I taught my daughter on a 308, they're bullet proof.
2000-2021 Nissan Z. Cheap, reliable, sporty, no exotic factor to be worried about and still fun, especially for a fledgling driver.
Genesis coupe, BRZ/FR-S, Golf... and the answer is really Miata. I'll toss in Z3 2.8, too. A 16 year old, unless he's already a pro racing driver shouldn't really have anything more than 200hp. I got into enough trouble with 130.... My nephew is 16, and he and my brother scored a 1991 SE Miata with reasonably low miles. He loves it. sjd
I like the way you think! Thanks for all the recs. I will look into them. Thank you for the heads-up regarding the bad Mustang gear boxes. I had heard the new Explorers were having problems, but did not know about the Mustangs. Convertibles are neat, but lack the safety and security of a hard-top. Kids tend to park their cars in the darnedest places.
Thank you for all the replies and recommendations. I have thought about most cars mentioned, with a few thoughts: Convertibles: Neat, fun to drive, especially if we were still in Cali. We live in a less weather-friendly locale now. They are also less "safe" than their coupe and sedan counterparts, especially with so many large trucks and SUVs on the road. They are also less secure, as kids tend to park wherever, whenever, without regard to security. Pretty easy to cut open a top to burg or steal a car. More rattles and squeaks, too. Minimal seats: I agree, less distractions. I also live in a state that limits provisional licensees from having more than one under-18, non-family-member passenger in the vehicle, which helps. 2-seaters also tend to drive higher insurance premiums, but not a huge factor. Mondial/308: Well, yes. Why not, if the price is right, which it's not anymore, anyway. His name is Enzo, after all!!! (not named after the "Old Man", though). I always tell him he should drive something unique that stands out among all the muscle cars, BMWs, etc., that are so prevalent, and gives him a unique sense of identity. I like older cars, but he is not there yet. I think he would be the coolest kid in town cruising around in a Mondial, even though a lot of the kids around here are driving cars that cost twice as much. He sees the shiny new objects that some of his friends have and gets distracted. I have also tried to explain to him that he will drive a "vintage" or classic car for a while and likely sell it for at least as much as we paid for it, versus the steep depreciation of a newer car. Budget: Ideally $30k or less, preferably way less. I've seen nice 996s and Caymans at that point, plus we have just started looking. BMWs seem to be within this target, as well, but I have heard the newer 3-series cars with the twin-turbos are problematic. Power/RWD: Yes, a consideration. I would likely make sure he gets on a track with a professional driver/instructor who can take him to the limits in whatever he ends up driving, so he can learn where not to go. He is a pretty conservative kid with good judgment, overall. But absolutely, his safety and lack of experience is at the forefront of my thoughts. Thanks for the feedback.
My vote would be American, Japanese or possibly an M3. Getting broken from burnouts with friends etc and crashing is a high probability. There are some durable yet fun cars in that group. Maintenance is easy and not expensive. A generation or 2 back Mustang is a good car and lots around.
I have two ..they seem easy enough to fix ..what do you feel is hard ..just curious Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
C5/C6 vette base or z06 trim, brz/86 are solid options as new or used cars. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I know it isn't old or sexy, but we got my daughter a '19 Civic Sport 6 speed. Impressed with all the safely features (heck it has more than my '21 M2C) and it will last her a really long time. We do basic maintenance on it together. Several of her friends also have the same car and they have been very reliable. I never want her stuck somewhere if it can be avoided.
I vote BRZ/FR-Sor other Subaru makes. Plenty of Manual Subies out there. WRX’s are fun cars. I have owned 2 of them and wish I never sold my last 2010.
Personally I plan to buy my kid a single cab pickup with a manual….. like that they don’t have friends behind them…. I guess a 2 seater sports car would achieve that goal. However, I think those cars are too much unless he has racing experience. If he is familiar with shifter karts, that is a different story. Personally, I have almost as much fun driving my GTI as I do my manual F430. Plus if you have a Porsche as your first car….. where do you go from there? Maybe an Mazda MX5 coupe?
Turning your “young son” loose in relatively high horsepower car is a recipe for disaster. Any Porsche, Mondale or American V8 is no bueno in my book. If the car is for YOU but he’ll learn to drive it, different story. My kids learned to drive a stick in a 2000 F150 V6. Big and slow. I took it to the extreme. If you want cooler than that, get him a Civic or Mazda 3. Maybe a Miata with the hardtop convertible thing. A V6 Camaro might be good.
As probably the youngest guy in this topic, and therefore the one who most recently remembers driving a Grand Prix from Vermont to Connecticut at [redacted]mph at 2AM when I was 17, all of these cars are way, way, way too fast. At 16-18, I would have killed myself in a C5 Z06, M3, etc. I don’t mean “I would have been stupid with it,” I mean I’d be 6 feet under with associated headstone. Here’s my suggestions. - don’t assume he shares your taste. If he likes “stance” try to share that with him even if you think it’s stupid. No kids are gonna be interested in YOUR hobby if you tell them they’re doing it wrong. You don’t have a single Japanese car on your list - and honestly Korean cars are entering this discussion in the last few years too. Are those a potential stumbling block? - see what he’s interested in. Kids have a different way of appreciating cars than when I was at that age. Initial D is still a show about cars. YouTube is this generations road and track. Gotta accept that. - if you want him to appreciate cars, find something that’s more of a project in some way or another. Do a turbo kit together. Figure out how to wire a stereo if he’s a music guy. Do fluids together if you can. For most people, their appreciation of cars didn’t start with throwing a checkbook at them. But ask your son for suggestions, not strangers on the internet. Having said that, a Miata would be a great choice for this. Stick, RWD, not horribly boring, easy to customize, cheap to maintain. Early Boxster too but they’re getting up there in price. BRZ/86 is good. Hell, he might want a civic SI - just don’t tell him that’s a bad choice because it’s not what you would pick.
Also this is mandatory reading for someone in the “why doesn’t my kid like cars” camp: https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/avoidable-contact/avoidable-contact-92-gates-and-ladders-all-the-ways-old-people-kill-young-enthusiasm/
With a 30k budget I would avoid a 996 or Cayman or even a 986 boxster. Good examples where the IMS has been taken care of will cost you more than that. You should be able to get something nice like a c250 Mercedes for less than that amount if you are looking for a good solid coupe. If you want to get him something hip, then an Arbath 500. Not over powered, very cool and Italian. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Something to think about. When time will come we will look at the car with the highest safety rating out there, then manual, then fun to drive… The number of people who died in motor vehicle crashes surged to 31,720 in the first nine months of 2021, the government reported yesterday. It’s the biggest nine-month tally in 15 years. It’s also 12% higher than in the same time frame in 2020, making it the biggest percentage increase over a nine-month period since records began in 1975.
well, you said it right there. if you want him to be interested and into it, you gotta get HIM what HE prefers. I try not to push my preferences on my younger kids (I fail miserably at that by the way) and want them to pick what they like....manual shift Corvettes of almost any genre are inexpensive, relatively easy and inexpensive to repair and are fast....just my two cents