MTESNI419and1

ok well i'm 17 and looking to buy my first car. i need some of your opinions on what you think i should look at. it's proably going to be used, right now i'm looking at like 98ish eclipses, 2000 imprezas, or a 96-97 v6 jetta. i'd like some other options to look at and your opinions of what im looking at now.

thanks

Cabal

Go for a used Impreza RS. The Eclipse would probably just as reliable but not as fun, and a VW would live in the shop. Then again, you're asking an Impreza board.

X1_SRT

The only reason i am driving a 95 Talon TSi and not a 99 RS coupe, is b/c of power. i wanted a car w some power and not have to dump tons of cash in it. i love my tsi, but i think the rs far sexier, and just has that style. if its your first car, the rs may be the way to go. insurance is way lower, maintenence is lower, and you aren't stuck filling up with 93 oct. at $1.78! the rs will last longer too. they are great cars.


-PJ

Beau

In my experience you should get a used car with a reasonable amount of power. Reason being is that since you will be hanging out around kids of like age, it's guaranteed to get scratched up so you might as well have a car you don't care about much. I had a Sentra hatchback when I was 16-18 and then graduated to a '91 Mustang hatch with a 5spd. I am very glad my mom wouldn't let me have the Mustang as my first car. I thought I could handle it, but looking back on it I bet I would have mangled myself and the car. So, I think if you are a responsible 17yo you may be able to handle a WRX if you can afford one. Just don't get too cocky, which I know is hard to control sometimes.

PurdueRex

eclipse reliable?? i thought they had electrical problems before the new body style came out!

PurdueRex

plus, if youre 17 and are looking to get an impreza, make sure u get your parents to be the primary driver of the car on insurance, otherwise youll get reamed by the insurance premiums!!

Beau

I really really have to disagree on that point. It is way too easy to lose control by having the rearend washout by giving the car too much gas in a wet corner. That's a very unforgiving mistake, especially for a new driver. I had been driving for 3 years when I bought my Mustang and within 3 weeks I already lost control by giving it too much gas in a wet corner. I managed to keep it off the guardrail though. In a front driver when you give it too much gas in a corner, all you get is safe controllable understeer that is easy to recover from.

Beau

I totally agree with that statement and think most people on the roads wouldn't know what to do if they lost control and would helplessly crash into the nearest solid object. I also think that every driver should have to take a performance driving class to learn these things in a controled environment. Rear wheel drive is even harder to control when driving in snow, but my Mustang is the only rear drive car I've ever driven other than a Cherokee and S-10 Blazer which I don't think count since they are so heavy. For performance driving there is only AWD or RWD in my opinion. Superior control. But still, FWD is easier to handle and understeer is easier to control. There would probably be a lot fewer accidents if people truly understood how to control and manipulate their cars on the road. The things I learned in my younger/dumber days have saved my *** countless times.

Beau

True, true. I attribute this to idiocy running rampant in America these days. That and I think kids were more afraid of their parents, mainly dad, so they didn't do stupid things with their cars. That is if they could even afford one. And finally, even the 'fast muscle cars' of the day weren't very fast most of the time. The best were in the high 13's usually, so a WRX would waste most of them stock for stock. Then there is the fact that the suspension's sucked and the bias ply tires were bad also, so you would think accidents would go down with the more modern driver friendly cars.

But still, I blame idiocy mostly. Florida is full of morons, it's really driving me nuts and I can't wait to leave. As soon as I graduate I'm going back north where people are normal and have most of their brain cells.

Beau

Same here. I think I was sitting on my Dad's lap driving cars since I was probably 12 years old (that of course has stopped since, haha), so by the time I actually got my license I was very comfortable behind the wheel. Hearing his car stories from the '60s and helping him fix his cars through the years rubbed off on me, and I'm SO glad it did. This is the only hobby I've had for a period of time this long, the rest come and go.