The Big Question: First Car

"bguyther" (bguyther) 04/06/2015 at 12:19 • Filed to: None

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Every teenage Jalop's biggest predicament

Insight: I'm 14 (LOL) in about three years i'm planning on getting a car, so what should I get? My parents currently let me drive a 96 Chevy pickup truck around our family farm, I'm comfortable behind the wheel, have basic knowledge of working on cars, etc. I will use this truck when I first get my license

I'm looking for a fun car, that I can do mild modifications on for around 5k, and here are a few of the cars I've been looking at

Porsche 944

Pros: Cheap, handles well

Cons: Mixed reviews about reliability and price of parts

Toyota MR2

Pros: Mid-engine

Cons: Mid-engine

Nissan 350z

Pros: Fairly modern, Nice electronics etc.

Cons: price ~ 10k (Hopefully it will depreciate)

Mazda Miata

Pros: Need I explain

Cons: Lack of originality

(I could continue further but i have things to do)

So what does oppo think I should get? Leave me your suggestions.

Cebu > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:23

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Your post formatting makes no sense. A Miata is not mid-engined, the only mid-engined specimen on the list is the MR2.

I'd suggest the MR2, but I'd also like to suggest a 240SX as it's at a pretty damn cheap price point, has tons of modifications available, and can handle off-road better than all of these cars. After all, Colin McRae took one rallying.

Alex B > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:24

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Off topic, but I think you may be one of the youngest opponaughts. I just turned 15. Back on topic: I would pick a MR2, it's more original than the others. :)

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:24

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What about a New Edge GT?

bguyther > Cebu 04/06/2015 at 12:25

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yea sorry working frantically to fix this

Cebu > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:26

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Kinja's a bitch, you'll get used to it eventually. XD

Zohaibman72 > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:28

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You should also consider insurance costs. This is my current problem (18) with my car, insurance takes a huge hit on money. A few fun cars get around this, like the Mazda 6 and the RX8

bguyther > Cebu 04/06/2015 at 12:28

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I have been thinking about a 240sx, are they as drifty as people say they are?

bguyther > Alex B 04/06/2015 at 12:30

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Haha thanks, looks like i'm not the only youngster on here

bguyther > Zohaibman72 04/06/2015 at 12:31

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I'm gonna try to wait a year or two after I get my license to get a car mostly for insurance cost reasons.

deekster_caddy > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:32

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Do you have friends? Or want to have friends? I recommend avoiding 2-seaters unless you never plan to have more than one passenger. It's nice to be able to go somewhere with a few people riding along, if that's even still allowed.

(here in MA, you aren't allowed to have non-family-member passengers until you are over 18)

Sn210 > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:33

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I'm failing to see how mid-engined is a con? Lol

I wanted a Delorean for my first car, ended up with a YJ Wrangler

bguyther > deekster_caddy 04/06/2015 at 12:35

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I think here in md it's 17 to have friends in the car, for passengers I was planning on just using my friends cars, not mine. Eventually I would get something with more than 2 seats as a daily.

jmart > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:36

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My first car was a Fiero GT and my second car was an E36 318is. I would highly recommend a 318is or similar. Very reliable, good on gas and huge fun.

yamahog > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:36

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I just went with whatever hand-me-down was free from my dad, sounds like you might have that option too. A first car just needs to be reasonably reliable, safe, and fast enough to merge so that you have time to focus on your grades (vs keeping the car running) and survive long enough to afford the real fun stuff later on.

/boringunsolicitedadvicefroma24yearold

Party-vi > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:36

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None of them. Get a 2002 Honda Civic. Insurance will cost less, service will cost less, there are more standard safety equipment features than the four cars listed, and it will be infinitely more practical. Plus, I'm sure a cop would love to pull over a young kid in a 944 more than a young kid in a Camry or Corolla.

I don't know your situation with your parents, but going from a 20 year old truck to a sports car isn't a recipe for success for a young driver. If they trust you, great; if not, then I doubt you'll be getting a 350z or an MR2, which will be a 20-year-old Japanese sports car and will need 20-year-old-car maintenance.

Also, the last thing you want is to go to school or move out and be stuck with a higher-performance car that needs work done on it. It's easy to find Civic parts (new or used), not so easy to find 944 or MR2 parts.

I would get something practical and ask to use the truck as a back-up vehicle.

bguyther > Sn210 04/06/2015 at 12:37

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Working on a mid-engined car does not sound fun

bguyther > jmart 04/06/2015 at 12:38

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I have been considering some of the 80s-90s BMW's, my brother has an e30

bob and john > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:38

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my take on it

Thunderface > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:39

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Ford Crown Victoria, baby!

PS9 > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:40

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Ferrari Enzo. Great V12 sound and you won't have any issue getting someone to go with you for the homecoming dance.

Those might be a little hard to come by though. If you can't get one, try the 599 or even the Murcielago, if you're okay with a vulger lamborghini.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:41

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1st gen S10 w/ manual.

Fun to drive, even with the 4.3 Vturd. Easy V8 swap to fix that. Practical. No parts shortage. If you look hard enough you can get a good one for half your budget.

bguyther > Party-vi 04/06/2015 at 12:41

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Civic does seem like the most practical route, definitely an option.

(btw I've had about 15 minutes experience in a small jap manual roadster if that helps)

bguyther > PS9 04/06/2015 at 12:43

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Oh, yea I've heard Ferrari maintenance is super cheap as well

sony1492 > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:43

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Buy a. 4 door civic. 4 doors cost less in insurance

Prices ussually less than $2000

Safe driving dynamic to learn unsafe driving. Ie throttle lift oversteer, threshold braking, and general hoonery.

Weighs nothing

Parts are cheap, abundant.

Easy to diy repair

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:44

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BG or BH Mazda Protege LX with the 1.8l BP DOHC (Miata engine), 5spd and the 4-wheel disc brakes. Try to find one without ABS if possible. Trust me.

For $5K you can turn one of those into a thing to be reckoned with in the corners, and it will be reliable as dirt and has some of the best steering and chassis dynamics this side of a Ford ST product. The Non-ABS ones have the best brake pedal feel of any car I have ever driven, (including non-ABS Miatas)

booohoo, it's FWD! Boo-fucking-hoo, it's a brilliant little car that won't break the bank, will be reliable, and has a rear seat that real people can use. the trick is finding one that isn't rusty and doesn't 10-bajillion miles on it.

Otherwise, Miata is the answer.

crowmolly > yamahog 04/06/2015 at 12:44

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Yup. Biggest thing is that it gets you to where you need to go. All of the cars listed are or will be older. Unless you've got help for parts and labor you are going to be walking a lot if something pops.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:45

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Pretty much any early to mid 2000s Japanese compact sedan. Reliable, safe, efficient, and affordable. You will also still be able to drive your friends around. Keep in mind too that you're more likely to get in an accident in that first car, do you really want to potentially wreck something you fell in love with?

Like a few other people have said, get something that will actually be a good first car. Get it in stick, take it autocrossing, and just learn to drive well.

Maybe a Sentra SE-R? Still sporty, lots of aftermarket support, and it meets all the other criteria I stated above for a good first car.

Sn210 > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 12:45

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An MR2 should be fine, just stay away from Panteras and Esprits haha.

Honestly though, as others have said, insurance is going to cost you an awful lot for any of these 2-door sports cars. 2-doors = fast and dangerous, apparently. I replaced my Jeep with a Saturn SC2 and paid $2200 to insure it for the year. That's what I got for being an 18y/o male in a coupe! That was with no tickets or accidents either

yamahog > crowmolly 04/06/2015 at 12:51

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Yep. My first car was about 11 years old when it got into my grubby wannabe speed demon hands, and on the occasion anything broke it was only the leverage of parental guilt over making me drive it that had my dad fixing it for free with me as the assistant. Had I bought myself an older Mustang or something like I wanted to and anything went wrong, he would've just laughed and said I TOLD YOU SO and I'd be SOL.

bguyther > Sn210 04/06/2015 at 13:02

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Dang man 2200 a year for a saturn

Dunnik > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:03

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Whelp, I hate to do this, but with the greatest of respect I think you need a reality check. Some of these points have already been mentioned, but bear repeating:

1. Insurance. You will be in the highest risk category (male, under 25). You may be tempted, like many, to piggy-back on your parent's insurance as an occasional driver, but long-term this isn't a winning strategy: the sooner you build your profile as the primary driver, the more you'll save long term. You should focus on cars that are the cheapest to insure in your area. You may not like some of them, but it is what it is.

2. Passengers. My first car was a hand-me-down 1986 Buick Century station wagon that could carry 8 people (3+3+2 in the jump seat). You need not go to that extreme, but get a four-door or start practicing what you'll say to your friends when they can't get a ride from you. A four-door is almost always cheaper to insure than a two-door anyway.

3. It's a better learning experience to take a modest car to its limit than to hop directly into a pocket rocket like the MR2. Driving an average car will give you a greater appreciation of what good cars are like. Favor control over power (handling/brakes > horsepower).

4. You will be in good company: unless your family is rich, nobody gets a sports car for their first car, and nobody can diss your first car either - because first car. Also, remember that an Oppo-worthy car is not necessarily the fastest or best handling: many modest cars are Oppo-worthy.

Conclusion: get your parents to give you the '96 Chevy truck free. Drive that, save your money, build your insurance profile. For your second car, for college, say, get something a little better. Wait until you're 25 to get into something truly sporty.

BeaterGT > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:06

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V-6 Firebird. Enough power to get you acquainted with RWD cars. T-tops to make you look and feel awesome in the summer. Did I mention pop-up headlights and a sweet 5 speed? Can't think of a better first car to be honest.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:07

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See my other post. Try a Protege. Much like the Civic, but more unique.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > sony1492 04/06/2015 at 13:09

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If the Civic it too conventional for you, try a Mazda Protege.

bguyther > Dunnik 04/06/2015 at 13:10

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That seems to be the general consensus, I was definitely planning on working for a while and not getting a car right away. Thanks for the reply man!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:10

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For some reason I can't reply on your post, so i'll reply to your reply!

first off, welcome to oppo!

Secondly, the cars on the list.

Of the four, I've driven the MX5, and the 350Z.

The 350 is in a different league performance-wise. it's a quick car and it's got all the modern tech that made it feel much safer at high speeds.

That being said, the MX5 is the best smiles-per-dollar car I've ever driven. It's light, nimble, responsive, and just straight up fun, even in 1.6 open diff form.

I'd say ignore the SW20 MR2. it will be expensive to fix if something goes wrong. There's a lot of specialty parts in them, and normal Toyota techs tend to refuse working on them.

The 944 is a mixed bag, as we have people here with them who love 'em, but it just isn't my cup of tea. could be a great car though

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:12

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the other con for a Z is that almost all of the have been, riced, douchbaged, and other wise ruined, or just plan beat on.

bguyther > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 04/06/2015 at 13:14

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I always thought the z might be to quick for my experience, would you agree with that?

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:15

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If presented with that range of choice, I would personally go of the Miata because it's a relatively safe option since it's cheap to buy and run. But, like others have said, a small Japanese saloon is also a great choice, like a Honda Civic. They're simple, cheap to run, cheap to modify repair, have enough space to carry you and your mates and fantastically reliable with a D-series engine which can take a good deal of punishment.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Sn210 04/06/2015 at 13:15

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Snap-oversteer.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:19

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2003-2005 Vibe GT/Matrix XRS. Toyota reliability, 170 hp, 8500 rpm redline, decent aftermarket, and fun to drive. Plus, being basically a Corolla wagon, no one (police) is going to pick you out of the crowd.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:20

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my GLi is my first car and it has 255hp and 289ft-lbs. it tops out at 145mph (not tested)

I've driven a 420Hp 5.0 GT on one occasion, and that was scary. I'd say the 350z's 240-ish hp is a lot, but nothing that you can't handle

Also, keep in mind, I'm 16 :P

One thing though. Do you wanna know why I didn't even look at a 350Z? The insurance is so damn high on 'em. I'm not kidding, it's almost as bad as trying to insure an M3 or an STI as a 16 year old....

traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:21

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Dodge Challenger R/T

Source: Personal experience

/sarcasm

I'm 1 year older than you, and it's awesome for my first car, but I don't recommend it to everyone.

Party-vi > bguyther 04/06/2015 at 13:27

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I mean, it doesn't need to be as boring as a Civic, but I think you'll be happier with something that has 4 doors and is a bit practical. Something under the radar like a Protege (as JawzX2 recommended) or even a Civic Si.