First Car Buying Tip for Teens
by Neil J. Helfgot
Many people put pen to paper when the time comes time for their first car. That first car should be safe, practical, reliable, fuel efficient, and yes, boring. Did we mention that safety is crucial? To the chagrin of teenagers everywhere most parents choose something extremely bland and safe. And while that is fine for some, we considered numerous late model cars thinking about what a teenager or twenty-something might enjoy driving.
Seemingly the choices are endless, but at the tender age of 16 funds are often limited. So with a budget of under $10,000, we sought out a “cool” affordable car for a new 16-21 year old driver. Our goal was to both come up with something parents and teenagers might agree on and to combat automotive blandness.
After serious contemplation we ended up swaying towards mostly Japanese cars due to their reputation for reliability, low cost of maintenance, and affordability. We considered cars that primarily had four cylinder engines for better fuel economy. And finally we looked at coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks, and even sedans but when push came to shove we chose a two-seater sports car, giving deference to fewer distractions from fewer occupants.
Our list initially included quite a few cars, but it soon became clear that one car stood out and it is a 1990-1997 Mazda Miata. Many are speculating that it will eventually be a future collector car, but here are a few reasons why we thought a Miata could make sense for a new driver.
1. Convertible/hard top abilities depending on equipment and budget.
2. Potentially manual or automatic transmission for learning opportunities.
3. Fun to drive factor… This one is hard to quantify exactly, but rev a MX-5 engine Miata to 4-5000 RPM, take off around a few bends at 25-30 mph and you’ll soon understand a bit of physics that only a low-slung. lightweight sports car can teach you, and you’ll quickly learn some car control too.
4. Tuning ability of the basic Miata (if such a thing exists) has a huge aftermarket following. Some people have supercharged, turbocharged, and even replaced Miata engines.
5. Decent crash test ratings. Surprising right? We looked it up and for its time the first Miata got a 3 and 5 star frontal crash test rating on a five star scale. Not too shabby for a small sports car.
Now, we realize many people will find the choice of a Miata wrong. Our biggest argument for a Miata, and a strong one at that, is to tell those who disagree, to just go drive one. We’ve driven Miata’s and can comfortably say they are true driver’s cars, actually built to be the essence of what a car should be. While they might not have V8 power, or macho styling, they don’t need that because many people across the world understand their excellence, which is why it is the best selling roadster of all time and why we’d choose one if we could do it all over again.
source: http://www.ebaymotorsblog.com/first-...tip-for-teens/
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Originally Posted by wannafbody
