Best Car For A 16 Year Old?

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Crispy

Crispy

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Allen, Texas
crispychicken49
crispychicken49
A quick search didn't reveal anything, so I'm going to go ahead and post.

What do you think the best car for a 16 Year Old would be? Obviously it would be different for each country, Australia gets Skylines and Vauxhalls, but the U.S. doesn't.

Remember this car should have everything that a teen would want, yet lots of things parents would want to keep their child safe. Things like cool looks, safety features, big trunk/boot space, moderate insurance rates, and of course, the ever impressive 0-60 time! ;)



For me I choose the impressive Nissan 300ZX! Not the cheapest to insure, but prices to find one are very low. Not to mention that there Naturally Aspirated versions for parents that don't want all that extra power. Trunk/Boot space is gigantic, meaning you can fit your parents grocery's in the back, and still have room for you and your friends stuff if you go on a road trip.

Its one of the three "It" cars of the '90s, which is a very cool feature of the car. Looks are fairly impressive, and many aftermarket parts are available for this car to make it your own. Including turbo's, so you can still enjoy the extra power. ;)

There are some drawbacks, one being its a b---- to repair, finding parts would mean going the aftermarket way. Although many places sell stock bumpers as an aftermarket seller for this reason. Another is the Turbo's may let out in the twin turbo version if you don't let the car run after driving it really hard.

So now its time for you guys to inform us of your choice on best car for a 16 year old.
 
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Lol, plus the inevitable break downs that happen with alot of stock JDM rides of that era.....I wouldnt give one to a teen (or let them buy one), better off finding a used Camry or something thats reliable and safer. And no I'm not some old guy suggesting it, I'm 19 and myself drive a diesel ute (Ford Ranger) and its actually a hell of alot of fun to drive, tons of space for stuff and still looks pretty cool.
 
Best car for a 16 year old, speaking from experience:

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Not fast, not powerful; just what any new driver needs.
 
crispychicken49
Another is the Turbo's may let out in the twin turbo version if you don't let the car run after driving it really hard.
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That will happen to all turbos.
Turbos need a lot of love to stay healthy.

1st car: Something slow and big enough to survive a crash.
Not saying everyone crashes the first car, but it happens often enough.
A FF car is a good starter car and ESP is not bad either for a beginner.
 
The best car for a 16 year old is a Honda Fit. Period. Enough cargo space to support an active lifestyle (two bikes), artistic expression (a drum kit) or practical concerns (a refrigerator? I've seen widescreens go back there with no trouble). It's fuel efficient. It's nimble without being lairy. It's quick without being twitchy. And it's economical, to boot.

-

Of course, that'll be a secondhand Honda Fit, because, yes, you know they're going to get into a fender-bender sooner or later... mostly sooner.
 
I bought a 1996 Acura Integra LS when I was 16. It wasn't in the best condition when I first bought it though. It had bad engine mounts and needed a new timing belt to name some of the worst problems it had. I don't think the previous owner took very good care of it.

But after several months of owning it, the problems were able to be fixed, but even before, it still ran great and never let me down. Still have it after over a year now. A very reliable car from my experience. 👍

And I think it's a fun FWD car to drive. :D
 
You may wish to change your thread title as GTP has a multi-national userbase. In most countries, you cannot drive on public roads until you are 17 or 18.
 
Well Crispy,
My 16 yr old, walked into my 06 Volvo V70R, which had 80k on it, in perfect shape. Knowing that he at some point was going to do something to it. Well he tried a short cut in the school parking lot and did 2k in damage down the side. Mind you he is a good driver but it's just the lack of experience so expect to be fixing it at some point. So get some thing that you won't mind fixing, but looks cool.

MotorCityDriver
 
Toyota camry was my first car of my own, before that I had to drive and share my parents GMC Jimmy. Loved both and stayed with Toyota for years after. IMHO a kid shouldnt get the car they really want until they can buy it for his/herself. Its hard to respect/ appreciate some things in life if you always have them handed to you (Im sure that plays part in why 16 y/o kids are so hard on cars in general).
 
Something slow, cheap and terrible.

That way, when you crash it, you won't be going too fast, it won't cost you that much money and you won't really care, respectively.
 
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Slow, and can handle the inevitable fender bender with no issues what so ever. I've backed into a concrete streetlight support at about 3mph, not even a scratch on my back bumper. Couldn't see it over the tail gate, very tight lot too. Looked like this, only shorter

poleinstallation.jpg


I've watched my friend rear end my other friend's ranger at about 15mph, The bumper on the ranger moved about 1/8th of an in where it got hit.

Basically, I suggest a Ford or chevy truck, they're gonna be reliable as hell, cheap to fix when something does break, and it's a truck, they're very lovable vehicles after you spend some time with them!
 
I'd suggest something with room to work on if something breaks, personally. but a Z32? oh, hell no. you'd be paying insurance out the nose (or parents would)

will the guy with the 69 Mustang mags PLEASE get them the heck off that ranger. they may work on the hubs and add some class, but dangit, they're worth more to a restorer.
 
I've got it: '85 Mercury Grand Marquis with the Ford 302. It'll run forever as long as you remember to pour oil in when it gets low.

My first car (a hand-me-down), it ran through an oil leak that left it nearly empty for quite a while (stupid kids), had the rear end break (stupid kids), suffered such indignities as being flung around corners (stupid kids...again), driven around in bumpy fields (...), and multiple hard 'launches' on an automatic transmission via holding the brakes, hitting the gas, and letting go.

The only thing that ever broke on it after all that torture was the rear end (because we didn't know to keep that part lubricated properly back there...stupid kids), and we ended up swapping in the rear end and suspension parts from a '88 Lincoln Town Car that was about to go to the scrapyard, and it fit perfectly. It also jacked the back end up a few inches and didn't look half bad, for what it was.

So, plusses: big, safe, indestructible, cheap to buy, huge trunk, you can fit six full grown adults in the car comfortably (none of this six-inches-of-legroom-in-the-back nonsense), parts are easily available and cheap (buy a parts car for when things break, and there ya go), V8 (if you like big engines), and you can even tow a trailer with it if you want, slow enough so you won't kill yourself the first time you stomp the gas, will cruise the interstate all day at 85 mph in perfect comfort

Minuses: not exactly stylish, people will be asking you for a ride all the time, gas mileage in the teens (you may break 20 on the highway if it's a VERY well taken care of example and you're very careful driving; we averaged around 15-18 mpg), acceleration is not very impressive


Anyway, a sports car is a terrible idea for a first time driver.
 
A car the kid can buy themselves. There's a more likely chance that the kid will be careful with a car bought with his or her own money.
 
For all of you's going out with trucks, a 16 year old wants a car to at least look a little cool in. He doesn't want to look like a hill billy, you want something that can attract girls and your parents will be alright with it.
 
filphil89
A car the kid can buy themselves. There's a more likely chance that the kid will be careful with a car bought with his or her own money.
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This sums it up. Remember, you might think you are God's gift to the roads, but you are not. At 16/17 it is questionable you should be on the road at all. Always remember that it is a privilege to be able to drive an consider the first 3 years as an extended test. It's only then that you can say that you are a good driver. You can get through it without crashing, I did, but remember, if you do, you are the exception.

Buy a car that is cheap. Expect it to be bumped and scraped and to break down. Do not touch anything sporty and old (except a classic car) as chances are this will have had a hard life.

Do not modify your car, it is a waste of time on a banger and your insurer will be rubbing his hands together. All you need is a stereo and an armrest and relax. Life is not a race.

Like someone said above, your first car is not the one you want, but the one that is there at the time. One day you can have a sports car, but patience is a virtue.
 
UK-Gamer
For all of you's going out with trucks, a 16 year old wants a car to at least look a little cool in. He doesn't want to look like a hill billy, you want something that can attract girls and your parents will be alright with it.
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Any car that a 16-year-old could own that he would legitimately look cool in will simply tell everyone that he is spoiled and has rich parents.

And looking as cool as possible isn't going to mean that much when he wraps it around a tree. Which he probably will, because he is 16 years old and it is his first car.
 
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Toronado
Any car that a 16-year-old could own that he would legitimately look cool in will simply tell everyone that he is spoiled and has rich parents.
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Disagree, even an old Golf GTi can make a 16 year old look cool. Just as long as it has reasonably good shape and can move pretty quickly.
 
UK-Gamer
Disagree, even an old Golf GTi can make a 16 year old look cool. Just as long as it has reasonably good shape and can move pretty quickly.
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And perhaps in Europe that is accurate.

In America, such a car would be:
  • Expensive to buy.
  • Expensive to maintain.
  • Expensive to insure.
  • And, most damningly, not particularly cool in the slightest; because it would be viewed by the average high school student as just just barely better than the Geo Metro suggested above.

The only way the first three wouldn't ring true is if the 16-year-old in question bought a 1980s GTi, at which point he would be trying to look cool in a 20 year old hatchback.
 
*ibo* S3 Racer
A FF car is a good starter car and ESP is not bad either for a beginner.
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Those two things I disagree with, yes they make driving easier but on the other hand they may hinder learning how to actually control the vehicle.

My first car was (and three years later still is) a Volvo 240 with no ABS, no ESP, no TCS, and RWD to top it off. Such a thing should be a disaster in the hands of a learner but it's not - I've put it into a snow bank just once and that was an undeniable mistake of my own. After learning how to brake on ice with no ABS and how to balance a sliding car without any electronical nannies I'm pretty sure I can take a car that has all those assists and live with it perfectly well. It might not be as easy the other way round and that's why I think the first car should be a bit more involving to operate than the ones following it.
 
The perception of the 16 year old driver is a bit too stereotypical in my opinion, there are some of us that are responsible you know. I do agree though that there's nothing more important thatn experience but with enough restraint you can be responsible with any car. I would really not reccommend a pickup truck as they are high and in my opinion not that new driver friendly with their usual size. Trucks obviously get worse gas mileage, and even if it's safer in an accident, it's best not to be in the accident than to be in an accident in a safe vehicle. What I say is that no matter what car you get, the determining factor for safety will be the driver and how responsible he or she is. I also agree with the comment above mine that it's always good to learn how to drive without aids and in a manual tranny, because then when you drive a car with these aids, you will be an even better driver that concentrates on the driving as it should be done.
 
I think the most important thing is for them to be able to afford the car and the insurance, gas, etc on their own. While I was 16 I had a camry v6, then a 91 celica, then a del sol, then a '00 celica. Well to be fair I had three of those at the same time, but they were all "cool," not too fast and relatively safe and reliable. I went to a school that has a very wealthy demographic so everyone had car's their parents had bought them. IMO I was alot cooler with my janitor dad and my little celica than they were with their brand new R32 because I worked for mine :)

New driver's love the idea of having a license for one reason - FREEDOM. It doesn't matter what you're driving as long as it get's you out of the house. Us petrol heads have a different issue - we always want something just out of our budget :)
 
Im not saying a kid should have to pay for everything... Just that beggers cant be choosers and if the moderately old and slow sedan isnt good enough then a part time job after school is going to be needed.
Keep in mind this comes from a guy who now pays all his own and then applied these ideals when buying his parents a car (thats right I bought my parents a new car!).
 
I don't understand all this "Every 16 year old crashes his car attitude." I'm 20 and still driving the same 04' Focus (which I love) but I haven't crashed into anything... But it was once rear ended while sitting at a red light, once rear ended because some lady in a SUV was tailgating me and hit me as I was exiting and I was backed into at a parking lot. This were all older people that hit me... None of my friends have had anything major happen to any of there cars. And none of my younger online friends have had any problems...

And I live in spoiled kid central...
 
Not every 16 year old crashes his/her first car, it's something generally thought off when buying a car.
I had to save up for my first car so it wasn't going to be expensive and if something might have happened, there would be some cash left.
So yeah, my first car was a Fiat Punto :), never crashed it, only backed it up against a mailbox once :D
 
Prosthetic
I don't understand all this "Every 16 year old crashes his car attitude." I'm 20 and still driving the same 04' Focus (which I love) but I haven't crashed into anything... But it was once rear ended while sitting at a red light, once rear ended because some lady in a SUV was tailgating me and hit me as I was exiting and I was backed into at a parking lot. This were all older people that hit me... None of my friends have had anything major happen to any of there cars. And none of my younger online friends have had any problems...

And I live in spoiled kid central...
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But that is your personal situation. I too have never crashed my car (I'm 24), but I damn well know of many that have. And I always hold firm that one day I will crash because at some point we all will, I just do everything I can to make sure that it will never be because I drive like an idiot.

Statistically, young drivers crash more and are far more likely to kill themselves and others simply because they lack experience and often feel the need to show off. Hence why there are more young drivers with stupid bits stuck on their cars.

A 16/17 year old is far more likely to push their car beyond it's limits because they haven't yet learn't what those limits are. The first time they do, they either have a lucky escape an learn, or have a crash. The hope is then that they survive this and learn, making them better drivers.
 
Okay, here's the deal... When you're 16, you don't have wants - you have needs. and what you need is something cheap, reliable, cheap, not too hard to drive, and cheap. Looking cool? You're not old enough to look cool. Forget it. I drove a Plymouth Voyager when I was 16. The kids who had Camaros and Mustangs? They got lucky if they didn't wrap 'em 'round trees. Bro's friend put his '65 'stang in a ditch. 16/17/18 year olds given powerful cars will eventually wreck them.

What do I reccommend, then? This.

geo-prizm-1993-97.jpg


Yes, the Corolla without the Toyota Pricetag, the Geo/Chevy Prizm. Toyota quality from when Toyota actually had decent quality, but without Toyota resale values screwing you out of a decent car. Sure, it looks dowdy. But at least it's not a Voyager. And, if he really wants, you can still swap a 4A-GE in.

Besides, who really wants the 300ZX Turbo? Your kid? or YOU? (note, if it's you, then BUY IT FOR YOU. Just make certain to keep the keys out of their reach.)
 

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