summer day. If it got loose it was slow and predictable.

My two door JK, if it got loose it would make you have Puma pants.

 

[DJK_Juicy]

These remind me of something that was confusing to me the first time I heard it. "A safe knife is a SHARP knife." How could more dangerous be safer?
With all the nanny levels we have in cars these days, no one knows how to actually drive anymore. ABS killed the pump-the-brakes skills, next thing we'll be living in the land of WALL-E's space ships.

Believe in teaching kids to drive vehicles that are as manual as possible. First car I bought (on my own) had only a driver's side manual mirror, manual locks, manual windows, and no power steering. It was all I could afford and it made me appreciate the power seats, windows, STEERING, and locks. Hence why I have a 99 TJ with a manual, a soft top, and half doors (I'm not subjecting them to no power steering, that shit was HORRIBLE)

Yeah, I get it. My first vehicle was a Suzuki Samurai. ABS? No. Traction Control? No. Power Steering? Haha. No. And I'd still love to have that little Samurai back in my garage.

The world moves on, though. You can't stop it.

The only accident that I've ever been in wouldn't have happened if the car I was driving had had Automatic Emergency Braking. It was my fault. And I was in my 40s. Modern cars can tell if there's another car in front of them. That's progress. It means less accidents, like it or not.

Doesn't matter anyway. Eventually it won't even be legal for us to pilot our own vehicles on public roads, because Level 5 self-driving will be required for safety reasons. And we'll be:

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Yeah, I get it. My first vehicle was a Suzuki Samurai. ABS? No. Traction Control? No. Power Steering? Haha. No. And I'd still love to have that little Samurai back in my garage.

The world moves on, though. You can't stop it.

The only accident that I've ever been in wouldn't have happened if the car I was driving had had Automatic Emergency Braking. It was my fault. And I was in my 40s. Modern cars can tell if there's another car in front of them. That's progress. It means less accidents, like it or not.

True, but we still need to teach the "old ways". We're talking first cars and learning. Give them the most knowledge you can and allow them to appreciate the tech. My wife's car has all the safety/nanny stuff ('24 Hyundai Tuscan). But when the snow/ice/heavy rain and fog get bad, all of those radar and camera based safety systems are completely screwed. They simply don't work when the bumper is iced over. Being surprised by the weather is normal around my area and they are only useful when the weather cooperates. Drivers still need to be able to operate when the nanny is napping. Having the knowledge and not needing it is preferable to the alternative.

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