Our daughter has just got her P’s and we are looking at getting her a car. If our budget is around $15-16000 does anyone have any recommendations as to the type of car?

When our daughter got her P's we put her into a second hand Mazda 2 hatch. Good safe, small & economic vehicle with all of the safety features. More importantly, we had her complete an advanced driving course at Eastern Creek. They taught her about road courtesy, patience when driving and some driving skills, particularly what happens when the ABS breaks kick in. She did some skid pan braking and how to steer under braking. Whilst the vehicle is important, learning how to avoid issues is priceless.

Second hand Vw golf is always a good choice.

I would suggest a Japanese vehicle from an ownership cost and reliability point of view. I would also strongly suggest buying a vehicle that has a 5 star ANCAP rating. Depending what her driving needs are, I would suggest a Corolla or Yaris, Mazda 2 or 3, Subaru Impreza.