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Advice I'd give on this subject... I honestly don't know. Any car can be a danger to a teenage driver, it doesn't have to be a "fast" car. Especially if he has friends with cars that have similar horsepower, and they decide to race to see who is faster.
I grew up being a car guy. I had go-karts, dirt bikes, etc, and could usually be found on the weekends wrenching in the garage. My first car was one that I had to work on, and got to know inside and out. It taught me pride of ownership, so I didn't want to wreck it and ruin all my hard work. Kids today are lacking in this when their parents just give them a car, any type of car.
Hopefully he is responsible and if he does make a mistake or lapse in judgment, (which he probably will) he'll learn from it like we all have.
Yes and also learning the value of a dollar if the newly licensed driver had to purchase their own car.
Like I said I took a loan from my father for my first car later paid off that same summer by my working in a Embroidery factory cutting raw fabric from spools to go on ten 15 yard machines.
Has anyone had a young family member given a car that you felt wasnt the right car?
My mom didn't like that my dad got me a '89 Mustang GT 5.0 convertible with a standard transmission for my 16th birthday (also in 1992).
But it all turned out good. I had a way to get to athletics by myself, go to work after school, etc. Freed them up from having to drive me everywhere.
And I have had a lifelong love affair with cars since I was like 4 years old, so I totally took care of that thing. Even worked at the dealership one summer to buy a new fan.
It still amazes me that parents think it is the right thing to do just giving vehicles to their new drivers. I had to borrow money from the bank to get my first vehicle and pay for my own insurance and gasoline. Oh well all I can say is I personally would not have given a 16 year a vehicle that went anywhere near really fast except I would not have "given" a vehicle in the first place.
Why not?
If you have a responsible kid and the parents can afford it, I don't see the problem.
People gotsta get around.
My parents could see how I took care of everything else (I still have the first walkman they ever gave me in 1983 - and IT WORKS) and that I got good grades and was responsible. They made me research the cars, do a Excel spreadsheet/graph presentation, and then call and do the haggling myself. Part of what paid for the car was all the money I had earned or received in gifts my whole life. I took VERY good care of that car, never ate or drank in it, kept it clean, kept up oil changes...I spent every other weekend detailing it after my track/CC meets, etc.
So unless you raise your kid to be ungrateful, irresponsible brats, I don't see how giving them ANYTHING instead of making them earn it would automatically guarantee that they wouldn't appreciate it or misuse it, etc.
People often make this mistake. They think it's the giving of stuff that spoils a kid. It's not. It's how you parent them. My brother and I were given a lot of things in our lives. But we were also taught never to take them for granted. We were taught the value of a dollar, what hard work means, and how to take care of what you have.
I think this forcing them to earn everything in an attempt to 'teach them something' may be a symptom of lazy parenting. You can make them earn stuff. That's cool. But that's not where the primary lesson really comes from.
16 years old... I remember that day for me back in 1992 and I took my aunts 1991 Honda Accord to take my driving test.
Now its 2012 and I have a cousing turning 16 tomorrow and he got a car for his birthday and a very nice one.
Though its a heavy, solid and safe car, me and my family have been wondering is this the right car for a 16 year old? Well today, he came out to the driveway for his "finale" birthday present to find a decorated 2002 Saab 9-5 2.3L turbo sedan filled with balloons and a ribbon on top. A very nice present indeed for a 16 year old, but I wonder if a different car would be better for a 16 year old? I told my uncle that an old diesel Mercedes would be a good choice.
I personally drove this Saab the other day when my uncle brought it to show me and the car is very fast... I think its faster than any car I have ever owned and I have owned alot of cars over the years. I had never driven a Saab before and I was amazed. Its a very solid car and is a safe car, but I feel too powerful of a car for a teenager. I hope its safety features never have to be used.
My uncle had been looking for him a car for awhile and ran across a super deal on this one. I told him he may be better off giving him his wifes 2001 GMC Yukon and letting his wife have the Saab.
I am hoping that he will drive responsibly drive the car and not want to "show off" in it and it end up in tragedy. I guess time will tell. I know any car can go fast and its scary for a teenage to be out on the road in anything, but I do see often when a teenager will be given a very fast sports car and while this is not a car seemingly like a sports car, it is a very powerful sports sedan with amazing power. I think if somehow the "turbo" could be safely disconnected, it would be a good thing. I am not sure of the details, it may not be until he is 18 until they let him drive it alone and I am not even ruling out that they may give him his mothers Yukon and her take the Saab... we will see.
Has anyone had a young family member given a car that you felt wasnt the right car?
well it actually isnt that fast of a car in reality....maybe quick but not fast. However, it might be too much for a 16 year old, I agree.
However, overall, that kid should be made to buy his own car like many other 16 and 17 year olds. No kid deserves a car to be handed to them. I had 3 vehicles from ages 16-18 and bought everyone of them. It gave me a sense of responsibility and I took probably better care of it than if I had it handed to me.
Also, I want to add after reading other replies, that I never gave my parents any trouble at all, always kept good grades, etc. But not once did I feel that I was entitled to a car just because of those things.
I had my first car given to me at 17 by my father. It was his 15 year old 85 Pontiac Firebird 2.8L v6 Automatic. I drove the car daily until 2006 when I purchased a "new" used car.
I did have friends who ran their camaros, firebirds, and mustangs into ditches, and telephone poles (no one with major injuries) but I guess I didn't fit that bill. I had 2 fender benders during those ages, neither very serious, but both involved having friends either in the car, or in an adjoining car.
My biggest fear for kids in cars, is equally split between the safety of the kid driving the car and the safety of the occupants of other cars around them. I don't think a Yukon, Suburban, etc is really the proper car for a kid either considering how much damage it can cause when they hit someone else. Just like a ferrari isn't the right car considering how quickly the car can get into trouble too.
It's really a toss up though, since so much has to do with the attitude and perception of the teenage driver. Some are more responsible than others, and some can handle faster vehicles.
Heck, 2 years after I had my drivers license, I had an FAA certificate to fly airplanes anywhere in the country. A few short years after than, into my 20's, I had command of a jet flying you to your vacation.
The best car for a 16 year old is one that he has had to work his ass off to get. But if it is something to be given, better an old beater, so you don't feel badly if it gets smashed.
That car isn't fast, but it is a turbo so it won't take much to make it significantly faster if that is what he is into. I plan on getting my kid a slow car (not too slow) and work for at least part of the cost.
Well, I have to stick up for that Saab. The Saab 9-5 may not be a beast at 0-60, but drive one up to 25-30 mph and punch it. Few cars accelerate like that one can: at speed. It feels insanely quick doing that.
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