rx8 for a 16 year olds first car? help please
 

hey guys, i just turned 16 last weekend and ive been thinking about buying an rx8. im sure tons of people ask "is this the right car for me?" and it probably gets really old, but theres a couple of things i need to know about

insurance- im 16, any cars insurance is gonna be bad. is it gonna be a lot worse in an rx8?

oil- a dealer told me that you had to check the oil every other time you fill up the gas tank. does anyone actually do that and is it necessary?

reliability- how often do the cars need repairs that are costly.

i have drove an rx8 and i love it. i just wanted to know a little more about it from real owners



*edit* im sick of people saying how spoiled i am and my parents must be buying a car cause all teenagers are devil children who cant work at all so their parents must be buying it. ive saved my money since i was 10, invested in the stock market, got a dollar-to-dollar match from my dad(which is fair, most kids get that) and over the past 12 weeks i have worked every friday saturday and sunday i have to save for a car. just thought i would throw that out there =]

fyi you are going to get flamed but i bought my 8 last night :)

you will have to add oil about 1 quart per 3k miles i saw somewhere
if you take care of the car it can last as long if not longer then any car though the 8 has some special things that are not common on piston engine cars and you need to know them

insurance is going to be ridiculous for you because you are so young
and you didn't drove an 8 you have driven one and as a 16 year old you should not drive this car because at a young age you arn't as responsible as you need to be to own a car that can kill/mame as quickly and easily as this car

fact of the matter is kids esp younger ones in sports cars tend to be a statistic because they arn't mature enough to drive the car they tend to care about impressing people and their friends and don't have the skills neccesary to do it safely hell most adults don't. so i would say for you you should look into something else.

i drove a contour svt before this and straight line that car is just a little slower then the 8 and is fun to drive and easy to drive safely anyway they will flame you because of your age so be prepared

Yes
Yes
Depends on how you take care of the car.

if your some 'punk racer' then this car isn't for you.

if you're mature and don't care to street race then it's fine.

oil isn't too bad, just keep an eye on it more than you would a 'normal' vehicle (piston motor)

it's very reliable as opposed to fd's.. and repairs can vary on cost depending on 'what's wrong'

Just do it.

Don't race, don't show off, take care of the car and it will take care of you.

If you "feel the need for speed" goto a track or BFE.

I perfer BFE since it's free :D

16 = no freaking way.

actually im 16 too, and im checking out my 8 this week! good luck, dont worry, i got flamed alot too!

it sucks. walk instead.

I'm 16 with an 8. I really wanted a Mustang Gt, and my parents were caving in on it, but I made the decision that it was too much power for me at this point. Got a great deal on the 8, and here I am today.

:icon_bs:

Insurance might be pretty up there for you. I got my 8 when I was 18 (a few months ago) and my dad since it's about $400 a year since he knows some guy at the company, but I also have no accidents in almost four years of driving.

Oil isn't as big of an issue as the dealer tells you, they don't own the car, they just read what it says in the manual (every other fillup). That's probably overkill, just keep an eye on it more than you would with a piston motor.

Repairs- if it's not an 04, you shouldn't have to worry about the recalls, but if it is, make sure they've been done. Otherwise, it's a very reliable car.

I wouldn't recommend this as a first car to any 16 year old, but remember do NOT, under circumstances try to impress your friends/girlfriend with it. You'll get careless, make a mistake, and likely crash or get a hefty ticket. This car isn't a stoplight king, but it rules in the canyons.

Seriously, I would get a junker for a year or so if I were you. If you do get it, get an MT (more HP among other things) and avoid speeding or running canyons for a few months until you're 100% comfortable with the car and you know how it will react to your driving style.

and you got the better car.

21

i pay ... ....

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...

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$4600/year

good god kersh quit gettn tickets and wrecks

I'm pretty sure mine is just as bad...good thing I don't pay it! :rofl:

Yes, no, not that often, search, you're too young and you can't afford one. Maybe mommy and daddy can, but then "you" wouldn't really be buying one, would you?

1 speeding ticket. and that was after my rates were set.

I wouldn't recommend a RWD for a first car. Really, it doesn't depend what climate you are in, rain can make this a dangerous car. Personally I subscribe to the POS theory. You will very most likely crash your first car. Buy a car cheap enough to throw away the first time. Once it requires a major repair of any kind, you replace it with a car who's value depends on how long the first car lasts. If you make it a solid safe year, get what you want. The RX8 isn't too much car at that point. If you take care of it, and respect it, you will motor safely and happily ofr years.

My first car was RWD...a Ford Ranger. The "Danger Ranger." I'd like to say I didn't crash into anything with it, but that'd be a lie. I'm just glad it was that truck and not my 8 that ended up in a $9,000 fender bender (and yes, it was just a fender bender).

You don't want a car like this to be your first car. I know you think you can handle it, but you can't.

what is it with 16 year old buying $30,000 cars? do parents just not give a shit anymore?

I didnt even have *A* car till I was a sophomore in collge (im 25 now). I don't care how rich, smart, good of a driver you are. Every first car a kid has should be a "reliable piece of shit".

For my current situation its just like I would LOVE to go and get a crotch rocket motorcycle, I could afford it but I'm not stupid enough to just go get a 200mph big bike and start flying. I know I'd lay the bike down at some point so why start big and powerful when something will happen to a newbie.

You said you just turned 16 last week... so that means you were 15 two weeks ago, what person your age just has $25,000+ laying around thats 100% yours? and by yours I mean you earned/worked for every cent?

Save your money, buy something lower down to start, and work your way up.

no way! my first car was a ranger. I always talk about how much I hate that thing and how much it sucks, but in all reality that was a solid truck. If you knew how I drove that thing you would understand. I never had a single thing go out on that truck either, it held up to ME and thats sayin something. I've got respect for the danger ranger.

agreed

My first car was a used 84 12A RX-7 when I was 19 or 20.

I never street raced but I got tons of speeding tickets and handling a RWD car is interesting when wet, specially one with no electronic nanny. I nearly got killed many times (poor kid with bald tires in the wet!).

I recommend a moderately powered FWD as a first car. If you want something sporty try for a Honda Civic Si, Acura RSX, etc.

Get a few years experience, and when it's time to upgrade then get the 8.

Check out a Mazda 3. Get all the dumbassed moves out of your system in a cheaper, more docile car (you WILL do them), then move on to something more desirable.

Even when I was 16, I've always taken pride in my good driving, and I have constantly worked to improve myself. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't do some things that probably would have put me into at least a mailbox or two if I was driving the 8. Basically, you should learn your driving dynamics in a car that is not so apt to bite you.

The 8 is a great choice of a car, but I think you would enjoy it more with at least a couple years of experience under your belt.

Oh, and don't get a Mazdaspeed 3, this thing can occasionally be a handful to control no matter your experience level. It will yank me across lanes if I stop paying attention even for a split second.

Get a Civic Si.