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2 dr JK good choice for teenage daughter?

6K views 49 replies 37 participants last post by  jodomcfrodo 
#1 ·
I have a '15 Wrangler Sport I bought new in September of 2014. I have personalized it with a whole lot of quality accessories, but no real engine performance or off-roading modifications. It's basically just a fun vehicle for summer months with the top off most of the time.

My daughter takes driver's ed next year and I am considering letting her use the Jeep as her primary vehicle through high school and possibly longer. Ideally, I'd prefer to get her something else but we have 3 vehicles now for me and the wife. We have a two car garage and live at the end of a cul de sac so I don't want our place to look like a car lot. She's our only child.

My thinking is that she wouldn't be able to cram many people in it and it's easier to maneuver around in tight parking spaces, tighter turning radius, etc. It's an automatic so no learning curve there. She's no tom boy and not very assertive so I can't really picture her flipping it over on a muddy farm road. She's never had worse than an "A" on a report card. She's been a great kid, so far, and really likes the Jeep.

I posted this to see if maybe someone could reassure me that I'm right in my thinking or are there potential important points I'm overlooking.
 
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#2 ·
My son is 5....and he has already claimed my Jeep when he turns 16, and his mother told him he could have it.... That being said, I think a JK is a fine first car. Cheap to maintain and own, puts up with abuse, will take running over stuff pretty well, slow so less likely to speed, reasonably safe even if it isn't a Volvo, fun to drive and own, and she won't get stuck as the DD all the time because of limited seating space. There are worse options out there for sure.
 
#40 ·
When did a sub 8 second run to 60 become slow?
When did a marginal rating from the IIHS for side impact become safe?
When did a reliability rating just above land rover and fiat become reliable?

I don't have any kids, but if/when I do, they can have a wrangler when they can afford one for themselves. I personally know two people pretty seriously injured as a result of a wrangler crash.

I do love my jeep, I even lent one to my little brother as his first car. Though, I did give it to him with the warning, "if you crash this, it will kill you."
 
#5 ·
Way back when I grep up, the four of us (three siblings and I) each had an accident within our first three months of driving, and they were all pretty significant crashes. Frankly, I'm a bit shellshocked from it. As a result of our experiences, I won't be putting my kids into a first vehicle so susceptible to rolling over in a crash. (Just look at crash posts on this and other forums: the JK's climbing ability often turns fenderbenders into Hollywood-grade action scenes.)

I joke that the kids each get an auctioned cop car for their first vehicle, but I'm half-serious about that.
 
#6 ·
Good point and something I've considered. She's just never been the least bit aggressive by nature. She's really shy as well and I just don't see her as an assertive driver. I also don't envision her driving on the highway a whole lot, at least not right out of the gate. We don't have nearby interstate access so that's good! I can only hope she continues to be responsible.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I have a '15 Wrangler Sport I bought new in September of 2014. I have personalized it with a whole lot of quality accessories, but no real engine performance or off-roading modifications. It's basically just a fun vehicle for summer months with the top off most of the time. My daughter takes driver's ed next year and I am considering letting her use the Jeep as her primary vehicle through high school and possibly longer. Ideally, I'd prefer to get her something else but we have 3 vehicles now for me and the wife. We have a two car garage and live at the end of a cul de sac so I don't want our place to look like a car lot. She's our only child. My thinking is that she wouldn't be able to cram many people in it and it's easier to maneuver around in tight parking spaces, tighter turning radius, etc. It's an automatic so no learning curve there. She's no tom boy and not very assertive so I can't really picture her flipping it over on a muddy farm road. She's never had worse than an "A" on a report card. She's been a great kid, so far, and really likes the Jeep. I posted this to see if maybe someone could reassure me that I'm right in my thinking or are there potential important points I'm overlooking.
that was the case with our son. The jk was his first vehicle in 2013. Zero issues and a lot of great things.

1) he gets that he is driving a box, he is never in a hurry or drives aggressively as that thing takes so long to get to 60 mph. He enjoys driving it a lot and is relaxed always
2) he started to spend hours and hours researching and doing mods with me in the garage and getting a job to pay for those
3) not practical for having tons of kids with him. Removed back seat and drives by himself or with girlfriend, the back seat area is for his guitar and amp and recovery gear, no room for anything else or anybody else
4) the jeep demands attention from the driver in roads and off roads, so he learned to actually drive and be conscious of the 4k lbs tank he drives. No texting, not even phone as gps, too distracting.
5) loves off roading, between off road and mods in the garage the video games have not been turned on in 3 years and now he outgrew those as he is busy at college and work and garage and off road. Why wasting time in virtual BS when the real world can be so much fun

The jk was initially moms, he made it his, now mom and i share a 2016 rubi jkhr and mom likely getting a 2016 jkhr soft top and half doors in summer :) three jeeps house! Three jk.
 
#12 ·
My daughter is currently 11. Ive already joked with her that she can drive the Jeep one day. Unfortunately, or fortunately maybe, she's not real interested in it right now. She spends her time poking fun at me for my love of Jeeps. My hunch is that will change the older she gets. At this point she also has no desire to drive my Road Runner, but I too think that will change down the road. I would have no problem letting her drive my Jeep. IMO they're fairly safe vehicles and can definitely take a crash in the event of one. Ive seen more than one take some pretty good hits and keep the occupants safe. They sit higher and by nature they almost force you to drive slower than a normal car. Perfect for our winter's too.
 
#13 ·
my niece lives in Wisconsin, she was handed down her parents mini van. She was looking for a different ride and I told her about getting a jeep, cuz they get you places during the snowy days that the minivan could not, plus they put out a lot of heat to stay warm. She loves it, as do all the boys in town. That's the only con about the jeep, it attracts so many guys.
 
#14 ·
I'd buy her something safe, but cheap (2010-12 Corolla for example). Then use it as a carrot. If she take care of it, doesn't get in any trouble and get decent grades for a year, then she can have the jeep.

They all wreck their first car. It's why kids insurance is so expensive. Let her get a year under her belt first.
 
#15 ·
They all wreck their first car. It's why kids insurance is so expensive. Let her get a year under her belt first.
That would be my parenting advice as well. While it might be nice for the kid to be a "chip off the old block" and drive the same kind of vehicle you like to drive, it isn't always the best driver-in-training vehicle.

They are going to have to learn by experience, where their bumpers really are, that you can't take that pothole at 80mph, that you can't fit a 15' long vehicle into a 14'11" parking space, and so on.

And all of this, needs to be learned solo.
 
#16 ·
I think it depends on a few factors that only you can determine. 1. Trust 2. Income 3. Reliability

Clearly none of us know you or your daughter personally so there's no way you can get a complete picture. You're going to get a generalized answer based on youth of today.

If you trust your daughter to put away the cell phone and focus on driving, I think that's a great first step. Also, you have to be comfortable with how good of a driver she is. Driving takes more than paying attention, in certain situations you have to expect what others are going to do. Sometimes misjudging others can cause accidents.

No one here knows your income so they can't say whether it's a good idea or not to be paying for damages when they happen. JKs are not a cheap vehicle to fix, so keep that in mind.

You've got a fairly new vehicle that I'd assume is still under warranty. You do have the peace of mind knowing she is in a reliable vehicle. That can't be said with a cheaper car.

Overall, if it were me I'd find a cheaper temporary vehicle for her to drive. One that I wouldn't care if there were door dings, dents, or scratches. They will happen, especially with teenage girl drivers. After she's comfortable behind the wheel, I'd sell the cheap car and get her into the JK.
Just because someone is a grade A student doesn't mean they will be the best driver.

Best of luck! I'll be in your shoes in 13 years when my daughter will be 16.
 
#18 ·
Good things to consider here. My other vehicle is a seldom driven '99 Chevy short bed truck. I bought it new in '98 and it's been the best vehicle I've ever owned. Never wrecked, no rust, 112,000 miles, etc. I offered that up but she really wants to drive the Jeep if I will allow it. The truck might be the better option for at least the first few months.
 
#20 ·
my 17 yo daughter loves driving my jku. she has her own car, saturn ion, but if my jeep isn't being used (i work from home so it is usually around) she'll take it. she knows to wave to other jeeps and to park near them too.
 
#21 ·
When you look at the numbers: it is new drivers - regardless of age - who wreck at a higher rate.

Let her use the the JKS, but first lower it an inch or two, then add massive steel bumpers + big steel rock rail/side steps. And make sure there are studded snows on all 4 corners in the winter.

As pwain alluded to... Hormones will always find a way... Taking out the back seat and putting the spare back there will give the driver better visibility out the rear window and lower the centre of gravity.
 
#22 ·
I have four kids two that are driving age. I have to admit even sending my daughter off to college in NYC or to third world countries to do mission work wasn't as stressful as giving her a vehicle to drive. Your daughter sounds like mine, not bragging, but same deal, Valedictorian ivy league college graduated with honors in engineering. About as solid and practical young person you could ever meet. I let her cut her teeth with an automatic subaru outback that was nine years old at the time. Easiest vehicle in the world to drive. She did drivers ed and also a Skip Barber driving school which was well worth the investment. Taught controlled skids and how to avoid sudden obstacles. I have a two door jeep also. The one thing I don't trust with it and a novice driver is the highway ride. They can be a handful at speed and in a cross wind. Not sure of your clime, but we get snow here and icy roads. My business took me to many wrecks, lots with drunk drivers more than kids , but yes some kids too. Once they get experienced and you get positive feedback from friends in you community that they drive well "speed limit, cautious" then let her use the jeep. I did it with my daughter then my son. My son used the jeep back and forth to school and his job as a senior in HS. Also MANDATORY rule NO ONE other than family rides in the vehicle with them unless I/Mom approve and the other parents are OK with it also. Yes, that causes a lot of grief to your kid from their peers. I even had to explain to my daughters friends to our reasoning. I'm sure you have friends, community members that lost children in wrecks. Drill that into her head. Good luck it's tough being a parent sometimes, but it's the best job I ever had. :)
 
#24 ·
I have Four(4) "kids" ALL in College, ALL Honor Students, Great Kids - they are still "kids" and while I meet most of their Friends and are great as well....

My 20 year old (Sophomore) ROTC Scholarship at Kings College - just bought a Jeep 4cyl, MT. I am still nervous.
My Daughter - I got her a Corolla. I wish it was a Full Size Volvo but....
I dunno.
 
#25 ·
Watch that Hyundai commercial from the Superbowl. Today's teens are very distracted. The 2017 Elantra has Automatic Emergency Braking with pedetrian detection, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. And a back up camera. Much safer vehicle for a new driver. And they're tech savvy, so they'll adapt to all the new safety technology much easier than older drivers. It's also much less expensive.
 
#26 ·
My daughter (18) took over the JKUR and I have a hard time getting it back. She won't drive my Magnum (hemi), because she says it's too fast (I guess I should be grateful). Now I might trade in the Magnum for another Jeep.
 
#27 ·
In general, I believe that "new" drivers should start off with vehicles with lower centers of gravity since it's a learning curve. In this case it does seem like driving aggressively isn't going to be a concern. However, a new driver reacting to someone else's poor judgement could be a potential problem with a JK. I think if you specifically instruct her as to the handling characteristics of Wranglers, as well as other similar vehicles, it might be less of a concern. It's difficult not to reward a great kid.
 
#29 ·
My daughter is about to start driving too. Jeeps are fantastic vehicles but I think for a new driver something with better visibility and a lower center of gravity is a good idea. Plus side air bags! I'm considering a Subaru for her. Yeah, I know, ick. But I drove one the other day and the visibility out front is amazing with that flat engine. And I hope not to still own it when the Boxer heads start to leak!
 
#30 · (Edited)
If your daughter is going to be driving in any winter snow/ice conditions, I would not recommend a short wheel base, rear wheel drive vehicle for a "new" driver just learning how to control a motor vehicle.
They are probably the most dangerous vehicle to drive in icy conditions in 2 wheel drive.
You can't always drive with the 4wd engaged, and it is easy to hit an icy patch and lose control in such a short wheel base vehicle. They like to do a pirouette, when in 2wd, if your not careful.
I would recommend an AWD vehicle with a low center of gravity and good crash rating for my daughter's first car.
I think the Toyota Sienna AWD is probably the safest vehicle I have ever driven in winter/icy conditions.

And if she is not going to be driving in winter/icy conditions I would still recommend a vehicle with a lower center of gravity and better crash rating than a JK.
 
#31 ·
I say go for it. There are lots of good points above, most of them are valid.

When my first car died, I inherited my father's YJ, and after the better part of 2 years of driving it daily I only had one close call with turning it over, and on retrospect I didn't some pretty stupid stuff in that Jeep. The rest of the time all was good, and it didn't take me long to realize that speed wasn't one of it's strong points.

My close call actually happened when my father and I took it out to the sand dunes, it was 100% stock, and our inexperience was a major factor. When we started to dig in while climbing the hill, I stopped and tried to back down the hill, the front end started to slide, and it felt like the uphill set of wheels were getting light... had 2 people standing on the running boards, holding onto the roll bar to try to get the center of gravity more towards the uphill side.... it all worked out in the end, and learned a valuable lesson that day.

Exco
 
#32 ·
Jeep to daughter

Whatever happened to " make them earn it?"

A vehicle earned by the owner will command much more respect than one that is "given".

From the Words of a 30 year career High School Teacher who saw WAY too many "given vehicles" in the student parking lot that were fairly beat up by June
 
#35 ·
Whatever happened to " make them earn it?"

A vehicle earned by the owner will command much more respect than one that is "given".

From the Words of a 30 year career High School Teacher who saw WAY too many "given vehicles" in the student parking lot that were fairly beat up by June

I get where you're coming from and I don't disagree. The point is to make do with the vehicles we currently own and not buy one specifically for her and add to the herd. The Jeep will not be "given" to her; rather, it would be her primary mode of getting to and from school, practice, etc.

The Jeep is mine. It always will be. She's not taking it with her and she will be expected to finance her own car as soon as can reasonably be expected.
 
#33 ·
I was straight A's in high school too and really wanted something fun to drive. My parents gave me a 91 Camry. Lol. Oh well. Never had a single accident or ticket in that thing. Couldnt go anywhere fast in it either, btw. Although I think suffering in that boring car while all my friends had nice cars is the reason after college I bought a 66 mustang, then a motorcycle, then a 2dr JK. Lol. I'm sure my parents are even more worried about my safety now. I also had many friends in high school that wheeled their trucks in the mud. Thinking back, I believe the only reason I never got into trouble with my Camry is because I couldn't. Haha. If I had the mustang back then, you know I'd have sped. The wrangler would have been covered in mud all the time. Just saying, its the quiet ones you gotta keep an eye on. Haha.

All to say I'm sure your daughter is a wonderful safe person. The girls are usually more responsible at that age than us wreckless guys. Although the female interns here I'm scared to ride with now cause I swear they are looking at the phone more than the road, for real.
 
#36 ·
I got my first car right at 16 and it was an 1989 olds cutlass calais from my great grandma. Wasn't fast. Wasn't stylish. But I did have a lot of fun with it and look back fondly on that car.

Honestly get her a car that you feel safe with her driving. No matter what she gets there is that first sense of freedom that will make it special. The Cutlass was far from what I would have picked but it was mine and that's all that mattered.
 
#38 ·
I'll probably let my daughter drive mine when she gets more driving experience, even then just to school a short distance away at first. That's part of why I got a manual trans, so she could learn to drive it and to delay her driving it until she had a bunch of time behind the wheel of other cars. Most of the reason I ordered my JK was that I couldn't find one on the lot in my area with side airbags, and that was something I really wanted if my one and only was gonna be driving it sometimes.

If you haven't seen it, check out JK two doors in an offset crash. It actually does better than you might think but it would be better with side airbags.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDcCH2jDHiE
 
#39 ·
I tried the same thing, my son (who truly believes he is Mario Andretti) thinks that all cars or Jeeps should be driven fast. So, I got a Jeep, thinking it would be a great project for the two of us to work on. One night it was raining, and I get a call from him, he has been in an accident, he is ok, but the Jeep is not. So, here is where the story comes into question. His version does not make much sense, but in the cops words, "it doesn't matter, you (my son) are at fault". So, from a t intersection, from a stop (so he says) he was making a left onto a major street from a smaller street, as he was making the left, a car comes out of nowhere and scares him so he jerks the wheel and looses control and spins around and the right rear wheel hits the curb so hard that it snaps the axle. So, after I got the Jeep fixed, I sold it. That was 10 years ago, now he has moved out and I finally got my toy... I must say he has become a little better driver, but not by much... :beerme:
 
#43 ·
That EXACT thing happened to me when I was a kid, except it was a '68 Cougar and it was the front tire folded under when I hit a curb in a left turn. If it had been a Wrangler it probably would have been the back axle as it was whipping around in a circle! I also thought I was Mario Andretti by the way.
 
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