crouzer

This is a classic question for new motorcyclist. Usually some newbie wants to buy a Yamaha R6 or R1. Now I'm not saying riding a motorcycle is the same as driving a car, but this is a question that will come up often and has turned into a debate recently in another thread so why not a poll?

Hercules

You can learn on any car... I just was glad that I got into an accident with a piece of crap Lumina instead of a nice car when I started driving

To each his own.

crouzer

Yeah. I think I had been driving on the farm since I was 12. And I did some on-road joy riding prior to 16. I still got into a fender bender one morning going to school. Guess I didn't look to the left twice and see the car coming. Then theres the time when a passenger in the rear decided to open the door while I was backing up which bent the door when it hit a mailbox. But the rear passengers can't open their door in the RX-8. I stopped counting how many wrecks I had been in when riding with others. Luckily nothing serious. We were a crazy bunch.

ibfubar2000

yeah but wouldnt it be better to get in an accident in a SAFE car instead of a piece of crap car? why risk your life in a piece of crap car, when a brand new car is so much safer (see pics of the crashed rx8 in the photo section, notice the air bags!!) who cares how he gets it at least he is safer!!

crouzer

There are plenty of safe cars out there. Found a web page explaining risk analysis and gave this as an insurance industry example:

Minor wrecks occur more often than large ones, so the probability of a large wreck is smaller than the probability of a minor wreck. The number of accidents also depends on the type of people in a group. In general, high school students have more accidents per person than their parents, so the students premiums are larger than their parents.

Hercules

Don't try to wing the safety arguement on me because I'll just tell you to get into a Ford Crown Vic that's got a huge chassis that will keep you isolated from everything.

If you want a sports car, you're not buying it for safety. I want one, but I cant lose on practicality, at least to a small extent. Thus, the RX-8 is a good choice.

KEF

no way,

every one should have to learn to drive in a hunk of junk
(like my rusty old biege metro, with it's 1.0 litre engine from the old morris minor)

it's the only way you'll ever really appreciate a decent motor.

one of the old guys in my work has just replaced his antique escort with a honda accord, 1st time he's had power steering, power brakes, a modern engine, airbags, climate control, and he's quite possibly the happiest car owner i've met in years.

Hercules

Slow steps make ya happiest, that's for sure.

Instant gratification wears off oh, so quickly.

dying_here

you can never truly appreciate a good car until you've driven a piece of **** for years.

So im holding off Rx-8 for a few years just so i can fully appreciate it when the time comes... that and other reasons too haha

Hercules

Few years and you can appreciate the RX-7 too :p

MaRX8

Like most people have said, you won't truly appreicate a good car, unless you've come from one that was worse. I'm sure that's not true for everyone, but it's certianly true for me.

BRx8

that would make a great quote! my piece of ***** were in the form of an '87 Honda CRX, '93 Honda Civic LX, '97 Honda Civic HX...driving econoboxes for years really made me appreciate my used '96 3000GT which has giving me a lot of enjoyment for the past 3 years...

btw, i learned to drive stick the moment i took the GT off the lot...i had driven stick maybe like 3 times before that, but never on an actual street...thank goodness it was at night when there were no cars around cuz i did stall it 2 out of the 5 lights on the way home! after a weeks worth of "hardcore" driving in a shopping mall parking lot, i drove the car smoother than people who've driven stick all their lives

RotorGeek

I to will appreicate my 8 when it gets here. I drive a POS tercel now.

med_mx6

i feel kinda sorry for those who have/had the privilege to jump right into a nice car. sorry b/c they usually don't learn car basics like jumpstarting, changing flat tires, etc. i learned on a pontiac lemans, drove around in my parents '87 (or '88) Mazda GLCs (we had a red one and a blue one!), an '80 mercedes sled (gf's car), 87 maxima (which was abused). in my ~12 years of driving, i've think i've turned over 4 or 5 cars now (meaning i've watched the odometer go over 100,000 miles). now i have a m-edition mx-6, which isn't a super fabulous car, but I love it!

BRx8

My first car, the '87 CRX didn't have power steering (oh yea, parallel parking was a bitch), power windows, or power door locks...the fan blew out on me twice which made my car look like a smoking fireball down the street, especially cuz it was red...i got a synthetic "turbo-boost" everytime i turned the air-conditioning off...

Schneegz

I say teach them to drive on a POS. The more dents and rust, the better. That way the inevitable bumps and curb scrapes don't matter.

KEF

how can you say that,

i went from an A series rover metro to rover 213

(unbelievable jump from 1970's to 1980's technology)

them from 213 to Mazda MX-6 J-Spec 4WS

(now 80's family buggy to 90's sports coupe that's a jump)

Selling the '6 is one of the hardest decisions i faced in years.


(sorry off topic, but that's my pride and joy, at least until the '8 comes along)

med_mx6

yeah, that's because your jspec probably puts down ~30 hp more and has 4WS. (i dyno'ed my a-spec at ~142 hp.) i love my mx6 and it's been very reliable and stylish, but you can probably guess i'm itching for a little more pizzazz. by the time i could logically and finanicially do an engine swap, I'll be ready for my 8!

rotarypower

that's ever so true. i drive a huge awkward minivan and when i drive my dad's or friends' cars it feels reaaaaaal good.

the_best_sarek

I'm driving a Hyundai Excel 92 and I'm projecting to get a rx-8 (maybe in one year but I'll get it someday ). I think it'll be safe... the problem is often the driver not the car when the car is running safely (my car have scrapped brakes and suspension it's getting hard to drive safely).

grogiefrog

I started with two RX-7's. I never got myself killed. Close to it... but I made it. Although I started driving at a young age around a ranch on old pickup trucks and big cars. To think about it, I would start off some first time drive with something big and ugly that they can wreck!

TerraHopper

If you're referring to motorcycles, then try the Suzuki SV650 -- it's recommended as a good starter. For cars, I would recommend a front-wheeler like a Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio. Although, switching to rear-wheel drive will take some adjustment, at least FWD produces predictable understeer without dangerous power-oversteer.

Piece out,
TerraHopper

m477

I would definitely recommend starting out with something like a 1st gen Miata or 240SX, so they can get used to handling a RWD car, which will be MUCH easier and safer in a car that doesn't have lots of power and a high top speed.

Cars like the RX-8, FD, or S2000, with lots of power and sharp handling are great, but inexperienced drivers can get into trouble very easily in them. Don't take my word for it, just check all the threads on the RX-7 forum about totalled cars, injury, and even death in single car accidents.

NoVa

Well since this post is directed towards me i'll give some insight. When i first started driving about a year and a half ago i had the luxury to drive 3 different cars and get the feel for the differences. I learned on my awd rx300 and fwd jaguar. After i got comfortable in driving i went to drive the rwd(of course) mustang gt. Although the two other cars were very smooth i didnt feel right in them. Now the only car i drive is the mustang and have been drivign it for over a year. Take it as you must, but i prefer the feeling of a sports coupe over the smoothness of a luxury sedan or suv.

Farsyde

hey dude chill on the colors they are drilling into my brain.

Oh yeah, my first car i'm still drivin. 4 years old next month. '99 protege with 100 hampster power. What a great car, but man is it slow. i'm glad i learned on it.