yes parents help, but dont assume theyre gonna take all the bills either. im not complaining because i am driving a new car but if i would have known i would need to work this much to enjoy it i would have said hell no and gone with a used 3kgt or something.

 

Wow, i think i have you beat, 88 honda accord lx-i with 120 hp. God i loved that car....yes, it was a HONDUHHHHH
I think if you are 16 starting out driving, you should get a sh*t car, then eventually upgrade to a newer and better car down the road.

 

RedDragon, how do you figure it is a waste of money buying a used car as a first car? Buying a new car as a first, or second, or third car is a waste of money, considering how much they depreciate after you drive it off the lot. Although my R/A is my 2nd car and I did buy it new, I'm not sure I will buy a brand new car the next time around, been driving since January and didn't wreck either of my cars, then again I don't race or anything...

 

I hear ya, my first car was a 93 Saturn with a gut-wrenching 85hp My parents got themselves a new car and handed the Saturn down to me when I got my license. It was painfully slow and gripless at times but I still had lots of fun with it. It was a pretty different driving experience from most new cars, because in addition to its manual transmission it had no power steering/brakes/locks/windows/anything (except it did have ABS thankfully!).

In hindsight I'm glad that was my first car and not something nice. I still had a few lessons to learn about things like distracted driving when I got it. Honestly, those new scratches on the bumper appeared and that mirror and the antenna fell off all on their own


Agreed. Looking back 2-3 years I was a scary driver at that age, and I'll probably say the same about my driving now in another 2-3 years.


Selling dope is probably one way to afford a Ralliart at 18, but honestly, us young Ralliart owners aren't all drug dealers I bought my Ralliart less than two months after I turned 18, and paid for it in full no less. It's no impossible for a teenager to get a decent-paying job, it's just rare. Combine good income with still living at home for a year and a car like the Ralliart becomes within easy financial reach.

I seem to be on a mission on this board to defend young car owners


If you're planning on keeping it a while then I think the warrenty, knowing that the car was (hopefully ) well cared for, and getting the exact car you want make up for the savings from getting a used car over a new one.

I do think buying a new car is a waste of money if you're just gonna sell/trade it in a year or three, though.

 

Same here.

72 Olds Cutlass age 16-18 (beautiful car that I wish I still had)
88 Nissan Sentra age 18-19 (piece of **** that I bought for $500 that got me from A to B
92 Ford Probe age 20-21 (car seemed cool till the transmission went out )
98 Mazda Protege age 21-24
01 Hundai Sonata age 24-27 (needed a family car)
96 Plymouth Duster age 24-27 (a beater used strictly for going to work)
04 Ralliart present (wanted something sporty I could play around with)
05 Dodge Durango present (another kid so need a bigger family car)

 

Heh, I drove my cousin's Cutlass for a few weeks once. White and burgundy. 350. Nice car. All the neighborhood vato's were like... "Check it out. That white boy got a cool car." when I would roll by.

 

How exactly is owning a used car as your first car a waste of money???

1) You don't have a huge payment, so you can use that money for your savings.

2) Used cars will generally have more problems than a new one, which means you will have more opportunity to work on your car, thus giving you a better understanding of how cars work. The money spent on small fixes (assuming he doesn't buy a lemon) may be more than he would have spent on a used car, but the knowledge gained would be worth more in the long run.

3) The chances of the average 16-18 year old getting into an accident is a lot higher than someone older. If he was to get in an accident the damage to his pocket will be less if he had a used car.

3) Did I say that you won't have a huge payment?

 

Mine was dark blue. with white interior and white vinal top. aka The Batmobile

That 350 is no joke. Looking back on it now I don't know how I never really let all that power go to my head. The fact that I could ride around town with like 8 heads in the car and fit another 4 or 5 in the trunk was nice too. lol

 

Go used.

Chances are pretty good you're gonna beat the hell out of your first car, you may as well save a few bucks.

 

You said exactly what I was thinking when he made that comment.

 

Now this guy sounds like a responsible person. Yall need to take notes.

 

my first car was a 1997 eclipse GS , i bought it in feb. 2003 and i paid it off in 9 months .....
i had the ra for a year now and i got rid of my eclipse about 3 months ago :S (it was just sitting there looking pretty lol)

 

i got my RA for a first car. Im a profestional driver.

 

RA for a first car , yet you're a pro driver......... that sounds weird .... professional to your eyes or to your heart ?

 

I think a new car might be good, because you know its new and most likely won't want to mess it up and tend to baby it. My first car was a 94' altima (in 2001-2002)
It would have been a good car if I wasn't a dumbass driving it off-road like a truck/rally car. But hey its part of being young n dumb.

Repairs made
-New used engine
-Head gasket(or something)
-Motor Mounts(easily breakable by hand when repair was done)
-Sideview mirrors re-attached with tape

Repairs needed
-Transmission
-Struts
-many dents/falling bumper(front/rear)
-front passenger/rear driver side windows

now that I think about it I just wasted $10,000 or so with car + repairs.

Now I got my ra and im not stupid with this one.