g6civcx

iTrader: (6)

The GTI is a good car, provided you do your homework and know what you're getting into.

I really don't want to recommend it to a first-time driver because of the idiosynchrasies associated with the car, electrical gremlins and such.

But if you like the car, it's a good solid car as far as reliability goes.

Perhaps the chassis is a little heavier than some, but still not too bad.

WhosEVO

iTrader: (10)

totally agree with the above statement......i believe that is the most dangerous situation when someone so young to drive a fast car like evo.

JaguarS4R

Have any pics been released of an EVO in a 40mph side and front collision? ONLY 2 airbags........HUH

yellowmars

iTrader: (1)

As others have mentioned, it's going to be other people that are going to make him drive fast and wreckless. Every one of his friends is gonna want to "see" this EVO thing he's got. Every mustang and camaro is going to want to race him. It's easy for someone to say, "I'm not gonna drive fast." But it's another thing for them to keep it under control on friday night with 3 friends pleading you have to race this guy!

Edwards

Im def going to talk to him about driving school. Hes making enough to pay for insurance/repairs. Im thinking of just buying him a used wrx and tell him to wait for the Evo. I really didnt want to buy him a car but now to keep him from getting himself hurt in an Evo I might just have to. Does anyone here have opinions on the Maz3 or the civic si?

pj_sabatini

While on the subject, I'd figure I'd ask everyone if I should get one. I'm seriously considering it. I'm almost 21 years old, and have a very good record thus far. My first car was a 92 eclipse (auto) and my second, a 2002 dodge dakota R/T w/ the 5.9L V8. I've only gotten one ticket (careless driving) in almost 4 years. I hear this talk about the evo being dangerous. I understand that totally, and would respect the responsibility that goes along w/ driving such a car. w/ this in mind, would the evo still be a poor choice as a first true sports car w/ a manual transmission?

AWDTurbo4

iTrader: (3)

but! if you do that he is going to use his OWN money and mod the hell out of that wrx

everyone is telling you "what to buy"and "why not" but what you want to hear is what can you say to him to talk him out of it.

1- He is working, 2- his own money, 3- 18 years old but he is your son, he is still living under YOUR roof. You are the man of the house! Just let him know who has the biggest *****!

xepyt

iTrader: (3)

How about some feedback from another youngin'? I'm 16, and in all fairness none of us can tell you whether or not your son is prepared for this car; however, the one who can is your son. It's really up to him if he believes he is responsible enough. If indeed you do allow him to purchase the car take him to the track. It will help him become a better driver and will allow him to understand that pushing it on the street is not even worth it. The evo is my first car and also my first manual transmission vehicle. I've never raced and only really pushed it during break-in, on the track, and when I need to pass someone or something. It may sound stupid, but I think that having more power and better handling makes the evo a safer car than some other underpowered slow response car, it all depends on the driver! I do admit that I still have a lot to learn, I sometimes find myself doing the most asinine things haha .

JaguarS4R

actually at 16 your parents and everyone thats older than yu can tell yu everything. Just b/c yur 16 and yu JUST got yor liscense, yu think yu're old enough to make decisions, Absolutly NOT.

xepyt

iTrader: (3)

Ummm maybe yuuu didn't get my point. I'm saying that none of us, as in the evoM community, know his son to a personal level [ie. how responsible he is or the plain is he a good or bad kid] so we don't really have the right to just shoot away a bunch of criticisms at the guy. And I do disagree with your "this is a professional rally..." statement. What exactly makes this car much more difficult to drive than say a gti manual?

Moving on... Edwards, what does your son think of all this? Is he pretty much stuck on the evo or is he willing to compromise to another car?

Sentinal

If he is 18 and can pay cash for an Evo he obviously is doing better than most of us were at 18... while I think a WRX would be a better starting out car; if he is set on gettin an Evo and has the money to do it there probably isn't much anyone can say to him that will change his mind.

But do note that normal expenses on an Evo such as tires tuneups and maintanence is about 2-3 times what it costs for your average car.

no1v2

I was recently in a similar situation. I'm 18 and have been working a fulltime job since soon after I turned 17, and I had potentially quite a bit of money to spend on a car for a teenager (without even considering a loan). A little background so you know where my opinions are coming from...

I got my learners permit sometime when I was 15. At the time my parents had two cars, a 98 Grand Caravan (auto of course) and a 93 Saturn SL (manual). I started learning on the Caravan to get the very basics of driving down, and then switched to the Saturn to learn a manual. I wanted to learn how to drive a stick, and more importantly I needed to because I knew I would probably get the Saturn handed down to me.

As you might expect, the Saturn was pretty much the opposite of the Caravan in every possible way. The Caravan had auto/power everything (steering, brakes, windows, locks, etc) and a V6, which actually gave it kinda decent acceleration when it was empty. The Saturn had, as I liked to say, no power/auto nothin', including no power from the engine (85 HP I4, baby!). In the Caravan you sat way up high, while in the Saturn you sat like a ricer in his dropped Civic. When I first drove the Saturn it felt like I was learning to drive all over again. While I doubt the Evo is quite so different from his current car (what is his current car, btw?), as I'm sure he knows it's still quite a different beast, and as has already been mentioned over and over possibly a far more dangerous beast than a Saturn (possibly... )

Very soon after I got my provisional license my parents bought themselves a new car to replace the Saturn, and basically gave it to me. At that point I was out of school with no degree and no job, and the last thing I was thinking of was buying a new car.

Less than a year later I somehow got quite literally my dream job, and with pay that, while probably not much to many adults here, was quite a bit for a dropout still living at home. A year after that I felt I was ready to buy a new car (new as in new for me, not necessarily brand new).

I looked a pretty wide range of cars, from B5 S4's (used) to Protoge 5's (new or used) to Prelude's (used) to Corvette's (used) to RSX-S's (new or used) to, of course, the Evolution. As sexy as coupes can be, I realized that I wanted things like four doors, a decent trunk, and folding rear seats. There were some cars for which I would've been willing to compromise on that (man, did I want a C5 Corvette!), but in general those became requirements. I also wanted the car to be "fun," whatever that meant for me. I settled on a used B5 S4 as my top pick (cheaper from Carmax w/ their warrenty than a new Evo, and there weren't any used Evo's around at the time).

Let's just say my dad didn't waste any time shooting that idea down as soon as I mentioned it to him. I respect him and trust him enough that I simply wouldn't go against his advice like that, though I was upset about it at first. His reasons were both obvious and good, in hindsight:

1. Even if you have it, $25k+ is a lot of money to drop on a car if you're just 18! (unless you have $100k+) If you have that kind of money at that age you could be very well off in not very many years, *iff* you don't blow it all first.
   
2. Going all the way from my Saturn to an S4, Evolution, or the like would have been way overkill. I wanted something faster and more refined than the Saturn (yes, the Evo is more refined), but that's all purely relative, and I didn't need anything like those cars to get it.
   
3. In case that much money spent on a car at my age wouldn't have been enough, losing what I spent it on by getting into a major accident would've really been a killer. Let's face it, us 18 year olds do get into accidents a lot by our own faults, and nobody can always avoid ones caused by other drivers.
   
4. Cars like Audi's and Evolution's cost a lot to maintain, warrenty or no. Sure, I could've afforded it, but was that really the best place to dump my money?

In the end I ended up getting a Ralliart for $18.6k (out the door), with of course a new car's warrenty. I love just about everything about it, grin every time I sit down in the drivers seat or even just look at it, and have had altogether way too much fun with it. I don't for a second regret not getting an Evolution, S4, or the like (well, maybe for a few seconds... ). Sure, the Ralliart is much slower than the Evolution and certainly can't handle as well, but it beats the heck out of most cars out there and has turned out to be plenty for me (for now ).

I'm not saying your son should get a Ralliart (though I do recommend them strongly if he's looking for the same things in a car that I was), but that he can find a car that he'll have plenty of fun in without all the money and risk involved in an Evo.

That said, I'm sure the Evo is easily one of the most fun cars to drive this side of a Ferrari, so if he's set on it at least he'll have a hell of a time with it! I plan on driving my Ralliart for quite a few years to come, till I've gotten my money's worth out of it and I feel I'm ready for the latest and greatest Evo/Vette/etc of the time.

----------

Edit: I guess this long-winded post ended up being more for your son than for you. If he wants an Evo enough that he'll buy one against your wishes, the only thing you could do about it is (threaten to) kick him out of the house over it, and that's certainly not worth doing!

ducaticorse

Many pro race instructors would disagree with you.

HwangTKD

iTrader: (2)

There is no way that an 18 year old can afford to finance/pay cash AND insure the car under his name. If he is asking you to cosign/help with insurance, the decision is not TOTALLY his! If he is living under your roof, the decision is not TOTALLY his! I know that I would be a dead man if I had the evo at 18. I love it when these "young drivers" play the devil's advocate and tout thier self control, I know I would be saying the same thing at thier age if it rationalizes ownership of an evo. Bottom line: How are you gonna feel if GOD FORBID something terrible happens to him in the evo? Get him a car with less hp. I dont know your son personally but there is a reason y 18 year old males have incredibly high insurance rates. Hope you make the right decision.

note: Look at my sig, I've only been in one minor accident, and thank god it was in the van. I had the first 2 cars until I was 22. Out of all the cars that I have owned, the van made the most impact on my driving skills, making me RESPECT stopping distances/road holding capabilities/speed. Plus I became the best parallel parker in my Highschool.

machron1

iTrader: (1)

The EVO isn't dangerous if you are always paying attention and only explore the limits in a safe and controlled place like an autocross course or a race track (unless you are trying to push 100% on the racetrack). The main thing is, you have to actually drive the thing all the time. Of course, if you keep it at or below 3,000 rpm and 30mph, it's not so bad aside from the fact it even tramlines at this speed sometimes, and it only takes one rotation of the steering wheel to get the wheels turned as far as they go. Above this, you really need to pay attention. Bump steer is pretty harsh, so mid-turn road anomolies are bound to try to yank the steering wheel out of your hand if you aren't holding on.

All these things aren't HORRIBLE it's just that you have to know about them and be ready at all times. I don't drive with one hand ever .