Time for first car.

Srfrbum

Banned
May 19, 2005
385
0
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Hello fellow board members..
My parents are buying me a car because my 17th birthday is coming up. I was looking at the older generation Audi TT 225HP and the 2006 BMW 330i E90. I know someone who has the Audi, and it is a real blast to drive. That thing is fast as hell. It's a really fun car. I heard the E90 had the same 0-60 time as the audi, but not sure if it handles the same. If you guys know any cars around this price range 17,000-25,000, please let me know of some cool fast, and fun cars. Manual Trasmission is a must.
Thanks.

PS, If you need any more info about any requirements just post it.
 

atybimf

Platinum Member
Sep 17, 2005
2,390
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whatever you get will beat the hell out of the $3k ass hauler i got..

I like the TT btw.
 

Hellotalkie

Golden Member
Sep 4, 2005
1,615
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76
and i thought i was lucky with my '98 mits eclipse...lol but cool dude, wish my parents would do that for me
Before people start flaming about parents buying you a new car, think about the maintenance cost of the cars
your choosing, esp the bmw's audi's etc...
I think my parents m5 required about 10k of maintenance a year...but if you can support it, definitely the 330 or maybe the 335i?
 

Hellotalkie

Golden Member
Sep 4, 2005
1,615
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76
Then again if your parents can afford a car at that price for you, im guessing maintenance wont be a issue
 

mwmorph

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2004
8,877
1
81
If you don't mind bringing the Audi in for repairs fairly often, it's a fun car to drive.
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
I don't know your requirements but if I was buying I would look at used

Miata
S2000
Boxster
C5 Z06

You can look on CarMax.com and search by price range. You might find a vehicle you might not have considered or thought was out of your price range.
 
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
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my suggestion to any new driver, particularly a 17 y.o., is to buy an econobox with a manual transmission. your best value is either a disposable POS or a 2-3 year old model formerly leased. attend an accredited driving school, learn how to drive, and act like a resposible adult when driving. when you develop driving skills, you'll be ready for sports cars.

don't end up like this dumb kid. anyone got a link to his thread?

yeah, i know, just what you wanted to hear. tough. btw, both the audi and bmw (and most big ticket cars) are actually going to cost multiples of the purchase price. your insurance will be in the $1000's per year, LOTS of premium gas, $300 - $400 services every few months, and replacement parts that are oh, so costly. and you're going to kill it anyway.

if your folks can swing it, i say get a smart. guaranteed to be extremely cool for minimum 2 years. it's not just a small car, it's a humongous ipod.

http://www.smartusa.com/
 

Rio Rebel

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,194
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When I was 17, I was thrilled to get my dad's old El Camino, and I had to work to pay for repairs and insurance on it. Times have changed. :)
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,885
33,971
136
The Boston Dangler nailed it pretty well. Yes, your parents sound like they can pay more, but would you want them to?
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,785
6,345
126
I recommend the Parents to get you a beater. At that age any car is going to end up wrecked either through abuse or accident. Might as well start halfway there so when the inevitable happens it is no big loss.
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,449
0
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Originally posted by: sandorski
I recommend the Parents to get you a beater. At that age any car is going to end up wrecked either through abuse or accident. Might as well start halfway there so when the inevitable happens it is no big loss.

QFT, I can't believe some people are suggesting a Z06 or any other high powered RWD car for you as your first ride, that's asinine and irresponsible.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,885
33,971
136
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: sandorski
I recommend the Parents to get you a beater. At that age any car is going to end up wrecked either through abuse or accident. Might as well start halfway there so when the inevitable happens it is no big loss.

QFT, I can't believe some people are suggesting a Z06 or any other high powered RWD car for you as your first ride, that's asinine and irresponsible.

It would be tempting to get pissed off about this attitude toward young, less experienced drivers. Here's a little perspective. The California Highway Patrol figured out the same thing. New recruits, fresh out the academy were routinely handed keys to cop spec Mustangs as their first cruisers. Guess what they did with them? Yep, they wrecked them. After years of wrecking cars CHP started putting the newbees in older, slower cars and their accident rate went down. Eventually the new folks moved onto performance cars after they gained some driving experience.
 

cardiac

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,082
14
81
A lot of young drivers are VERY responsible. But, a lot aren't. Find something that you really like that isa few years older, gets decent mileage, and is still peppy. Believe me, you are asking for trouble in a BMW or an Audi. You are risking losing your license.....

Having 27 years on the job as a municipal paramedic/firefighter, I have been on approx 1,500 car accidents or more. At least 50% of them involve someone under the age 21. That is an aweful high percentage for such a small age group. (Yes, it could be 45% or it could be 60% :) )

Bob
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,583
984
126
Originally posted by: Naustica
I don't know your requirements but if I was buying I would look at used

Miata
S2000
Boxster
C5 Z06

You can look on CarMax.com and search by price range. You might find a vehicle you might not have considered or thought was out of your price range.

Yeah, a Corvette Z06 is a great choice for a 1st car...:roll:

Are you out of your mind?
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
Welcome to the garage!

I'd actually recommend looking at G35 Coupe 6MT. Will have at least equal performance to the TT or 330i, but much lower maintenance bills. VQ engine (chain, not a belt), and it's a good balance of luxury and sport. Plenty of upgrades as well.

Here's an '06 with the 6-Speed manual, ~300hp, less than 30k miles, for under $25k. Similar deals should be available in any major market. With the low mileage, you should also easily be able to get a decent warranty.

Two pieces of advice :

(1)- If you're interested in racing it, pony up the $$ for AutoX or drag nights. Don't be one of those assholes that street races.

(2)- Have fun :) You're a lucky guy, treat yourself, your parents, your car, and the drivers around you with respect. Beware of having multiple friends in the car, as rowdy buddies can be distracting while driving.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...rice=25000&cardist=727
 

SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
7,791
114
106
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: Naustica
I don't know your requirements but if I was buying I would look at used

Miata
S2000
Boxster
C5 Z06

You can look on CarMax.com and search by price range. You might find a vehicle you might not have considered or thought was out of your price range.

Yeah, a Corvette Z06 is a great choice for a 1st car...:roll:

Are you out of your mind?

Do you want him to get laid or not? Let's stick with what's important here Jules.

Assuming, of course, that Srfrbum doesn't live within 1000 miles of me
 

radioouman

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2002
8,632
0
0
LOL @ you guys...

My first car was a Plymouth Reliant wagon. I drove that beast to college when it was 12 years old. THere were some dents in the hood so it got named "the shaggin wagon".

I have more fond memories of that car than I do of most of the more recent cars I've owned.
 

A5

Diamond Member
Jun 9, 2000
4,902
5
81
Originally posted by: zoiks
I recommend a used Buick.

That's what I got. Nothing like getting a 10 year old Buick Park Avenue :p....Now I have a 1999 Camry - next car is going to be something sporty though.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
First car should always be a semi-beater because you WILL do an OOPS with it at some point early on. Learned the hard way.

Also, I'm very against friends in cars as teenagers because that's just formula for disaster. Know what makes it worse? Fast cars.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
62,816
19,015
136
Just here to chime in that a "fast, fun car" is a poor choice for a 17 year old.
 

MovingTarget

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2003
9,002
115
106
Well, if they are getting you a new car and paying for the insurance, you have a lot of options. However, keep in mind that it being new you might have this car for a long time, after you move out from your parents' house for college or whatever. You should get something so that you would be able to afford the insurance/gas/maintainence easily without their help. Good luck!
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: Naustica
I don't know your requirements but if I was buying I would look at used

Miata
S2000
Boxster
C5 Z06

You can look on CarMax.com and search by price range. You might find a vehicle you might not have considered or thought was out of your price range.

Yeah, a Corvette Z06 is a great choice for a 1st car...:roll:

Are you out of your mind?

Nope. I would've loved it if cars like the Z06 existed when I was 17. Rich kids get cars like M3, 335i, etc all the time. What they do with it is up to them.

I guess Miata, S2000, and Boxster is ok though?