A Ford Fiesta would also teach you how to drive a manual. Although quite how you managed to pass a driving test without knowing how to drive a manual I'm not sure.
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First car help?
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A Ford Fiesta would also teach you how to drive a manual. Although quite how you managed to pass a driving test without knowing how to drive a manual I'm not sure.
The US is a great country. You can pass your driving test in an automatic and then go hop in a manual and attempt to drive it on public streets without having any clue what you're doing.
I had learned the basics in my mom's car when I had my permit. I "perfected" my manual driving in mine. I still don't see what's relevant about being able to learn manual in a Ford Fiesta...
The US is a great country. You can pass your driving test in an automatic and then go hop in a manual and attempt to drive it on public streets without having any clue what you're doing.
Zero accidents. I stalled on an incline at a traffic light when I had my permit and I practiced for hours later that day so that would never happen again.
The US is a great country. You can pass your driving test in an automatic and then go hop in a manual and attempt to drive it on public streets without having any clue what you're doing.
You will get no arguments out of me that our driving tests in the USA suck. It is the only place that you can take the test in a Fiesta and then jump in a Lincoln Navigator! We need harder tests...
I was in the RMV in Massachusetts and an older gentleman was trying to renew his license. He was taking the eye test portion and they were testing his peripheral vision. The lady asked if he saw anything to which he answered no. She then said, "are you sure you don't see something on the right hand side"? I about fell over... Of course he turned his head and said "yes, I do". He walked out with a license.
I get that people in the USA need to drive, but our governments have failed us by making the streets a dangerous place to be. This man should not be driving or should have had the proper restrictions applied.
I saw that happen in MO once too when renewing my license. A little old lady was taking the eye test and completely screwed it up, and the person giving the test said "Oh, that's incorrect, but you can try again!"
There's no trying again when you hit a pedestrian that you didn't see.
When I first got my license (way back in the 80s), during Driver's Ed, they took us through this training course. They said it was the same course we would encounter during our test, and it included all aspects of traffic: u turns, traffic lights, parallel parking, etc. When I went to take my driving test, it actually consisted of doing a circle (well, square) around our city's recreation complex. A few left turns and a couple of stop signs, and that was it. And they wonder why people in this state can't drive.
One amusing note: When I was in that driver's ed class, they did an eye test at the beginning of the class. Instead of a traditional eye chart on the wall, they had this device you look into for the chart, kind of like a big Viewmaster. You would look in the eye piece and tell them what letters you saw. One guy looked in and said "what letters?". The staff thought he was joking, then found out he wasn't. They told him to visit an eye doctor immediately.
You will learn, in about five or six years, that cool cars don't matter as much as you think. You're also not as good a driver as you think, and having a sexy car won't get you more girls [or guys] if you're not friendly and come across as an aloof, arrogant teen. People don't judge others on what car they drive as much as you'd think – I know plenty of extremely wealthy/trendy/sucessful folks who have "old-looking" automobiles.
Why post a thread like this and ask for advice if you're not willing to listen to what people have to say about your situation and circumstance? I'm not some 58 year-old lecturing you either: I'm 21 and have had my fair share of privilege. Nevertheless, in just a few more years, perhaps the realities of life will start to sink in...
All that said, why don't you just get whatever makes you feel the coolest? If you're 18 and have the wherewithal to even consider a BMW/Camero/G35/etc, just pick. It's not really that difficult to blow 20K on a car, so have a blast, kid.
I recently purchased my new car C300 from Mercedes Benz.
My wife has a BMW 330i 2010 model, and i really enjoy driving the car!
G35 is nice, but since G37 is out and looking even nicer, i wouldnt recommend you to get it. it is my personal opinion, get the bimmer
My wife has a BMW 330i 2010 model, and i really enjoy driving the car!
G35 is nice, but since G37 is out and looking even nicer, i wouldnt recommend you to get it. it is my personal opinion, get the bimmer
The US is a great country. You can pass your driving test in an automatic and then go hop in a manual and attempt to drive it on public streets without having any clue what you're doing.
Same with a motorcycle. Pass on a scooter and then go over your head with an R1 right away
If bump up your budget just a little, you could get a lightly used Lamborghini Countach for maybe 125K. Love those gull wing doors.
Nah...for that kind of money, you've gotta go Green. Try a Fisker Karma. It's a Hybrid (booo...hiss...yeah, yeah.
), but with 400 donkeys under the hood. It's what I'd get if had 100K to drop. It'll get much better than the 5mpg of the Lambo.
why modern
get a car with style
camaro '10 reminds me of bumblebee
choose style and get a chevrolet corvette stingray
BMW and then a 3 series god noo
much better choice BMW M 635 CSi
infiniti hmm sorry not even a comment on that choice
get a car with style
camaro '10 reminds me of bumblebee
choose style and get a chevrolet corvette stingray
BMW and then a 3 series god noo
much better choice BMW M 635 CSi
infiniti hmm sorry not even a comment on that choice
Having owned a 643hp @ the rear wheels car and driven cars over 1000hp @ the rear wheels, I can say that my AWD cars (403 and 320 @ the wheels) are much easier to drive. And I can remember driving when I was 16.
AWD/FWD is safer for a kid.
Well yeah AWD will be easier to drive a car that puts out a lot of power. But, no one is suggesting the kid go out and buy a Corvette ZR1 or some other kind of high powered vehicle. I don't think a Miata or a 240 HP 328i( not suggesting for him to get a BMW) will be too difficult to handle.
OP listed some fairly powerful cars: '06 BMW 330(x), Infiniti G35 coupe, '10 Chevy Camaro
Lets look at your cars at 640 WHP and 1000 WHP. You can get yourself into a lot of trouble with RWD with putting that much power down to the rear wheels. You will run out of traction quick with that much power. Not so much with a 250 BHP BMW or 300 BHP trying to move 4000 lb.
250 HP is not a lot of power these days. A 255 HP 330i is no more dangerous than the 268 HP Camry. I would argue the Camry will be more dangerous considering you're asking the front wheels to handle that 268 HP and steer the vehicle. Hence why FWD vehicles like to understeer. The issue lies with the driver at this point being lulled into complacency with the BMW's road manners to do dangerous crap than the car itself being too much for him due to it being RWD.
This video shows the dangers of FWD and 250 HP. Go to 2:55.
EDIT: I hope I got my point across. RWD is no more dangerous than FWD. Put the kid in a 180 HP RWD vehicle or a 180 HP FWD vehicle. The FWD vehicle is not by default the safer vehicle. You bringing up your experience in 1000 HP RWD cars is not even close to being equal to a 255 HP RWD BMW.
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Understeer and oversteer are certainly a problem, especially in high HP FWD cars. But there is no way I can agree with the notion that RWD is as safe as FWD for any driver unless you are in a southern warm and low rain climate. Coming from a long line of RWD cars (a low HP 87 camaro as my first car, a high horsepower z28 camaro as my second, and a V6 mustang as my fourth) they were absolutely terrible in the rain, useless in the snow, and can get out of control under hard acceleration fairly easily. Don't get me wrong, handling on a RWD is night and day better in fair to good weather, but lets not forget about inclimate weather. For a new driver, snow can be enough of a challenge as it is. My mustang couldn't even get out of the garage the last snow I had it. My FWD accord (yes, not a sports car but i'm fine with it!) gets up and down my driveway without even shoveling with ease.
I like the way RWD handles, sure. But I got tired of being stranded in my RWD cars - even snow tires and all the traction control in the world cant always help.
Also to the OP, I would consider something with 4 doors. Conventional wisdom says young people need sporty 2 doors - honestly I could have used 4 doors more as an 18 year old than I can now as a (gulp) 29 year old. I always had to wedge my friends in the back seat of my 2 doors - I can't remember the last time I used the back seat of my current accord lol. Not too many people want to pile into the back for a roadtrip to my 9-5 Four doors usually have better trunks too, something that would have been useful when I played hockey 6 days a week and had to wedge that giant bag-o-equipment in those tiny cars. YMMV
I like the way RWD handles, sure. But I got tired of being stranded in my RWD cars - even snow tires and all the traction control in the world cant always help.
Also to the OP, I would consider something with 4 doors. Conventional wisdom says young people need sporty 2 doors - honestly I could have used 4 doors more as an 18 year old than I can now as a (gulp) 29 year old. I always had to wedge my friends in the back seat of my 2 doors - I can't remember the last time I used the back seat of my current accord lol. Not too many people want to pile into the back for a roadtrip to my 9-5
Four doors usually have better trunks too, something that would have been useful when I played hockey 6 days a week and had to wedge that giant bag-o-equipment in those tiny cars. YMMV
Not saying there isn't negatives to RWD as well( like the snow issue), but saying FWD is better is also false due to its negatives. As for your rain issue, that could be more to the tires than it being FWD or RWD. My 2007 Saturn Aura XR( with a 3.6 liter V6 producing 252 HP) had Goodyear Eagle LS2's on them. They sucked in rain and snow. I could barely tap the throttle and they would be spinning in the rain with traction control trying to save the day. I ditched those tires for Goodyear Eagle F1 All Seasons and my car then acted like it was on dry pavement( same story with my present tire the Bridgestone Potenza RE960's). My friend has a 2009 Pontiac G8 GT( with a 6.0 liter V8 producing 362 HP) which has Bridgestone summer tires on and he has no problem driving it in the rain and he has a lead foot.
FWD and RWD have their bad sides. But, a car that is FWD is not safer by default. It depends on the persons situation. Up north where it snows, FWD/AWD will be a better vehicle for a kid to get experience driving in the snow. But, in areas like Florida for instance a kid having a RWD car won't be a problem necessarily.
Good luck finding a car in the US that is 100 HP. Only vehicles that come to mind is the Chevy Volt and Prius.
How about the Smart Car. It has an inline 3 cylinder 61 cubic inch engine rated at 70 HP.
http://www.smartusa.com/models/pure-coupe/overview.aspx
driving a Smart in the US and 16years old ...most will think he's disabled if he would turn up with a Smart fortwo at school
ok there might be exeptions maybe if he gets a modified one like this
better a Smart roadster coupe or
or a modified roadster
btw the roadster coupe is more parctical as it has 2 usable boots one at the front and the other under the glas back , the roadster has only the front one and ....space at the back boot is limited to size of 1 pizza..practical too as underneath the back boot is the engine , so it keeps pizzas warm
and understeer is not so ideal, but oversteer also called drifting if its controlled by the driver ....thats part of the fun learning to drive and you cant do that in a 4 x 4 SUV
good example and it shows it works too with a Smart forTwo if it gets a bit tuned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzg0BCmZbDU
but here a prime drift example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFF2bkiHNVQ thats showing its possible with a 4x4 too with the right power to weight ratio
but i dont suggest to do that on your schoolrun , better on a trackday and best with a instructor who can tell you how to control a car
ok there might be exeptions maybe if he gets a modified one like this
better a Smart roadster coupe or
or a modified roadster
btw the roadster coupe is more parctical as it has 2 usable boots one at the front and the other under the glas back , the roadster has only the front one and ....space at the back boot is limited to size of 1 pizza..practical too as underneath the back boot is the engine , so it keeps pizzas warm
and understeer is not so ideal, but oversteer also called drifting if its controlled by the driver ....thats part of the fun learning to drive and you cant do that in a 4 x 4 SUV
good example and it shows it works too with a Smart forTwo if it gets a bit tuned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzg0BCmZbDU
but here a prime drift example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFF2bkiHNVQ thats showing its possible with a 4x4 too with the right power to weight ratio
but i dont suggest to do that on your schoolrun , better on a trackday and best with a instructor who can tell you how to control a car
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The Smart doesn't get that stellar fuel economy for the size. Rather pick up a Jetta TDI or the upcoming Cruze Diesel.
And people have been complaining about the transmission.
The Smart car only makes sense for cities like NYC where space is limited, IMHO.
This is a massive exaggeration! I have the non-coupe Roadster and I can easily get my week's worth of groceries in the back without needing to open the front boot.
sorry it was meant as a exaggeration
and i quiet like the roadster , and even the fortwo ..i rented two years ago even a Smart crossblade in italy ..really great fun ..until it started raining for all who dont know what a Smart crossblade is
gets you definitely more looks then any Ferrari if you drive along the beaches and no problem to pull a female inside , just stop no need to say a word