O.T. Jeep Cherokee for our 16 -year old

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom and your time.

It is hard to know just what to do with a young driver. I raised 5 kids and after the oldest obtained an overpowered but worn out car by herself, I decided that it was much more practical for me to choose cars for the kids. I owned the cars until the kids turned 18 and graduated from high school, at which time I put the cars in their names. I chose cars that were in good mechanical shape, had decent cosmetics and which had fairly small engines so they wouldn't go very fast and would get reasonable gas mileage. I wanted cars that I wouldn't have to work on very much (as I continually worked on that oldest daughter's car to keep it running), and also cars that the kids wouldn't be ashamed of, but which were absolutely not in the running for "the coolest car in school".

There was an understanding between me and each of my kids: driving is a priveledge and not a right--it would be the FIRST THING THEY LOST as punishment if they did not do what they were supposed to. I required good grades (never a real problem with any of them), legal driving (tickets or accidents resulted in loss of driving for awhile), that no one else ever be allowed to drive the car (I told them unless somebody is dieing, and that person better be you), that they pay for their own car insurance and gas. I maintained the cars and the kids only had to buy tires if they destroyed the tires by driving on them flat or wore them out way too fast by spinning them.

It worked pretty well. Each of them had at least one accident before they were out of college, and each of them got at least one ticket in high school. Only one accident could have been a fatality (if the car had rolled over into a creek instead of stopping with just the front end under water) and most of the accidents were minor enough that the cars could be driven home. The kids had to pay their own tickets and were made very aware of what tickets and reported accidents would do to their insurance rates. But all 5 survived the time period and I didn't have to work on their cars too much.

Putting a child behind the wheel is taking a chance with the most valuable asset in your life..... I don't think I could live through losing a kid. So impress upon your daughter what she must do and what she absolutely must not do with any vehicle. I would DEMAND that she and everyone else in the vehicle always use seat belts before the car moves. I would severely limit the persons that she can give rides to, as kids often show off in front of a group. And at least at first, I would severely limit where she can go and the routes she can take.

Do I sound like an overprotective parent? Maybe. But my 5 kids made it through this OK, unlike some of their friends.

Will your daughter have accidents? Statistics say probably--that is why insurance on new, young drivers costs so much. Only experience and judgment helps this problem. I urge you to set rules and carry through with them.

Good luck with your daughter's driving--you will need it! I am so glad to have that time period behind us in our family.

You did say you handle the maintenance yourself? I believe at the '96 model they made the change to OBD2, which has to be scanned with a computer. Previous models, you could cycle the key from "unlock" to "run" 3 times within a 5 second timespan, and the "check engine" light would flash the codes. Up to you, of course, but sometimes having an idea what the problem is before sending it to a shop can save a lot of hassle.

Not to spit on the whole idea or anything, but did the school bus break down or what?

My only caution would be that if driven in the snow or on slippery roads, the rear end can get pretty light. In the winter up here in NY, I keep three bags of tube sand in the back for weight.

We won't be buying our daughter a car when she's 18. This'll be the only one and it will be shared by our next younger daughter in a couple of years. My son will end up with a pickup truck or something, but he's only 12 now.

I forgot to mention that my wife is leaning towards this vehicle, since she'll be driving it a little too. As I mentioned, our daughter now drives the 3/4 ton diesel suburban (supervised only) and she's very safe with it and responsible. I won't be buying a front-wheel drive vehicle, mainly because I don't like to work on them and as a volunteer fireman in Mississippi I've seen too many collisions and the sad results of small car survivability.

On the mechanical side, does anyone know if the 6 cylinder engine has a timing belt, gears or chain?? I figure that'll be the first thing I need to look into after all lubes/fluids are changed.

Thanks again for all comments and suggestions.

I wouldn't reccomend it as vehicle for a young, inexperienced driver. Although somewhat overblown, there is some truth to the reports that these things will roll over more easily than a passenger car. It doesn't handle like a Porshe, it doesn't even handle as good as the Volkswagon I used to have. Sudden turns on the wheel at highway speed will flip it more quickly than a car will. In my opinion, it would probably flip more quickly than a Suburban would. Stiff suspension, high center of gravity, solid axles front and rear. I understand this and drive accordingly. I don't think it is dangerous for an experienced driver, but I don't think it is the best thing for youth and inexperience.

If I had this Jeep when I was 16, I would probably have flipped it too, we are all young at one time or another, wisdom comes later, or at least mine did.

Just my experiences and opinions, others my see it differently.

Any car will hold books and a french horn. Personally I wouldn't give any 16 yo a suburban or SUV to drive. That 'burb can wipe out a whole lot of people even with an honest small mistake.

Most SUV's do good against other cars but not against immovable objects. I was head-on'd in an Imprezza by a 1999 Blazer with 5 people in it. I did punture a lung from the seat belt and break some ribs but I'm alive. Both vehicles were completely written off. I was able to open the door of the Subaru as normal.