First Car

My daughter is fast approaching her 18th birthday, has completed her 120 hours of driving, and now has her mind set on the Volkswagen Beetle. She has been driving my wife's Mazda CX-5 for most of the time. Your thoughts on the Beetle as a first car, maybe buying a demo model? And then the car itself?

My son will be getting his Ps soon and is looking to buy his first car. What are your thoughts on a 2007 Holden Barina sedan? It is a manual, which we would prefer him to drive, has only had one young female owner, and has done a little under 140,000km, and appears to be in very good condition. My concern is safety. I know later models were improved, but how does the 2007 model rate, and what would be a good price to pay, if we were to buy it?

I'm seeking advice on the purchase of a used car for an almost 18-year-old boy who is getting his licence in early February. He wants a two-seater so when he gets his licence he will easily be able to avoid pressure to "overload", so has decided on a two-door ute. It needs to be an auto. He has $9000 so, of course, it will have to be quite old. As a parent I want him to be in the safest car possible and reliability is very important too but we have no idea what to look out for.

I am 22 and looking to buy my first car. I was thinking of a small city sized auto hatch – perhaps a Toyota Yaris or a Mazda2, or a later model Mazda3. I'm looking for modern features and something that will be good enough on the highway back to my hometown in the country. I'm looking to buy a used car for about $10,000. What car should I buy?

We are looking at buying a Hyundai Elantra Trophy that I will drive until our 17-year-old daughter gets her licence. What do you think about the vehicle?