As a recent event has confirmed for the billionth time (a bit hyperbolic, but fine), teenagers in cars do not make the best behind-the-wheel decisions no matter what they’re driving, but especially when piloting high-powered “ultimate driving machines.” And even modest modern cars can be pretty dang quick compared to what some of us oldsters used to think counted as “performance” back in the day, with car commercials touting 8-second 0-60 times as if the NHRA should take notice. Parents purchasing a “cool car” of recent vintage for the newest driver in the family (or teens who saved scrupulously to buy the sweet wheels themselves) can easily score a vehicle that puts up good numbers, as they say, which may not be a good first-car experience as measured by sliding into a ditch or not. Which brings us to our question:
What’s The Best Enthusiast Car For Beginners?
That’s a Q you can take in at least two ways. To wit: what do you recommend for an enthusiastic driver who isn’t necessarily a driving enthusiast, in which case you’re looking a noob-proof handling and safety assists like electronic stability control (perhaps with the OFF button relocated to the trunk)? Or, what do you recommend to a young, respectful-of-safety driver who wants to learn how to really drive a car with performance in mind and gain experience and appreciation for handling dynamics in a forgiving vehicle? And since we’re talking best choices, you probably have worst-choice takes too—feel free to share.
We’ll see you in the comments!
The MK4 GTI, TDI and maybe the VR6. The least modern car from the last 23 years. Super easy to modify and fix. Massive aftermarket. And it’s fairly cheap to modify. Do whatever you want to it. Boost it to outer orbit, blow it up, replace engine in a afternoon. Lift it with some junkyard Jeep springs. Or slam it and replace the oil pan bi-weekly. Slightly faster then a base model new Kia. You get the trilling sense of possible death due to various rattles. Every possible thing to do to the car has at least 8 YouTube videos from failed accounts. Entry price is as low as a moving car can get. There is a reason like all builders start in the water cooled VW scene. Very forgiving car and survives the clapped transformation better then most. It’s a rite of passage dammit!
I think most Japanese city cars or hatch in low spec is a good place to start. 90´s Civic, any Impreza, Auris. Doesn´t need to be fast to be for enthusiasts. First lesson is to know how to react at the limits of the car, and it´s safer to do it at lower speeds.
I would say the “slow” version of the car. The V6 Mustang or Camaro. You won’t get tire sheading fun, but you have a car that is relatively cheap and easy to find parts for. .
The best car they can get for $3000
I am not sure it really matters what the car is because if you’re gonna be into cars you are gonna be able to enjoy whatever you have.
When I was a kid I was all about drag/street racing. My first ‘car’ was a ’78 1/2 ton GMC pickup truck; not the ideal hot rod by a long shot.
But I managed to make it a full-size truck that ran a surprising mid13 1/4 mile and wasn’t embarrassing to look at…
What are they enthusiastic about?
Do they want to offroad? Road race? Drag race? Have a low-rider?
Do they want to DIY or is it pay to play for mods?
Are they into old-school cars or new-school cars?
There is no one right answer it all depends on the kid’ I mean my dream car and the bream car of anyone else here are likely very, very different.
Having just returned from a couple weeks flogging a 1.5L diesel manual Opel Corsa around Spanish mountains, I believe its 101 hp, mulish throttle response, and what’s-the-opposite-of-eager handling would have been perfect for my 16 year old self. I seriously think the slowest new cars on sale in the US might be too powerful.
The only car a new driver, enthusiast or not, should be driving on the road is something that is cheap, slow, and safe. Full stop. I have two 19 year old boys and a 15 year old, and I once was a 16 year old boy. They do not need anything to encourage them to drive aggressively or that could get them in trouble. Electronic Stability Control is a must have. If you give a teen a performance car, you might as well be handing them a loaded gun. You are just asking for heartache for your family or someone else’s. I have never met a teenager who fully understands the consequences of their actions, and until they do they shouldn’t have something that can get them in too much trouble.
One option is a sporty looking car with low power and a stick. My first car was a 1990 Ford Probe GL, 110hp and a 5-speed. I did the “drive a slow car fast” thing for 4 years and learned a lot.
I also like the “regular” version of a hot-hatch. Think a Golf instead of GTI, regular Civic instead of an SI, Fiesta instead of an ST. If they really take to it, they can improve the car with all the non-engine toys developed for the platforms to improve suspension, brakes, etc.
I’m literally in this boat now. i have a soon to be 17 year old, and he’s heading into Driver’s Ed over the summer. he’s not interested in daily driving a stick, but he will learn enough to do it in an emergency. he’s not a gearhead, so I’m considering things that are safe, efficient through the city, and won’t leave him stranded or me pumping big money in the keep running
so i’m considering late model Japanese cars under $10k, older Buicks driven by grandmas, and minivans that aren’t totally clapped out.
One thought on minivan – give them this and they will be the one carting around all the distractions, I mean friends.
that was my wife’s thought, but he’s a generally quiet introvert so i am far less worried about such a thing from him. my 3rd on the other hand, when they get to 16 ( 13 now), it’s gonna be a struggle. I’ll buy a little underpowered Fiat 500 for them. certainly not giving any of my kids the keys to my Abarth.
When my kids were learning, I had a high mileage Tundra for one. His car of choice now is a Ram 1500. For the other I had an Impreza wagon, well used but in good (leaky) condition. He eventually bought an STi, but now has settled for a value priced 4-cyl Accord coupe.
people do get put on a path by their first experiences, don’t they? of course in my case it was a product of what i could afford for the first few years. an ’85 Cultass, then a 96 Dodge Intrepid. once i was finally making a little bit of money it was a 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. learned stick after high school and then spent 13 years autocrossing and shuttling kids around in it. in my 6th year with my 500 Abarth and looking forward to a Wrangler most likely next.
Something with ABS, is reasonably easy to maintain, is reliable mostly, is easy to fix because of a big support group when it’s not, and has a stick. Seating? It depends on the kid whether you wind up with an E46 or a Miata.
Being empowered to understand and work on one’s own vehicle pays out in other aspects of our lives, especially with regard to technology, so I’d promote that as part of the young driver experience.
Honda Civic, maybe an Si if they can afford it
How about an an MGB ? Well sorted ones are not ruinously expensive, easy to maintain and fun
Not the best to be driving in an accident. I don’t take mine on the highway unless I have to.
Daihatsu HiJet/Honda Acty/Suzuki Carry. Cheap, reliable, slow as hell. Sufficiently weird to be enthusiastic about.
8th or 9th generation Civic Si
10th generation Corolla XRS
1988 Barbie Corvette Power Wheels.
I’d go with the ‘91 with the extra .5hp.
Any base-model econobox with a stick.
100% this. This will make a real driving enthusiast out of the person in question with minimal buy in and liability. I guess a Nissan Versa is about the only option left but that’s enough for a kid to really learn to appreciate the joy of actually driving.If you give them anything better starting off, you’re just creating a punk.
Sherman tanks are manual right? I think making them earn some or all of the money will induce common sense into all but the stupidest 17 year old male of our species. Very few people appreciate stuff they get for free as opposed to working and earning it.
If FWD is acceptable, I vote Mazda3. The HP is reasonable, the handling is good, gas and repairs should be affordable, and insurance should be okay. (Insurance cost is NEVER ‘good’ in my state.)
I’m gonna go left field here and say Mini Cooper, non-S, stick shift. It teaches handling and driving skills but isn’t that fast. Stable at speed, more room inside than you’d think. Mileage is decent. Only downside is, yeah, reliability. The R53 had a lot of issues, and early R56’s kept killing their power steering and coolant pumps, though both have been fixed to my knowledge.
So a beginner- your kid is 17, has a license, wants a fun car. They need decent gas mileage since they will drive to school, friends, work, and who knows. That puts out v8s (but my corvette/mustang/camaro/f150 gets Greta mpg highway! Yeah, and a lead foot teenager won’t. I got 18mpg with a v6 mustang. They’ll get 10.). So no, no V8. Friends in the car? Need more seats. So no 2 seater. More friends? Well, cue a 4 door. Plus generally cheaper insurance. Reliability- yes. I don’t want to fix my kids car constantly because they beat on it. Transmission- they’re an enthusiast, so manual is must.
So from this- 4 doors, manual, no V8.
I propose the (holy grail?) 2006-2007 Honda Accord V6/6speed sedan. The 3.0 puts out 244hp, not bad for the time. All the fun of the coupe with more doors. Honda reliability, none of the automatics problems. Flies under the radar, and you can still do things like suspension, big brakes, and stereo modifications.
So my pick is that.
You don’t actually want a new driver driving their friends around.
Bad thinking. The more kids in the car the greater the stupidity. Once was a passenger in a vw bus with 9 passengers going 80 mph because motor swap, a small 4 seater coupe because 4 door allows getting into trouble on a different way. Maybe a vw bug. Easy to work on easy to get parts. 4 teenager max and then you cant speed. Embarrassing enough that fewer girls and harder to have sex. Affordable, economical embarrassing? Yes you win the trifecta.
Chevy Aveo.
(Ain’t I a stinker?)
Electromeccanica Solo. Start them in the smallest “car” you can so that everything else seems massive. Might be a trick to find one that works, but it could be pretty cheap.
Late 80s Civic Si! But if it is my money, a 1980 Chevette with a 3-Spd.
2002-2005 Civic Si would be my choice. Our grandson is still driving the 2002 that I bought new. Among other things, it uses regular gas.
Handling and breaking are good and the 5-speed manual shifts well. He has found the hatchback to hand on many occasions.
Yeah find one.
with 1st gen BRZ/FRZ/GT86 getting cheap, being slow, reliable, rwd, and pretty neat looking, i think those are pretty desirable as a first enthusiast car.
Cheap? Maybe a clapped out and/or automatic one is but decent examples of manual last gens in my area are still selling in the 20s.
An E36/46 with a 6 cylinder, non M.
Three enthusiastic teenage drivers that all made it to 18 safely without any tickets or fender benders here. Teach them what the car can do, get them a stick shift, and make them participate in maintenance.
All initially learned to drive a handed down Focus ST and an NA Miata. Both very reliable fun. Snow tires on the ST for winter.
They also had access to a classic muscle car and an SUV. One of them built a classic for themselves. Building it creates tons of respect and responsibility for the machine.