I would never put an 18 year old in this car. Why? Not for the reason you think. The cars have zero support from Chrysler or Mercedes. Parts are hard to come by. You need to be mechanically inclined in order to maintain the car properly, hell just to change the oil. I have raised 3 sons. I love the XF's I have, but I would never suggest one for my sons. Many your age owns them, and are getting by, and if you still want one, I would stay away from the early model 04's....they seem to have the most breakdowns. Now, the positives, is this site. All you need to know to keep her running is on this site. And plenty of support from the forum members. I just tell it like it is. Good luck either way...