When I turned 16 I was given my dad’s '92 Buick LeSabre that hardly ran. I needed a car as I played sports in HS and both my parent’s worked so there was no way they could pick me up. I’m only 24 now, but I see nothing wrong with a 16yr old having a car if there is a need for it. However, if they get a car, it should not be new or any where close to being new. Nothing peeves me more than 16yr old kids driving around in brand new BMW’s.
If you can’t afford another car or she doesn’t need a car (for a job or if she’s not really involved in school, etc), then she doesn’t get one.
If you do want her to have a car, I think there are two options…1) buy her a car that runs well and is in half decent shape, as i mentioned before, it shouldn’t be any where close to being new. this should be cheap to buy and cheap to insure/maintain. perfect car is an old civic IMO. 2) tell her an amount you are willing to put towards a car for her and say that if she want’s a nicer car than what that amount can get, she has to pay for the balance. this would be a decent way for her if she really wants the eclipse. this way she has to work for something that she wants and at the same time her parents help her out. (or you can say you will match how ever much money she raises to get a car).