They say true love is blind, and certainly few loves are as exciting as a high-schooler's crush on her first car. That's where you come in. Your darling teenager might be swept off her feet, but she's depending on you to find the rust, check the mileage, and spot the oil leak. After all, it's a very first car, and it's up to you to help her--or him--make a safe, reliable, and financially responsible choice. What are you gonna steer 'em toward?

Thirty years ago, a brand-new car was vastly superior to a used vehicle in terms of overall reliability. However, cars of the last decade are built so much better and last so much longer that buying new mostly pays for depreciation and that new car smell--the most expensive perfume in the world. For less than $7,500, or half the cost of an entry-level new car, you can have a 7- to 8-year-old used vehicle in excellent condition that still offers years of reliable service and includes many standard safety features, such as dual air bags and antilock brakes.

The Internet is a wonderful tool for the used-car buyer. At car-pricing Web sites, you can read expert reviews on older vehicles, then type in a make, model, year, and mileage to receive a professional estimate of a particular car's worth. Kelly Blue Book (www.kbb.com), for example, breaks prices down by method of sale (dealer retail or private party) and car condition (poor, fair, good, or excellent)--invaluable information when it comes to bargaining with a used-car sales representative.

After you've zeroed in on a candidate, take it to an independent mechanic. For about $100, many mechanics will check out a car's major systems, give you a list of work that the car needs, and estimate how much these repairs are likely to cost. It's relatively inexpensive lemon insurance, and provides you the leverage you may need to get a better deal.

With these general guidelines in mind, here are choices for "first buy" cars at a couple of different price points.

For under $7,500, you can get a 6- to 9-year-old compact, 4-door, 4-cylinder car in very good condition that's fun to drive, easy to park, economical to run, and, in many cases, complete with air bags. These are the blue-chip investments of the used-car world and are unlikely to let you down. Reliable stalwarts include the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, Ford Escort, Mercury Tracer, and Geo Prizm.

For under $3,500, the ultimate bargain-hunter can find 10-year-old examples of some of the best-made, best-equipped, most popular cars on the road. The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Maxima, for instance, have each appeared on Consumer Reports "best buy" lists for years. You'll get room for five, a peppy engine, a good-sized trunk, and such amenities as power windows, locks, and sunroof. These cars should also have enough heft to provide some safety advantage over smaller cars in a crash. However, while still in good condition, these vehicles probably exceed 100,000 miles on the odometer, can't hide their more-than-a-decade of wear, and won't have the latest safety features.

First-ever car buyers usually adopt one of two philosophies. The first, "Small Is Beautiful," holds that cars for teenagers should be small, easy to park and drive, simple, reliable, and should get good gas mileage. Devotees of this idea typically scout for cars that made Japanese brands a synonym for economy and reliability, and includes 10- to 12-year-old Toyota Tercels, Honda Civics, Nissan Sentras, and Mazda 323s. These are economical, easy-to-drive cars that are surprisingly reliable, given their advanced age. They're neither fast enough to inspire hot-rodding, nor large enough to be used as party cruisers. On the minus side, they're old enough to be showing wear, and, when needed, replacement parts can be more expensive than those for domestic cars. These vehicles lack technology (in the form of air bags and antilock brakes) and mass, so they can be more risky in a crash.

The "Bigger Is Better" train of thought says mass rules, and that what inexperienced drivers most need is a huge expanse of steel to protect them when they "inevitably" collide with another object. Its proponents equip their children with a big, archetypal American car, such as an older Ford Crown Victoria or a Chevy Caprice. A little more than a grand will still buy one of these two-ton behemoths--and in good condition too. These cars have high crash-survivability ratings, beating many newer-but-smaller cars. They've been made for so long, most of the bugs have been worked out. Parts are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. The station wagon versions can hold more than some SUVs, a benefit appreciated by college students with a dorm room's worth of stuff to haul.

If your child is paying for the car, help him or her calculate ownership and running costs, and point them to sources of information on cars, prices, and insurance. For young drivers, especially young males, insuring a car can be more expensive than buying one. Discounts for driver's education graduates and good grades can help reduce rates. For cars with a value of less than around $3,000, experts often recommend forgoing comprehensive and collision coverage, saying it's cheaper in the long run to repair or replace such a car in the event of a loss than it is to pay the premiums for such coverage.

If you're paying for the car, let kids know your priorities and your budget. Make it clear that you reserve the right to veto a purchase that you think is unsafe or unwise. Then, make it a learning experience: Turn them loose on the information sources and let them come to you with a suggestion. A motivated customer just might turn up some attractive options, even if they're head-over-heels in love.

THE COOL FACTOR

If your 16-year-old has his heart set on an MG with a chassis so rusty it looks like Swiss cheese or a long-abused Trans Am that can still burn rubber for blocks, you might have to consider the coolness factor. Here are a couple of suggestions that won't keep you up pacing the floor at night with worry:

* For under $5,000, try an 8-year-old Mazda Miata. They're fun, reliable, and zippy without being dangerously overpowered.

* For under $2,500, consider a 12-year-old Toyota Celica Supra. It even looks fast standing still, and the comfort of its bucket seats is the stuff of industry legend. Supra's 6-cylinder engines give spirited performance, but are not so powerful that your offspring will need a NASCAR license to drive.

You can check out prices, financing, insurance,
and car reviews at these Web sites:

www.cars.com
www.edmunds.com

www.autobytel.com

COPYRIGHT 2002 Meredith Corporation