FnL

what do u guys think of the rx8 as a first car. Im 17 and will be getting my first car for my senior year this summer. Ive been driving around in my bros IS300 and my dads v6 mustang for the last year for my expiernce. So its not my first car that i will actually drive in it will be my first owned car.

ps u think it will be hot with the chicks at high school?:D

Hercules

Honestly if I were 17, I'd LOVE the RX-8.

But being 23 now and having grown quite a bit, I'd tell 17 year old drivers to stay away from such a high priced car.

Consider first the payments. Then consider insurance. Then consider gas as well. Then ask yourself if you are going to further education (college?).

These factors play a HUGE role in getting a car. Personally if *you* are not making the money to support the car, don't buy it. And I mean *you* alone. It's great when parents buy you a car but as I've learned by SUFFERING all through college with a Millenia that I bought with my *own* money, even with low payments and insurance under my parent's name... I really had a hard time.

I had to decide whether to go out with my friends or have gas money. I had to decide whether I could indulge in something small I wanted or pay for the car that month and have it get repossesed if I couldn't.

And let me add also, that teenagers are more apt to (and this is based on HORMONES, nothing personal hehe) to do stupid things while driving like showing off for a girl, whatever.. I've been there and fortunately my Millenia was only 170 horsepower else I'd be in a WHOLE different situation. Accidents for teens and in general for people under the age of 21 are far higher than the rest of the age groups. It's just the way it is.

For a first car, I'd recommend to you what I'm going to get my sister. A Miata. It will teach you control, balance, proper technique and isn't powerful enough to get you killed. It is powerful enough however, to have a *lot* of fun with. And there are an unbelievable amount of mods you can do.

The alternative would be to get a 90-92 RX-7. You can get into a nice convertible that has good power, great handling for around 7 grand. And with the money you save on either car, you can get mods done to make your car more fun as you learn.

But getting a brand spanking new car is something I did and it was stupid. I never got into an accident but the body of the car suffered SO much abuse due to my not being careful and not knowing any better. I'd rather abuse an older car that will be my 'learning' car, and when I get out of college and have all the experience of beating the crap out of my first car done, I'll be ready and much more appreciative of the car I want with the money I'm earning alone.

This is of course my opinion and while you're 17 you might look at it as I would have.. that I don't know what I'm talking about. But when you get to being 23, 24 years old and look back.. you'll have the same advice for people asking just like you are.

P00Man

thing is, he's right, although we (17-18 yr olds) really dont wanna listen. the rx-8 is also going to be my first car, to an almost definate certainty.
Im not crazy enough to drive fast though, i just like the looks of it, and that its unique in being a rotary and the doors and all.
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MattFast

Are you gonna buy the car yourself of is your daddy that rich..?

Midnight Flyer

I would second the suggestion of getting an older Miata as a first car. The insurance is low, you are less likely to get into trouble and the car handles well enough to get you out of trouble. An older RX7 might also be a good idea. You can also do a lot of mods to make it really yours.

I got a 91 MX5 for my son to learn to drive in and for the family to race with. He has taken performance driving courses both in the summer and winter so he can learn how to drive the car well. He is also learning to work on the car both at school and at home.

Also, if and when he gets into an accident I won't care too much if the car is totalled as I did not pay much for it. The MX5 handles very well so hopefully he can use it and his training to stay out of trouble. It has the advantage of also being a really fun car, drop the top and it looks cool and he can only take one passenger along so he can't be goaded into doing something stupid. I hope.

Getting a $30K car for a 17 year old is an invitation to trouble, I don't care how rich daddy is.

fritts

I don't think anyone under the age of 18 really should be driving an 8. If there are your parents are either a. RICH or b. STUPID. Or could be a combination of both. If you can afford it and your around that age well you probably should be putting your money somewhere else. But I am sure the RX-7 guys are hoping there are plenty of young drivers, that way they have some wreck engines to shoe horn into their cars. :D

laferle

I agree that an RX-8 wouldn't be a very good first car, but I don't think that no one under the age of 18 should be permitted to own one.

No teenager is alike, and it's unwise to generalize. My first car is my current car, a 97 prelude (auto). I've been driving it for the better part of two years (I'm 17), and have proven my responsibility as a driver. I'll be driving an RX-8 this summer. It's an automatic, yes, but that also means that it's only 15 horses more than my Prelude. It won't be insured under my name, so that's not an issue. To say that every teenage driver should not own an RX-8 is unfair to those of us who are responsible drivers. Sure, I could name any number of teens who shouldn't be trusted with one, but I could match that with many who could.

And more importantly, what is your place to say that someone should or shouldn't drive a given car? Unless said individual happens to collide with you, how will it affect you? Is it that you're afraid your car will be considered a "teen car" or the rich boy's rice burner? You're passing judgement on the driver, and in some cases the parents of the driver, without even being aware of the circumstances or factors behind the decision.

fritts

I can generalize and will because most wrecks I see around here are caused by teenagers. Sorry if your a teen but I don't believe you should be in the 8. I know its my opinion and all but I don't trust any other driver on the road besided myself. And I tell you what I am much more cautious driving around teenagers. I have been hit by a teenager before, and I am sure it will happen again, their fault of course not paying attention to the road. I think that the US should increase the driving age to 18. I don't believe the majority of teens actually are mature enough to handle a vehicle. I am not even taking into account the type of car the 8 is. The car produces 250 hp it is a sports car by all rights it will accelerate fast and handle corners well. Most teenagers don't have enough experience or behind the wheel time, counted in years not months, to properly drive a vehicle with this much power. The same goes for motorcycles. Even though its a small percentage of teens that drive motorcycles around here, you can't get by more than 6 months without hearing some kid killed himself on his crotch rocket.

I don't care about the circumstances behind a teen owning an 8 I don't believe you or any other teen should have one. Sorry but I don't know you or trust you have enough experience to drive one. So therefore I will judge you and anyone that's a teenager and generalize that you are a bad driver.

And, No I don't care about the stigma associated with the car.

justinm2

I dont think raising the driving age to 18 would accomplish anything but putting a bunch of inexperienced 18-20 year olds behind the wheel. plus kids would be graduating from high school with no work experience, because no one will hire someone without a license. I think they should make driving school mandatory in order to get your license. As far as whether or not a teenager should be in an rx8, I would say for the most part your right, they have no business in a performance car. However you can't say that about all of them. I bought an rx-7 as my first car a week before I turned 16. I drove it everyday until I was 20. Since then i've had 7 other rx-7's and a b3000 pickup. The only time any of them ever came in contact with with another vehicle was being rear-ended by three different adults ranging from mid thirties - one that was probably pushing 90 years of age. I'm not going to say I didn't do some stupid things, but every teenager is going to regardless of what kind of car they're in.

jonalan

I agree with you 100% on the mandatory driving school thing! I also think there should be re-testing every 20-30 years or so. It's kind of scary to believe there are 70, 80 90 year olds driving cars that maybe shouldn't be.

pelucidor

Based on my personal experience I would not allow my kids to have a brand new car at when they first start to drive - I would require them to have 2-3 years of accident-free driving experience first with an old but safe car. When I initially started driving in 1984 I had many narrow escapes, spun out several times, and had several accidents (wrote off 2 old and crappy cars worth about $2000 total for my parents in 2 years :o). The first car of my own (a used '86 Peugeot GTi after university and starting work) was vastly faster and better in every way than the 1970's Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva I helped off the road, and I had no problems with it at all (often hitting it's 125mph top speed) and no accidents since (not even a scratch in 15+ years - partly luck of course).

But as laferle said, all kids and their families are different. If my parents could have afforded a car without bald tires and perhaps with vaguely decent brakes/handling and other 'safety' features maybe I would not have wrecked them. Maybe he is a safer/better/less aggressive driver than I was in those days - he is certainly more experienced having already driven for almost 2 years at age 17 (in England you cannot start driving until you are 18 and I was 19 before my parents unwisely let me borrow their car).

If laferle and others in this fortunate position can APPRECIATE and RESPECT what they are getting (regardless of who pays the bills) and perhaps invest in some proper driver training to go with it then why not go for it - there are other more dangerous things out there a youngster can experience than a powerful car.

laferle

Sadly I don't disagree with you that teens have a significant cut of the accident age demographic, but let's face it; a vast majority of those accidents have little to do with a performance car. Unless it involves losing control of the vehicle, an accident is probably due more to inexperience, inattentiveness, ignorance, or arrogance than to the type of car he/she drives (assuming of course that the type of car doesn't affect the driver's mentality).

You state yourself that when you've been in accidents with teens it's due to inattentiveness on their part. Wouldn't it be just as likely (or perhaps likelier) that they'd be just as inattentive in a late-80s Buick compared to an RX-8? You generalize that all teenagers shouldn't be driving performance cars, yet you continually use phrases like "most teenagers" and "a majority of" them -- implying a subset of them (of which there certainly is) that is mature enough and responsible enough to handle a car like the 8. Finally, don't compare an 8 to a motorcycle. Two totally different beasts, of which I'm disgusted by the latter -- with all due respect to motorcycle riders.

Now I know that examples are generally useless, but at my high school (a 300-student catholic school in metro detroit), there are two students who we'll call Student A and Student B. Both are 17 years old and in the same class. Student A drives an early 90s Ford Ranger. Student B drives a black 2003 Mercedes-Benz C320 Sports Coupe. One has been in three accidents (in one, the car wasn't drivable post-accident), and the other has a spotless driving record, even with a 20 minute commute to school every day. As you might have guessed, the Benz owner has the spotless record. It's not all about the car you drive; it's your driving habits in general. Student A is likely of the variety that you've been involved with, and likely that which you base your universal condemnation of teen drivers upon. But what about the kid who has a nice performance/luxury car, yet remains a responsible driver? Should he be condemned with the accident-prone kamikaze Ranger driver just because of his age? As a disclaimer, both students really exist and neither has been exaggerated. And no, neither one is me.

What a lovely attitude. "I don't know you, I've never seen you or your driving habits, but you're a teenager, and therefore you're a bad driver." It's good to know prejudice is alive and well in today's society.


edit: for clarity

Hercules

I think if teens are going to get the RX-8, get the auto as laferle did. It's cheaper, lighter on insurance, and will show you the 'ropes' of getting into something more powerful.

And it will satisfy your need to 'look cool' in front of your friends. But that is something far beyond me.

Cihuuy

Fnl: wow... lots of ppl giving u advice on whether or not u should drive the rx8... hahaha... dont worry... they love u man... coz they all love the 8 not to be wreaked by a teenager... :p

Personally if you have $$$, ill say but the 8... i've seen many teenager who can drive, but i also know a lot of teenager who can not take the responsibility on the road!!!

As for starter, y not register yourself in racing school... y know those clubs that teaches you how to control your car and all...??
Just a thought... :D

P00Man

i really couldnt drive an auto.....ive grown up on a manual, and when i did my 6 hours driving with an instructor, and the final road test, both were automatic vehicles and made it much more difficult. its way to boring and makes it harder to stay focused.

at any rate, anyone driving any vehicle should remember that regardless of what car it is, or whatever it is, it has more than enough power to quickly (or slowly) end their life, or maim them.

The only way to avoid an accident in any car is to drive safely and responsibly. The car itself has almost nothing to do with it, it all has to do with the mantality of the driver. Sure, a more powerful vehicle will accelarate faster, one may handle better or stop more quickly, but that doesnt mean that a particular driver will drive in a way that could cause an accident.
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Hercules

Okay but here's the deal then

If you get into an accident with your RX-8 and it's your fault because of your stupidity... you can't ever post here again

We will all yell at you otherwise! :D

hehe

P00Man

obviously.....
blahAHAHAHA, if i crash that thing ill never forgive myself. id torture myself daily staring at pictures and watching the videos, constantly reminding myself of my idiocy.
blahAHAHahahahaha
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Cihuuy

hahaha...
if you get an accident because of your ignorance and ended d live of 1 of rx8.. you will be punish for life by the "rotary-GOD"... :D

P00Man

LOL!
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fritts

My suggestions about the motorcycle and the 8 was that they are high performance machines and most teenagers will be bound and determine to test the limits of that machine. Even though they don't have the experience to do so. In any case a car can be dangerous but when you make the car capable of being even more dangerous by making it powerfull you have an even worse situation.

As to my attitude, I think that when you are 5-6 years older you will start to see where teenagers drivers should be considered major liabilities.

The prejudice in my opinion I believed to be warranted. To many teenager drivers kill and are killed because of immaturity. Because you can't weed through teenagers for maturity, I will consider all of you to be liabilities and unsafe. To me that is the safe option. My hopes are that the government will start acting on this too and raise the drivers ages or prolong permits to a couple years of driving with parents. Which I have heard of several laws have been presented to do just that.

justinm2

being as most of them have parents with no business behind the wheel of a car that doesn't accomplish a whole lot.

P00Man

yeah, that really isnt a solution.
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fritts

hooray for the public transit system then.

I don't know why its not. Our state I believe requires drivers with permits to drive with an adult.

Y&Y

FNL,

Just get the 8. I'm with you all the way. I agree that teenagers are just bad drivers in general me used to being one. But since you already have experience driving two powerful cars, it shouldn't be a problem for you to drive the 8. But you should get the 8 with manual. You'll definitely have more control over your speed and worry less about your tranny.


Oh yeah the chicks would love it. With my experience with MOST of the girls I have met. Either they know nothing about cars or they don't really care. As long as it looks nice and fast. And they won't even know the difference. Hell you can drive a freaking ferrari and have a civic engine in it and they won't even know the difference.

Just don't try to impress the girls by driving fast or drive around like a monkey on meth(speed).:D