Your best bet in a used car will be a well-maintained American car. I don't want to get into the U.S./rest of the world "discussion" being held on other threads. I'll just say that proper maintenance has more to do with a car's trouble-free operation than where it is made. Right now, there are some decent American cars out there, but perception has not caught up with the reality, so American cars suffer more depreciation than many foreign cars. As a buyer of a used car, you can take advantage of that. Some of the cars you might want to look at include the Ford Taurus, or just anything midsize or larger from GM. I'm guessing that, since you got to the age of 16 without being a "gearhead," you mostly want a comfortable, reliable car. These will do the job. They shouldn't cost a fortune for insurance, either. Mikie is right -- even if you're paying for your own insurance, it will be cheaper to piggyback on your parents' policy than it will be for you to go solo. Ask about discounts if you get good grades in school or are willing to drive only a certain number of miles per month, etc. Finally, what else I wish I'd known about cars at your age? Having a car is a joy and a privilege -- and a responsibility. As a teenager, you have the benefit of quick reflexes and (I hope) formal training. You can be an excellent driver. But there's no substitute for experience -- especially at night in the rain and on icy roads. I knew how to steer out of a skid -- until the first time I found myself in one and narrowly missed a fence as I spun into a farmer's field. It's different when it really happens. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you're immortal (every teenager thinks so; so did I). You're in control of almost two tons of metal and glass and plastic, so be careful. When I was 16, nobody had cell phones and we were lucky if the car had an FM radio, nevermind multi-channel stereo systems and iPod links and the like. I know teenagers are better at multi-tasking than they used to be, but you still have one primary task in a car -- driving. Don't be distracted by fiddling with the stereo or talking with friends. It's okay to concentrate on driving. Professional auto racers do. Have fun! Getting my first car was a blast. I hope you find one you really like and have many happy miles with it.

Ooh, I"m the mean mom on this one-no, I never let my kids eat or drink in the car. Ever. Not when they were tiny, not older with fast food, not now as teenagers. I bought my (first ever in my life) brand new vehicle when I was pregnant with my first child. To be honest, I knew that the crud of food detritus that ALWAYS results from little ones and food in a car would be impossible for me to bear so I figured it was best not to even start it. So we never did. I do have to say that if you are going to have a no-food rule in the car, it probably has to be something that starts from the very beginning. I think it would be extremely difficult to enforce once the kids (and mom :) are used to it. Oh, and I am such a neat freak I couldn't bear to let my toddlers sit in a high chair and smear food all over themselves. Just couldn't stand it. So no photos of my one year old wearing birthday cake all over the face, body and furniture, no watching them smear peas into a paste all over "brrr, gives me the shudders to think of it) etc...they feed themselves fine anyway nowadays. They'll probably be talking about mean old mom in therapy for years though! Ann

Glad you notice the mistake Annie, because here was I thinking for a moment you had turned into a Male. Gosh are they all like that mine cannot either or tune a video or tv. We wont mention Computers or washing machines Great Pic Its a beautiful Sunset.... Cheers...MM.

Better than what happened to me. I was walking across the parking lot toward my car when I saw a lady in her huge SUV parked next to my, walking around her vehicle to look at mine. She was pulling into the spot next to me and nailed my bumper, rear panel, passenger door and front door as she was pulling in. Fortunately I was right there so she couldn't deny or get away. She tried saying the damage to her front bumper was from when she hit some garbage cans and I informed her that her silver paint was all over the side of my car. (What I couldn't understand is how she hit my car and proceeded to park anyway. I mean wouldn't you normally stop at the sound of the first crunch rather than keep going?? I mean she scraped the whole side of my car!) Then she confessed that she'd also not pulled her vehicle in the garage far enough and closed the garage door down on her car. She complained that the vehicle was just too big for her and she couldn't judge how big it was. I agreed she'd be better off with a smaller one. I finally got my car back. So fortunate to have a terrific body shop and they negotiated with the insurance co. so they paid in full. My car looks better than new now, they did such a great job! But I did have to live without it for 10 days. I guess the moral of the story is, if you get a new vehicle, presume it's larger than you think so you don't hit things.