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  • SVTF

    Feb. 4, 2011 12:37 p.m. SVTF Reader

    Atlanta is a scary place to turn the kids loose on the roads. After attending two Street Survival courses with my teenagers, I'd recommend cars that handle VERY well with just enough power to get out of the way. I watched car after car after car after car that could not do the avoidance manuevers because they were undersprung wallowing pigs. Even smaller cars were terrible.

    One son has an Mazda MP3 (I ended up winning G-stock with that one on a Sunday) and my other son has a ZX2 - I ripped the sloshy suspension out of it and put in the S/R suspension so it would handle way better. Both of these cars did quite well in the avoidance manuevers and subsequent autocross. Good brakes, good handling, nimble, and two airbags. And go ahead and pay the money for excellent tires!

  • NickF40

    Feb. 4, 2011 3:00 p.m. NickF40 Reader

    It's funny, most of the flat billers that went to my school drove E46's and G35's that mommy and daddy bought. Then the girls always got a small SUV, or Cavalier, or Sunfire, or Cobalt, or TC haha I just went to school with a bunch of rednecks so a lot of actually nice, pickups. But there was this one kid where his granny bought all his cars.....a TT 300ZX, 240, G35, turbo Honda hatch....annnnd promplty wrecked all of them! Actually we had a wide spread of different cars at my school

  • 93EXCivic

    Feb. 4, 2011 3:05 p.m. 93EXCivic SuperDork

    By far the coolest car at my school was an old Chevelle SS with the 396 that the guy built from a wreck. It had CE frame rails, 4-link and coil-overs. It was sweet.

  • NickF40

    Feb. 4, 2011 3:10 p.m. NickF40 Reader

    oh and the pot smokers usually drove around in a beat Escort or Cadillac listening to blaring 'Toxicity'.....haha

  • TuffWork

    Feb. 4, 2011 4:32 p.m. TuffWork Reader

    The pickup behind the bike in my avatar is my truck I've had since I was 15. I bought it myself and have had it for 10 years now. I'm just now thinkin about replacing it. It is used as a DD, work duty, and even the Daddy Mobile. Sure, I had a few fender benders, but most of em didn't even do noticeable damage (to my truck at least). I second the small regular cab pickup idea. Fit me just fine. (I also second making him/her pay for at least some of it)

  • Matt B

    Feb. 4, 2011 4:51 p.m. Matt B HalfDork

    Luke wrote:

    Where's MattB? This thread reminded me of his avatar .

    Hilarious, but NSFW - contains coarse language and sexual references - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwLSH0SJnpc&feature=fvsr

    Also, I don't think anybody's mentioned E28 BMW yet. I think a 525E would be a great first car. Economical, fun enough to drive, solid, reliable, slow-ish.

    LOL, yeah I was staying out of this one. Last time I suggested that a miata wasn't appropriate for a 1st car it didn't go over well. Although I see others here made a much better argument of it than I did.

    Glad to hear the Inbetweener's reference gave a few a chuckle. My favorite was the little brother's comment, despite the fact I try not to use that expression. Somehow it just seemed appropriate there.

  • NickF40

    Feb. 4, 2011 6:13 p.m. NickF40 Reader

    ^ hahaha YES!!

  • neon4891

    Feb. 4, 2011 11:05 p.m. neon4891 SuperDork

    NickF40 wrote:

    oh and the pot smokers usually drove around in a beat Escort or Cadillac listening to blaring 'Toxicity'.....haha

    Oh the stories I will avoid telling, for now

  • NickF40

    Feb. 5, 2011 12:14 a.m. NickF40 Reader

    Oh please tell by the sounds of it, I think mine could relate haha

  • SVreX

    Feb. 5, 2011 9:05 a.m. SVreX SuperDork

    Duke wrote:

    '98-'01 Impreza, either sedan or wagon, NA 2.2. Durable, reliable, modestly powered but not dangerously underpowered, light, tough, decent handling, in budget. Ideal first car.

    I'm gonna second this.

    We've got a '98 wagon which has been passed through 3 people in our family. It's really pretty sad looking now, been in a couple of fender benders, has a different color door, interior getting tattered. But if you open the hood, you could eat off the engine, and it runs like a top.

    I once picked up a WRX which had been rolled. At least 6 times over, both barrel roll, and end-over-end. Every single panel on the car was destroyed, but all 4 doors still opened. That is one heck of a shell- it made me feel very comfortable with my kids driving one.

    I am also happy with the beat up appearance of this car. It goes a long way toward curtailing foolishness and picking up "friends" with the wrong intentions.

    I also STRONGLY recommend a manual transmission. Kids are smart, and very good at being distracted. An AT encourages lazy, unfocused driving. A manual forces young drivers to pay attention to the driving, if for no better reason then they can't figure out the coordination of the clutch/ brake/ shifter, and are scared of the grinding noises. My daughter hated me when I got rid of the SUV and forced her to drive a 5 spd Impreza. But her driving got a lot better, and she is really grateful to me now.

  • SVreX

    Feb. 5, 2011 9:09 a.m. SVreX SuperDork

    steelynorm wrote:

    how many miles can you expect to get out of 3000 dollar impreza?

    I've gotten 50K + out of my $1500 Impreza.

    Don't spend too much on a Suby. The "nice" ones with "extras" are frequently driven badly and not taken care of.

    Look for one that the owner doesn't think is special. A basic commuter, with a few dings and faded paint. The car is a good car, regardless of what it looks like.

    Remember- manual trans!

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