Brian is helping his daughter, a soon-to-be college grad, replace an aging Wrangler. The only real must-have is a manual transmission, but they also want something with a decent warranty and room for photography gear. With a budget of up to $25,000, what car should they buy?
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Here is the scenario.
My wife and I plan on buying my daughter a new car as her college graduation gift. She currently has a 2000 Wrangler that we're tired of pouring money into so we plan to sell it as soon as we buy her a new (or newer) car. The only "must-have" for her is that she wants her new car to have a manual transmission. We really want her to have a good bit of factory warranty so she doesn't have to worry about major repairs post-college. She is open to various vehicles, but wants something that can hold her photography gear. Looking to spend around $25,000
Budget: $25,000
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Daily Driver: Yes
Wants: 3-pedals, good warranty, decent space
Doesn't want: Something too old or unreliable
Autotrader.com
Nothing like a new ride to celebrate four years of hard work. Now the key challenge with this one is the desire for a manual transmission. Check that box and inventory shrinks dramatically. Just to put things into perspective if I search for manual hatchbacks, crossovers, or trucks within 400 miles of Charleston, no older than 2022 with a max price of $25,000, I only get about fifteen cars. Therefore, a level of flexibility on other parameters will be key.
That being said, if you want a solid car with three pedals that will offer worry-free driving for many years, you should probably buy this Civic hatchback in the excellent "Boost Blue" color. With already 32,000 miles on a two-year-old car that is above average usage, but the dealer does offer a "lifetime warranty" for a bit of extra coverage. You will want to read the fine print on the terms. At just over $24,000 this Honda packs a lot of value and a lot of fun for a commuter car. With one of the smoothest shifting manuals you can get in the class and up to 36 MPG, your daughter won't be draining her wallet at the pump compared to the Wrangler.
Oh dang, a youth whose only real requirement for her next car is a manual transmission? Your daughter sounds rad as hell, Brian. Clearly, you and your wife have this parenting thing figured out, so congratulations on a job well done. Seriously, you should be proud of yourselves. If I had a kid, that $25,000 would probably just go to a therapist or three. And since you raised a daughter who's officially rad as hell, I've located an especially rad car for her that meets all of her requirements, except for that minor "factory warranty" thing.
What your daughter needs is a Mazda Miata. Specifically, a Mazdaspeed Miata. It's objectively the coolest Miata, and you want your daughter to drive a car that's just as cool as she is, right? It also has a trunk for transporting her photography equipment, and if she happens to have a few things that won't fit, there's also a passenger seat. Without a fixed roof, anything it lacks in horizontal storage, it will more than make up for with unlimited vertical storage.
I'm not kidding about it being right down the street, either. Head down Savannah Highway, and you'll find this 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata with only 26,000 miles on it for a mere $19,995. That might sound like a lot of money to spend on a 20-year-old Mazda, but this isn't just any Miata. It's a low-mileage Mazdaspeed Miata, and as long as she takes care of it, it will only get more valuable. They only made like 6,000 of these cars, and while you can find cheaper examples, good luck finding one with fewer miles.
As someone who turned to Jalopnik for advice, you probably aren't surprised someone suggested a Miata, but you're probably still concerned about the potential repairs and lack of a factory warranty. That's what makes this particular car so great, though. It has a turbocharger, sure, but so many of the things that go wrong on newer cars simply don't exist here. Can't have problems with all the electronic features if her car barely has any electronic features. And just look at that interior. The previous owners clearly did a great job taking care of it. Plus, you can always use the rest of your budget to get ahead of maintenance if you want.Will a manual Civic hatchback work? Sure. In many ways, it'll probably work better. But will it be anywhere as cool or unique as the Mazdaspeed Miata? Absolutely not. Buy her the Miata, Brian. The Miata will make her happy.
My first thought for your daughter, Brian, was a van. Not because she'd need the space for her photo gear — unless she's hauling softboxes and backdrops for middle school picture days, lenses and bodies pack up pretty small — but because a fresh-out-of-college photographer is a perfect candidate for vanlife. I figured she could go explore the country, get the kind of photo opportunities that the rest of us only dream of, but I ran into a problem – no modern vans come with a manual transmission. So, instead, I give you an even better way to explore: The Aprilia Tuareg 660.
Just watch the clip embedded above, and tell me a motorcycle isn't the perfect way to get all kinds of incredible shots. Bikes fit places that cars can't, they're maneuverable in ways that cars aren't, and you can easily load up a backpack full of camera kit and ride out to parts unknown. I, for one, love to load my Wandrd Prvke 21 up with my mirrorless body and lenses, hop on the bike, and see what I find as I ride through New York City. Motorcycles and cameras are a natural pairing for street photography, landscapes, and everything in between.
I chose the Aprilia partially as an excuse to embed that photography ad, but also because the Tuareg 660 is one of the ultimate all-round motorcycles. It'll carry your daughter through city streets as easily as it will through the forests outside Charleston. She can road trip it, commute on it, the Tuareg is up for just about anything. Here's one near you for $11,699, brand new and in a very good color. Grab one for your daughter as a graduation present, and let her be truly in the world as she travels and photographs it. No metal boxes to separate her, the only glass between her and the world she shoots should be a good lens.
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