Is the Answer the answer? (Young driver)

FYI, it's really easy to add DRLs to a 1994-97 Miata. You just pull a connector and plug in the DRL module that was used on Canadian cars. Turns on the front turn indicators (the bright filament) and since they're orange, it's quite visible. 

Loan her the Vibe, then offer the Miata as a graduation gift?

My parents used that tactic with me. Worked well. I was better protected, but also had an incentive to do well in school, stay out of major trouble, keep the car immaculately clean and well maintained, and keep a perfect driving record. Learning to drive on a more vanilla car also makes pretty much everything else more fun to drive in comparison as well.

Could always let her take the Miata for special occasions, and let her practice driving it with you on back roads or at autocrosses on weekends, so you can supervise her and teach her more advanced techniques. It'll also make some good memories for her with you and the car as well, so it'll be that much more special to her.

As much as I enjoy driving my miata I absolutely hate the visibility with the top up.  Top is always up in inclement weather when you *really* need to be able to see what the idiots around you are doing…

I personally would not do it. A 10-15 year old hatchback or small wagon would be a much better choice in my opinion, for safety, visibility, etc. 

I think it's a great idea. The bigger the car, the more drunken idiots you have in the car. That, plus a low-HP, MT car = winner.

I'm in this same boat right now, with an almost-16-y.o. son and a Miata I was thinking of giving him.  Ultimately I decided not to, because there have been too many times I've almost been hit by people who didn't see me, especially when I'm off their right rear fender.  This is a recipe for a kid getting in an accident that s/he didn't cause, and then getting blamed for it because s/he was a new driver and therefore had to be at fault - right?

A little SUV is probably a better choice for a first car, maybe with a manual if you can find one.  1st-gen RAV4, CR-V, Escape/Tribute, Saturn VUE, something like that.  Tall enough to be seen, small enough to be easy to park and get good mileage.

This subject has been discussed numerous times. As a father of two and grandfather of eight I will weigh in once more. As a car enthusiast I think we all want our kids or grandkids to drive something cool. However no matter how conscientious or responsible young drivers are they all are easily distracted and make poor decisions while driving until they get some experience. For every young driver who think small cars are cute or cool there are just as many who think large trucks are cool and they probably will be hanging around in the same area. For a first car I think  I think a small SUV provides protection until new drivers get some experience. They are plentiful, fairly cheap and insurance rates are reasonable. A Miata to start college makes more sense at least to me.

GTXVette said:

Does She Like Orange as Much as You.  you said nice body but "Here I Am " Orange sorta say's Here I am.

My Miata is orange. ;-)

jmackk said:

Loan her the Vibe, then offer the Miata as a graduation gift?

Funny, but that may be very close to what happens.

Family car right now that she is learning on is a CRV.  I think I will likely switch her to the Vibe when she is ready to learn a manual, and go autocrossing with her on weekends in the Miata.  The Miata may then become a graduation gift when she heads off to college.

I'm not sure if an NA Miata is the answer here. They're quite vulnerable in low-speed collisions and top-up visibility isn't very good. I also wouldn't recommend the Miata for college as college students usually can't park and they don't care much about whose car they ding. The Vibe is probably a better choice to start off with, what with it being a more substantial car with a more modern safety structure.

Would you be open to buying something relatively inexpensive that splits the difference between the modernity of the Vibe and the intuitiveness of the Miata? An E46 323i sounds like a safe bet for a relatively slow but fun first car.

SVreX said:

In reply to secretariata :

I’d still bet the red roof is easier to see than the white one in a truck’s rear view mirror. 

Absolutely no argument here. Just wanted to clear up it wasn't because I was riding around topless and distracting the truck drivers looking down... 

I'll tell you a personal story that may be relevant:

When I first got my license, I got "stuck with" my dad's Chrysler Voyager (1989) minivan. So super-lame to be 16 at high school and have a minivan, right? But a lot of my friends didn't have cars (or had total POSs), so my minvan became the "school bus" for a couple of my close buddies and usually a few of the girls we knew. Many good times were had in there in general (I dont' mean in a sexual way, just going places with friends).

The next year, Dad gave me his super-cool Triumph GT6. Coolest car in the parking lot at school (well, except the one rich kid who had a Porsche 944). Only two seats. Guess who didn't get to truck around with more than one friend or any of the girls any more? This guy. I almost instantly missed the minivan.

So, that's from a new driver's standpoint.

Now, as a father of two girls - when they get their licenses, they will not get anything sporty, or anything particularly cool. They'll get something slow, safe, and meh. A Focus. A base civic. A car that can handle to get out of its own way and isn't going to kill anyone (when) they make a mistake and get in an accident. Not an big SUV, not a sportscar. And HELL NO not a convertible or 2-seater lol.

Just my 2 cents. I love driving a Miata as much as the next guy, but you are not buying for you, and there is almost nothing useful or smart about giving a miata to a new driver - either from your standpoint (safety, etc) or theirs (practicality).

Get em a Ford Escape or a Civic or something bland, practical, and safe. 

In reply to G_Body_Man :

Yes, I would consider buying something else. Just exploring my options. 

In reply to G_Body_Man :

I don't know what you mean when you say that the top-up visibility isn't very good. As long as you know how to adjust your mirrors the visibility is great, there are no more blind spots then on any other vehicle.

In reply to kazoospec :

I'm not entirely on-board with the idea that autocross causes overconfidence. Before I started autocrossing, I was way more "aggressive" on the road, way more irritable, and the best driver I knew of.  I was also more likely to make mistakes, because my skill level was lower. As soon as I started autocrossing, I realized that I sucked, and needed to improve. I was almost immediately more calm on the road, because I had an outlet for my "wanna go fast." My overconfidence also turned into knowledge, because  I regularly explored what my car's limits were, and how to react if they were exceeded.  Did I drive slightly faster in some situations? Sure. But, autocross experience caused me to be able to avoid t-boning an Explorer, and then immediately avoid flipping into a runoff pond in Georgia.  The initial accident would have been the shiny happy person in the Exploder's fault, but avoidance is always better. 

In reply to SVreX:

There is something to be said for the security of wrapping your young in a cocoon of metal, but the trade off is the reduced ability to avoid accidents. It's almost like, if you prepare for the accident, you are more likely to have it. I am a huge proponent of training being more of the answer than even a Miata. Also, if you go the Miata route, training will be absolutely necessary. One time, I let off the gas a little in the middle of a corner in a NA Miata. I didn't know a car *could* snap a hundred eighty degrees so fast. I'm just lucky I was at an autocross. Now I know not to do that on the street. 

In reply to snailmont5oh :

My daughter will be well trained. All my kids autocross better than me. 

I was asking about the car. 

CSmith said:

In reply to G_Body_Man :

I don't know what you mean when you say that the top-up visibility isn't very good. As long as you know how to adjust your mirrors the visibility is great, there are no more blind spots then on any other vehicle.

Eh. You can't look out the back windows. But a set of convex blind spot mirrors helps!

SVreX said:

In reply to snailmont5oh :

My daughter will be well trained. All my kids autocross better than me. 

I was asking about the car. 

In that case, then Miata is probably the answer, because she'll already be well versed in what's gonna happen when she takes action to avoid an accident. 

Greg Smith said:

CSmith said:

In reply to G_Body_Man :

I don't know what you mean when you say that the top-up visibility isn't very good. As long as you know how to adjust your mirrors the visibility is great, there are no more blind spots then on any other vehicle.

Eh. You can't look out the back windows. But a set of convex blind spot mirrors helps!

He did say *properly adjusted* side mirrors. Properly adjusted side mirrors make it impossible for another vehicle to be anywhere near you that an average person couldn't see in a mirror or his or her peripheral vision. Most people adjust their side mirrors improperly (so they can see the sides of the car), so they have to turn their heads to see what's left. 

I think a lot of this discussion centers around particular driving conditions of a given area. For example, in my region (greater DC/Baltimore), the traffic is so bad and drivers generally distracted that I think a Miata for a relatively new driver would be terrible. The calculus might change if the area were less crowded. 

I think a Vibe is the better choice here. I'd also like to throw in a plug for 1st gen Focus and 6th gen accord. Both are reasonably fun with a strick, cheap on maintenance, cheap on insurance, and both maneuverable enough to avoid sticky situations and safe enough for when you can't. 

Miata with a track rated roll bar, maybe, yeah.

Miata with no roll bar? No.