I am sad both by the choices and cost.
I know cash for clunkers killed a lot of cheap used cars.
So up till then you could get a running driving junker for around 500 bucks.
I don't think a single car I ever owned before I got a "real" job cost me over 1k and I drove all but one multiple years.
Which forced me to learn how to fix the cars. Which I think kids will miss out on.

The choices are terrible, but that just goes with what was around in 2000.
Heck even m-bodies seem to have gotten expensive for some reason.
I don't really see but a handful of cars under 2k advertised anywhere, that would even be considered usable in the condition I see them in.

I still have a few years before I need to find a clunker like that, but it is disappointing how far the world has gone down hill.

I might be remembering poorly, and glamorizing the pain, but some of my most vivid memories were fixing those cars back in the day like during a road trip, or over a weekend so I could get to work on monday.

$2500 is the new $500. Simple raising costs and inflation has done that, let alone the Clunker crap...

Kids (or anyone for that matter) won't be able to fix cars unless they have a diagnostic center to plug it into. Too many sensors.

Then, replacement parts are garbage...but that's another story.

yes and no. I have read many articles and stories by people from the 50's to the 2000's and they all talk about cheap cars.
sure in the 50's they were 20 dollar cars, but under 1000 is common from the 70's up to the 2000's.
so that isn't really the reason on its own.

as for fixing cars, that is a myth.
plenty of things can be done on new cars without all that gear.
Weird one off things, or trouble shooting is harder for sure, but it isn't impossible.
And the older the cars are, the more prevalent the information is on the internet.
Now I wouldn't buy anything pre odbII unless I was prepared to gut the system and start again on the engine managment rather than deal with the early stuff. but that is different.

It can seem sad for teens, but requires perspective:
Value of the Dollar is what, 1/8 what it was when I bought my 1st car in 1969 ?
('64 Corvair for $500, which soon needed an engine rebuild, so about $1200 all in.)
In that timeframe, the maintenance & small repairs were required much more often than on newer cars.
Most of us in high school weren't driving performance or sporty cars.
But it's a completely different world now; from what's available, what's expected, ad infinitum.
Seems like $2500 - $4500 is the entry price now for something decent, and that's likely 70s-90s stuff.

Used V6 mustangs are about the only thing I see here that are both cheap and remotely cool looking. Everything else is way more money and/or mud fence ugly.

Neons and Calibers start at $300 needing a few hours and a hundred dollars in parts. Rusty drivers start at $500 and end around $1200

Cab-forward cars are the same thing. These cars are in the 2000's and I don't see what is "sad" about reliable fuel injection, most have air conditioning, and get 40 miles to the gallon?

First and Second gen Rams start at $500 and go up. I got my last 2 First Gens for $300, and $900 and they both run, drive and pass a safety.

There are also tons of great small displacement motorcycles for cheap.

I'm not really sure why you have an M body as an "expensive" example. First of all, why would you shame a Teenager into driving one of those Turds, and secondly, those cars are completely obsolete. A teenager would get laughed at if they went into a parts store looking for something. You need to look at a different era of vehicles, this isn't 1979 anymore. If you want to survive being a teenager, Pick and Pull is where you spend your time. Rarely do they have anything older than 1990.

Early 21st century Buicks are affordable and reliable around here. Still have a couple in my family. Wifey was very happy in her 2001 Park Avenue up until a year or so ago when some clown rear ended her and totaled it.

I was able to snipe a decent deal last fall on a 2001 XJ for my daughter (first car). She really wanted one, but I told her most will be out of price range for sure.
Saw a marketplace post and next morning got it for $2K with 176K miles. Tiny bit of rust and a very tired suspension and interior.
Became a project for her and I. Of course, I got addicted and it became a mini resto project, including new paint (Maaco) and entirely new suspension and cleaned up interior.

I disagree, I think its better now than its ever been. Go search up used cars with a $3000 budget and look what pops up, reliable cars with no rust. 20 years ago you had to spend $5000-$7000 to get that and the car was a tin can.

$500? When could you ever get a good used car for that???? The 60's??

Sounds familiar. I also bought a father/daughter project when my daughter was 16. First gen Honda CRV with bad engine. I made her help me do an engine swap (JDM). That was now 9 years ago, twice totaled (deer hits) since and I just keep putting it back together. Thing is SUPER cheap to fix and been ultra reliable. She bought a brand new truck in 2017 but still stores that every winter and continues to use the old reliable for cruddy months. Nothing wrong with a nice project so kids understand the basics.

A few from a search right now

2010 Kia soul, $2700, 150,000 miles
2006 Infiniti G35 AWD, 74,000 miles $2900
2009 Mazda Tribute, 124,000 miles, $2495

These are cars you can hop in and drive across the country with no issues for dirt cheap, no car payment BS. Better times than ever!

I'm thinking most young adult cars nowadays are parent / grand parent "hand me downs". My parents gave my nephew a 2005 Equinox that was in relatively good shape after they resolved an EGR issue. Nephew has zero interest in it. (Driving or any maintenance) It's just point A to B and is barely used.

yah when i was a kid seems all cars were 150.000 miles now it seems 200 plus

I said beater, not good used car.
But to answer your question it was late 80's early 90's.
My cars in that time frame.
66 coronet 500 2dr was 800 bucks.
71 gto was 500 bucks.
64 dodge 880 custom was 400 bucks.
83 new yorker was 550
67 coronet was 500
87 fury was 800

and sure no doubt a 2000 whatever is more reliable than anything on my list.
I just mean as a kid there were affordable cars I wanted to drive because they looked cool.
vs today what are your choices from 20 years ago that are anything more than a camry look a like?

Mid 90's to early 2000's you could buy running 68-72 Chevelle Malibus and 318 Darts. Duster etc for $3,500 here easy. I know cuz I did it along with many other people. These were not 454 SS 4-speed cars, but just average stuff with 350's ect. Today those same type of cars, cars that are not perfect, but 10 foot drivers are very hard to locate. Many old cars I see for sale are either heaps of poo, or already fixed up and large $$$. A kid wanting something old, cool, and affordable has their work cut out.

Completely disagree. My son is a senior in HS this year & he has had an excellent choice of daily drivers starting at $2500 and the latest at $5500 & has been buying/selling & upgrading along the way. Plenty of cool stuff out there for a car enthusiast starting out & you don’t have to resort to a 6 cyl Mudstank.

A V8 version of that Firebird, even in scruffy shape, would be 5k + out here easy. I have seen lower mile 80's and 90's IROC and Z-28's up around 15-18.

I don't think they are worth that, and would never pay that for one myself, but that is where asking prices have moved to. They may be dreaming and never sell it?

is insurance not killing you for him driving sports cars or 2drs?

We could all relive the glory days
'69-1/2 Roadrunner, A12 car, Coupe, Auto Paid $1500
'70 Roadrunner, v-code, 440-6, 4 speed, 4.10 Dana, Sublime, paid $1500
'73 Challenger, Rallye Pack, 340-4 speed, 3.91 posi, ZERO rust, paid $750
'69 Charger, 383-auto, Minimal rust, paid $300
'79 'Lil Red Express, Paid $2200


Wish we could all live the glory days again, right?