Teen looking for sports car for $5000

[Darkman]

Not only that but vehicles like those are not a proper vehicle for a teenager learning how to drive, there needs to be no capability for performance or speed so the temptation to do something daft never arises. People who have been driving for decades have enough trouble scraping together enough braincells to pay attention while they're driving. Some teenager filled with hormones and lacking proper forethought is twice as dangerous to themselves and other people than anyone else on the road and four times as dangerous in something with even a moderate level of performance.

 

Not to mention the insurance cost of having a new driving in a sports car.

I agree. I personally think a first car isn't all about showing off, it's more about having something that you enjoy to drive, isn't too much of a gas hog, and does decent all around... Well the last one is kind of a necessity for me since Michigan gets a fuckton of ice and snow.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

Not only that but vehicles like those are not a proper vehicle for a teenager learning how to drive, there needs to be no capability for performance or speed so the temptation to do something daft never arises. People who have been driving for decades have enough trouble scraping together enough braincells to pay attention while they're driving. Some teenager filled with hormones and lacking proper forethought is twice as dangerous to themselves and other people than anyone else on the road and four times as dangerous in something with even a moderate level of performance.

 

Not to mention the insurance cost of having a new driving in a sports car.

 

This has little to nothing to do with age, this is a personality trait that persists throughout life for those who manage to survive. This is the same way you don't do something stupid because you're drunk, you do something stupid because you're stupid.

[techswede]

Well it's definitely not a sports car either. Insurance can be a problem, especially here in Europe, but I hear they're not too bad in the US. In any case you're often able to persuade them into a lower price bracket solely based on the amount of horsepower your car doesn't have. Ie. getting a decent price on a 100hp 80's RX-7 shouldn't be much of a problem, but the car weighs next to nothing and there's easy gains in the engine as well so it will still be a ton of fun.

True. But i'd definately suggest that the op stays away from wankels That is not a hassle he needs with a first car 

[Hans Christian | Teri]

True. But i'd definately suggest that the op stays away from wankels That is not a hassle he needs with a first car 

 

They're really not that bad, they have just gotten a terrible reputation from people who haven't maintained them properly. If you service it regularly (as you should with any car) they're rock solid, and the 12A is as simple as can be. Might as well learn to take good care of your car from the start. I'm assuming that the reason he wants a sorts car isn't to pick up girls but because he likes cars.

[moppop]

15 with a sportscar. Yep, I'd hate to be your parents to pay your insurance premiums.

 

Don't be an idiot. Don't get a sportscar for your first car.

[Lord Pantaloons]

This has little to nothing to do with age, this is a personality trait that persists throughout life for those who manage to survive. This is the same way you don't do something stupid because you're drunk, you do something stupid because you're stupid.

I disagree that it has little to do with age, while there are plenty of adults that are stupid enough behind the wheel some teenager is going to be worse. They won't have the benefit of years of driving experience to draw upon while they are deciding whether or not they should do something stupid. Someone with 10 years exp will have that and thus a chance to decide that their idea is a bad one and they shouldn't do it some kid won't have that and is likely to behave like a fuckwit. A slow safe car is the only kind of car a new driver should have that goes double for a teenager.

[Gix7Fifty]

OP you better get some insurance quotes first.

[techswede]

They're really not that bad, they have just gotten a terrible reputation from people who haven't maintained them properly. If you service it regularly (as you should with any car) they're rock solid, and the 12A is as simple as can be. Might as well learn to take good care of your car from the start. I'm assuming that the reason he wants a sorts car isn't to pick up girls but because he likes cars.

But if he buys an FB... There will be one less on the market for me to buy later  :unsure:

[Hans Christian | Teri]

I disagree that it has little to do with age, while there are plenty of adults that are stupid enough behind the wheel some teenager is going to be worse. They won't have the benefit of years of driving experience to draw upon while they are deciding whether or not they should do something stupid. Someone with 10 years exp will have that and thus a chance to decide that their idea is a bad one and they shouldn't do it some kid won't have that and is likely to behave like a fuckwit. A slow safe car is the only kind of car a new driver should have that goes double for a teenager.

 

My first car (or rather the first car that I was allowed to drive) was an Alfa 156 with 150hp. Plenty of fast and plenty of fun. I never crashed it and it's still alive somewhere in Germany if I'm not mistaken. I did my fair share of irresponsible stuff but always in a responsible setting (ie "drifting" on snow in parking lots, street drag on long straight roads with good visibility etc). You're not stupid because you're young, you're stupid because you're stupid. It should be obvious to anyone intelligent enough to visit this forum that you don't fool around in any car where other people can get hurt.

 

But if he buys an FB... There will be one less on the market for me to buy later  :unsure:

 

I know man, it's a tough world. Even worse here in Europe, barely any good ones left.

[techswede]

 

I know man, it's a tough world. Even worse here in Europe, barely any good ones left.

 

I have seen one for sale in the past 3 years..

[Hans Christian | Teri]

I have seen one for sale in the past 3 years..

 

There's two for sale here in Denmark currently, one with rustholes in the floor and another with damaged front. When it becomes time for me to buy one I'm looking towards Germany though, they seem to be for sale every now and again and they're usually in beautiful condition. Better be soon though as they are becoming more and more rare.

[NInety]

RX-8 EBay.

[QueenDemetria]

I personally don't recommend a sports car as first car, as the learning curve for them is much greater than standard cars. You will also be pegged with higher insurance bills since you are more of a risk in the eyes of insurance companies. Also if anything happens to your car, you might be heart broken if you spend your money on a sports car(and if your school is anything like mine was, door dings and fender benders will be the norm).

 

I recommend starting with some beater that is mechanically good but rough on the outside. Usually cars like this are cheap since the first appearance drives people away, but these cars are great since you have less care if anything happens but they will last a long time. If you do your research too you can find a pretty good sleeper, which is a regular car with sports car performance. My brother owns a factory super charged 93 Pontiac Bonneville and its not only freaking fast but its a great daily driver and cheap.

 

I started off with a 92 Honda Accord and I would recommend cars similar to this, since they are economical and conservative. When my Honda threw a rod(after 370k miles and Nitrous), I ended up buying a 1986 Camaro which was the biggest mistake in my life, since its a cop magnet, raised my insurance bill by $40/m, and shit was always happening to it(like people being careless with grocery carts). I couldn't handle that car so I ended up merging the Camaro with a S-10 "pick em up" truck, so now I have a cheap insurance without attracting every cop and I have just as much fun as I did in my actual Camaro(Now, merging the two cars was a lot of work, so doing this isn't easy, but worth it).

 

TL;DR Start off with a cheap/conservative car and once you get experience then move on to something better.

[-CLASSIFIED-]

what about a nissan 350z ? 

[Lord Pantaloons]

 

My first car (or rather the first car that I was allowed to drive) was an Alfa 156 with 150hp. Plenty of fast and plenty of fun. I never crashed it and it's still alive somewhere in Germany if I'm not mistaken. I did my fair share of irresponsible stuff but always in a responsible setting (ie "drifting" on snow in parking lots, street drag on long straight roads with good visibility etc). You're not stupid because you're young, you're stupid because you're stupid. It should be obvious to anyone intelligent enough to visit this forum that you don't fool around in any car where other people can get hurt.

 

 

 

 

And my first car was a Mustang with a 5L V8 and about 300 HP and I drove it for 5 years without incident before some dumb teenager did something stupid and wrecked it and my back. She had been driving for three years and it was her first accident, she said and I quote "I know the light was red, but it looked like I could make it" People make mistakes, people who lack experience are more likely to make a poor judgement call. In the end OP will do whatever they are allowed to do but it's a stupid idea to give a new driver something that is any kind of fast and that's a fact and my opinion is backed up by my own experience of having a powerful vehicle as my first.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

And my first car was a Mustang with a 5L V8 and about 300 HP and I drove it for 5 years without incident before some dumb teenager did something stupid and wrecked it and my back. She had been driving for three years and it was her first accident, she said and I quote "I know the light was red, but it looked like I could make it" People make mistakes, people who lack experience are more likely to make a poor judgement call. In the end OP will do whatever they are allowed to do but it's a stupid idea to give a new driver something that is any kind of fast and that's a fact and my opinion is backed up by my own experience of having a powerful vehicle as my first.

 

That was not a poor judgement call, that was stupidity. I bet you the dumb chick wasn't driving a Ford GT either, she was probably driving an old beat up Corolla (although if she had driven a Ford GT she might have made it ). As someone who drove an overly powerful car as your first car I don't understand how you can possibly sit here and tell the guy not to get a sports car. What we're suggesting isn't even a 300HP Mustang, it's a 100hp RX-7, 115hp MX-5 etc.

[shiftberry]

Peugeot 205 GTi , it's good, good and good!

[Faceman]

Well it's definitely not a sports car either. Insurance can be a problem, especially here in Europe, but I hear they're not too bad in the US. In any case you're often able to persuade them into a lower price bracket solely based on the amount of horsepower your car doesn't have. Ie. getting a decent price on a 100hp 80's RX-7 shouldn't be much of a problem, but the car weighs next to nothing and there's easy gains in the engine as well so it will still be a ton of fun.

It is a sports car, it drives like one, and the insurance companies treat it like one.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

It is a sports car, it drives like one, and the insurance companies treat it like one.

 

" I call mine the Magic Carpet Ride, its as if you are gliding over the pavement. "

 

This is not an attribute you generally associate with a sports car. 

[Lord Pantaloons]

That was not a poor judgement call, that was stupidity. I bet you the dumb chick wasn't driving a Ford GT either, she was probably driving an old beat up Corolla (although if she had driven a Ford GT she might have made it ). As someone who drove an overly powerful car as your first car I don't understand how you can possibly sit here and tell the guy not to get a sports car. What we're suggesting isn't even a 300HP Mustang, it's a 100hp RX-7, 115hp MX-5 etc.

It was a poor judgement call, she miscalculated because she lacked experience. My car was a gift first of all, and the car she was driving was a 90's Nissan Pathfinder with a Chevy V8 swapped into it. I can sit here and say that the shouldn't get a sportscar because I realized that I was in over my head with a vehicle like that after a few close calls I was lucky enough to get away with my early fuckups, after that I made a conscious effort to be more careful at all times. That being said you don't need 300HP to do something stupid, and an MX-5 makes good use of it's limited power by being light that combined with the fact that it's small and a soft top makes it a poor choice for a first car.

[Lotus]

It was a poor judgement call, she miscalculated because she lacked experience. My car was a gift first of all, and the car she was driving was a 90's Nissan Pathfinder with a Chevy V8 swapped into it. I can sit here and say that the shouldn't get a sportscar because I realized that I was in over my head with a vehicle like that after a few close calls I was lucky enough to get away with my early fuckups, after that I made a conscious effort to be more careful at all times. That being said you don't need 300HP to do something stupid with, and an MX-5 makes good use of it's limited power by being light.

She didn't miscalculate. She ran a red light. Pure idiocy.

[Thorium19]

They're really not that bad, they have just gotten a terrible reputation from people who haven't maintained them properly. If you service it regularly (as you should with any car) they're rock solid, and the 12A is as simple as can be. Might as well learn to take good care of your car from the start. I'm assuming that the reason he wants a sorts car isn't to pick up girls but because he likes cars.

Get an RX8 or a Stang, great first cars,

Never an rx8 as a first car. My dad had one as his last car, on a good day his fuel economy was 18 mpg, most days it was around 13-14 mpg, even when driving efficiently, which he does. Plus, the RX8 is way overpowered for a beginner at driving, you're so much more likely to crash it due to a lack of understanding of how powerful it is. Especially wih the rotary engines, they're great motors, but very inefficient, heavy on semi synthetic oil and are incredibly finely tuned, if you are too heavy on it you'll wreck it very quickly and easily.

My recommendation would be a Honda civic, if you're desperate for some performance an older type r will add some spice.

[Lord Pantaloons]

She didn't miscalculate. She ran a red light. Pure idiocy.

She was in a hurry, she saw a gap in the oncoming traffic and thought her car was quick enough to make it. It was an idiotic decision caused by her inexperience.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

It was a poor judgement call, she miscalculated because she lacked experience. My car was a gift first of all, and the car she was driving was a 90's Nissan Pathfinder with a Chevy V8 swapped into it. I can sit here and say that the shouldn't get a sportscar because I realized that I was in over my head with a vehicle like that after a few close calls I was lucky enough to get away with my early fuckups, after that I made a conscious effort to be more careful at all times. That being said you don't need 300HP to do something stupid, and an MX-5 makes good use of it's limited power by being light that combined with the fact that it's small and a soft top makes it a poor choice for a first car.

 

Running a red light is not a bad judgement call or a miscalculation from lack of experience, it's straight up stupidity. 300hp (or rather the immense torque) in a rear wheel drive car may very well be enough to screw you over if bring your foot down too hard on a turn, but you've got to really mean it to unsettle an MX-5 especially with the lack of lowdown torque. I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm saying that doing it by accident is virtually impossible.

 

Never an rx8 as a first car. My dad had one as his last car, on a good day his fuel economy was 18 mpg, most days it was around 13-14 mpg, even when driving efficiently, which he does. Plus, the RX8 is way overpowered for a beginner at driving, you're so much more likely to crash it due to a lack of understanding of how powerful it is. Especially wih the rotary engines, they're great motors, but very inefficient, heavy on semi synthetic oil and are incredibly finely tuned, if you are too heavy on it you'll wreck it very quickly and easily.

My recommendation would be a Honda civic, if you're desperate for some performance an older type r will add some spice.

 

The 12A is carbed, nothing fine-tuned about that. It's not good on fuel efficiency but that really isn't what we're talking about here.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

She was in a hurry, she saw a gap in the oncoming traffic and thought her car was quick enough to make it. It was an idiotic decision caused by her inexperience.

 

Seriously, that decision has absolutely NOTHING to do with experience.