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Jan. 7, 2009 9:34 a.m. 1966stang New Reader

My son is turning 16 in about 4 months, and he has ridden with me at several autocrosses. We have also had a blast in our Miata, which is an NB (2002). I am thinking seriously of getting an NA maiata as a father-son car and letting this be his first car. However, I live in the land of the pick-em-up truck, and I worry about the small size of the car with a newbie driver. My son Joel is thinking about an E-30 instead.

I am thinking that he will want something with a back seat so he can haul his friends around and so forth. Also, the girl he has been running around with (not his GF, but a very good friend and probable future girlfriend) doesn't like the Miata. She refers to it as "Ken and Malibu Barbies Car."

I do like it better than a V8 Mustang or Camaro, as it is harder to get into trouble vis-a vis speed and handling in a Miata.

My biggest concern is safety...seriously, how do you all feel about a Miata for a 16 Y.O. driver?

Chris
Jan. 7, 2009 9:40 a.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

If a Hummer hits it, i doubt it'll be pretty....

But if he's an aware driver, i think it's pretty safe. Great for evasive maneuvers, good brakes, etc....

If it's hit at a dead stop? Ermmm... in a land of pick-em-up trucks it might be a little sphincter tightening.

I'd do it. I had to buy my first car, and i bought something i loved. As a result, i became a much safer driver. That's the key.

Make sure it's something he likes, and he'll be extra careful. You can never change how crappy everyone else drives, the chances of him driving a volvo and getting hurt due to him not caring about the car and not paying attention to driving are probably higher than him getting hurt by someone else hitting him while driving something he'll pay attention to.
Jan. 7, 2009 9:42 a.m. Joe Gearin Associate Publisher

I'd think an E30 would be a safer choice. (especially the e325 or 318) But if the answer is Miata, I'd install a roll cage.

I think the perfect car for a 16 year old is a Volvo 240 non turbo. There will be plenty of time later in life to get a "cute" car, or one that is "cool". Keeping the kid alive throughout the teenage years would be my first goal.
Jan. 7, 2009 9:42 a.m. 1966stang New Reader

I like the way you think. He really wants a Miata, so that's the way I am leaning. We may have to "educate" the girl a bit, though.

Chris
Jan. 7, 2009 9:45 a.m. Keith UltraDork

We all live in the land of the pick-em-up truck, really. Miatas have shown themselves to be very safe cars in accident despite their small size. Safer than a pickup, for example. The level of active safety in a Miata is a lot better than many cars - the easiest accident to survive is the one you don't get in.

A Miata is a great first car. They're a rolling lesson in vehicle dynamics, but without a lot of horsepower to aid and abet 16-year-old hormones. The lack of a back seat is actually a plus, as it cuts down distractions while driving.

I would not recommend a roll cage for a pure street car. A bar is a good idea, but not necessarily a must-have. Instead of armoring your son, teach him to be proud of his driving ability and give him the tools to be a good driver. Show him that speed has its place, and he'll do just fine. If he's the sort of person that wants either an E30 or an NA Miata, he's already got a good start on the mindset.

My first car was a Miata. Being Canadian, I didn't need one at 16 but waited until I was 22 or so. But it's a great first car.
Jan. 7, 2009 9:48 a.m. 93celicaGT2 Reader

That's just my thought....

I mean... if he's hit while driving ANYTHING at a dead stop by a redneck in a truck... it's not going to be pretty.

My first car was an Audi 90S Quattro 20v. Probably not the best first car in traditional terms.... but to this day i've never been in an accident of any kind, no fender benders, i park far away from other people in parking lots, even in my crappy $600 celica, as a force of habit. I don't tailgait, i don't weave through traffic. The only "accidents" i've had involved deer and a Range Rover... but that was a weird time in my life. :P

I refuse to take any chances that will make me getting hit or hitting someone else a higher probability.
Jan. 7, 2009 9:56 a.m. CrackMonkey Reader

My son will likely get my Miata when he starts driving.

Cheap to fix. Cheap enough to replace that I can drop comprehensive coverage. Two seats, so fewer idiot friends in the car. Low power, so less jackassery.

I'll return the alignment to stock specs, install some cheap all-season tires, and disconnect the radio before handing over the keys. Probably bolt the hardtop on for most of the year too.
Jan. 7, 2009 9:59 a.m. Keith UltraDork

Disconnecting the radio and bolting on the hardtop is a great way to encourage your son to learn basic electronics and start wrenching :)
Jan. 7, 2009 10:31 a.m. Sofa King New Reader

+1 for the Miata being a good first car, for all of the above reasons.

He should dump the girl before she becomes a "girl friend", not likeing Miatae is definitely a charachter flaw! Just proves that not all "macho idiots" have penises!
Jan. 7, 2009 1:21 p.m. jdmae92 Reader

I bought a Miata for my second car at 17 (first was a 91 Corolla). I don't see any reason why it would not be a good first car. I don't believe that the type of car is as important as teaching him to drive well and trusting him to use good judgment.

I say let him pick out a car that he wants and buy it for himself, he is more likely to take care of it that way. If you want it to be a father-son project then offer to pay half of the purchase price, that is what my dad did when I bought my Miata.
Jan. 7, 2009 1:41 p.m. Appleseed Reader

Make sure hes got good self esteem. Some jackass (most likely in a lifted pick-up) will give him the "what are you, ghey?" BS. After he laughs at said pick-up scraping its door handles around a turn, he'll be fine.
Jan. 7, 2009 1:56 p.m. billy3esq Dork

I don't have a 16 year old, but if I did, I wouldn't turn him loose in a Miata. When I was 16, I nearly got creamed several times in my dad's Spitfire through no fault of my own (other than being invisible). Driving a Miata without getting splatted (at least around here) requires a level of situational awareness that few 16 year olds possess.

However, a Miata is a good platform for learning vehicle dynamics at speeds that usually won't kill you if you meet an immovable object or irresistible force. It is also statistically proven that a new driver's accident risk increases dramatically with the number of passengers. In that case, having no back seat is a plus. (Potentially also in the girlfriend department, too.)
Jan. 7, 2009 1:58 p.m. mw New Reader

I'd say get the miata for your son. If the current girl does not like the miata, there will likely be others that do. I would have killed for a miata as a first car and didn't get mine until I was 25. My dad got me a geo metro which would have been safe if it didn't regularly have 7 people in it.
Jan. 7, 2009 2:37 p.m. Clay Reader

Another con to the Miata is that it has a pretty large blindspot with the top up. I drive mine everyday, but it takes extra caution when backing out of parking spots and lane changes. I have little convex mirrors on my side mirrors to help with it. I normally never trust my side mirrors and look over my shoulder, but there are times when you have to trust the side mirrors in a Miata. Of course, that's easy enough to solve by dropping the top.

That concern is probably cancelled out by the lack of a back seat which I also see as a big pro.
Jan. 7, 2009 3:06 p.m. Joe Gearin Associate Publisher

I suppose it depends on the kid. Nearly all 16 year olds will have lapses in judgement, and nearly all 16 year olds will make potentially dangerous mistakes behind the wheel. Perhaps your kid is more responsible than most. I was not.

A Miata would have been a very bad choice for me as a 16 year old, where a Volvo (preferably diesel) would have been a good choice. I was much, much more reckless than most kids behind the wheel though.

Whatever the choice, having the kid work on the car, and work FOR it is the most important factor I've seen in determining if he will respect the vehicle or not. Nearly all the kids I've seen that were given cars when they turned 16 didn't respect them, or the money needed to run and insure them. If he has to get a job and pay for his car, and the parts needed, he has a much better chance of being responsible in the care and feeding of it. (less chance he'll let his buddies drive it too!)
Jan. 7, 2009 4:15 p.m. jrw1621 Reader

1966stang wrote: I am thinking that he will want something with a back seat so he can haul his friends around and so forth.

Hauling friends in the car will only increase the distraction to a new driver and increase the liability to the driver's father.

1966stang wrote: Also, the girl he has been running around with (not his GF, but a very good friend and probable future girlfriend) doesn't like the Miata. She refers to it as "Ken and Malibu Barbies Car."

No back seat and no reclining bucket seats may help to ensure that Ken and Barbie do not need an unexpected baby seat. When I was his age my '76 Camaro with its giant barrier known as the center console and it's non reclining seats resulted in that car often staying home and my girlfriend would drive her mom's Chevy Stationwagon!

I like the Miata idea.
Jan. 7, 2009 6:04 p.m. longhorndude New Reader

well im looking for a miata for my first car and im 18 so idk if that says ne thing but my family is a big fan of them figuring i cant get in too deep ne more since it is a 4 cylinder, as far as the back seat thing, thats probably a plus for a parent, less distraction in the car, and people in the back seat is probably the biggest distraction for a teenager other than a cell phone
Jan. 7, 2009 6:06 p.m. JFX001 HalfDork

A Miata was on the list for my daughter, but the reluctance on her part to drive a stick coupled with the lack of space for her cello nixed it.

I still like them though.
Jan. 7, 2009 7:36 p.m. HiTempguy Reader

He should dump the girl before she becomes a "girl friend",

To check for girlfriend eligibility, take off the passenger door panel and door handle assembly. She can only get into and out of the car by pulling on the necessary links or levers to open the door. When she puts up with that for 6+ months, you know she won't mind the eventual "projects" he will have, and as such is a keeper!

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