09 RA for first vehicle
I still don't see why people are complaining about a discussion about ALL of the factors in beginning car ownership. The OP wants to know if an RA is a good first car to own; to answer that it is necessary to discuss costs, competition, performance, insurance, location, school etc
In my opinion, it is not a good first car to own. This is not because it's a bad car. In my opinion it is a good car from what I've heard and read. My issue with the idea of buying a ralliart AT THAT AGE is that priorities can change quick. The last thing I would want is an expensive loan and an expensive maintenance bill when I was graduating and looking into going to grad school. When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think anyone who is 18 and absolutely has the rest of their life planned out is nothing short of insane.
If you graduate and are perfectly content with an entry level job and an apartment. Go for it, get the ralliart/evo or whatever! Then you will know it is something you can handle for the next 5 years.
Dude, you're 18. Get a reliable cheapish car and focus on your education and having fun with your friends.
I don't know your body style tastes but...Here is what I would recommend:
-08+ Base Lancer
-Mazda 3 / used Mazda 6
-VW Rabbit 2.5 (If you can stomach the cutsie appearance, they are fun to drive)
-06 Ralliart
-Subaru 2.5 liter non-turbo impreza
-Acura RSX
-Honda Fit (again, the appearance. But they are also fun to drive and very thrifty)
Those cars all have their benefits and drawbacks but they won't break the bank and can all be fun to own/drive. I would highly recommend the subaru seeing as how you live in canada. A low mileage non-turbo awd impreza is such a steal. It's not really fast but it has a lot of other advantages.
Also, and this is a caveat, but I wouldn't buy a car with a cutting edge transmission when I am young. They don't fix those sst trannies, they yank them out and fully replace them. As soon as your warranty goes you better be mindful of that and ready to shell out some serious cash. A few MR transmissions have already blown after modding. The sst in the RA and MR cannot handle a ton of power, and seems to be fragile to begin with. I wouldn't buy a turbo Mitsu if I didn't plan on modding; so think about that if you want to mod in the future as well.
In my opinion, it is not a good first car to own. This is not because it's a bad car. In my opinion it is a good car from what I've heard and read. My issue with the idea of buying a ralliart AT THAT AGE is that priorities can change quick. The last thing I would want is an expensive loan and an expensive maintenance bill when I was graduating and looking into going to grad school. When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think anyone who is 18 and absolutely has the rest of their life planned out is nothing short of insane.
If you graduate and are perfectly content with an entry level job and an apartment. Go for it, get the ralliart/evo or whatever! Then you will know it is something you can handle for the next 5 years.
Dude, you're 18. Get a reliable cheapish car and focus on your education and having fun with your friends.
I don't know your body style tastes but...Here is what I would recommend:
-08+ Base Lancer
-Mazda 3 / used Mazda 6
-VW Rabbit 2.5 (If you can stomach the cutsie appearance, they are fun to drive)
-06 Ralliart
-Subaru 2.5 liter non-turbo impreza
-Acura RSX
-Honda Fit (again, the appearance. But they are also fun to drive and very thrifty)
Those cars all have their benefits and drawbacks but they won't break the bank and can all be fun to own/drive. I would highly recommend the subaru seeing as how you live in canada. A low mileage non-turbo awd impreza is such a steal. It's not really fast but it has a lot of other advantages.
Also, and this is a caveat, but I wouldn't buy a car with a cutting edge transmission when I am young. They don't fix those sst trannies, they yank them out and fully replace them. As soon as your warranty goes you better be mindful of that and ready to shell out some serious cash. A few MR transmissions have already blown after modding. The sst in the RA and MR cannot handle a ton of power, and seems to be fragile to begin with. I wouldn't buy a turbo Mitsu if I didn't plan on modding; so think about that if you want to mod in the future as well.
I still don't see why people are complaining about a discussion about ALL of the factors in beginning car ownership. The OP wants to know if an RA is a good first car to own; to answer that it is necessary to discuss costs, competition, performance, insurance, location, school etc
In my opinion, it is not a good first car to own. This is not because it's a bad car. In my opinion it is a good car from what I've heard and read. My issue with the idea of buying a ralliart AT THAT AGE is that priorities can change quick. The last thing I would want is an expensive loan and an expensive maintenance bill when I was graduating and looking into going to grad school. When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think anyone who is 18 and absolutely has the rest of their life planned out is nothing short of insane.
If you graduate and are perfectly content with an entry level job and an apartment. Go for it, get the ralliart/evo or whatever! Then you will know it is something you can handle for the next 5 years.
Dude, you're 18. Get a reliable cheapish car and focus on your education and having fun with your friends.
I don't know your body style tastes but...Here is what I would recommend:
-08+ Base Lancer
-Mazda 3 / used Mazda 6
-VW Rabbit 2.5 (If you can stomach the cutsie appearance, they are fun to drive)
-06 Ralliart
-Subaru 2.5 liter non-turbo impreza
-Acura RSX
-Honda Fit (again, the appearance. But they are also fun to drive and very thrifty)
Those cars all have their benefits and drawbacks but they won't break the bank and can all be fun to own/drive. I would highly recommend the subaru seeing as how you live in canada. A low mileage non-turbo awd impreza is such a steal. It's not really fast but it has a lot of other advantages.
Also, and this is a caveat, but I wouldn't buy a car with a cutting edge transmission when I am young. They don't fix those sst trannies, they yank them out and fully replace them. As soon as your warranty goes you better be mindful of that and ready to shell out some serious cash. A few MR transmissions have already blown after modding. The sst in the RA and MR cannot handle a ton of power, and seems to be fragile to begin with. I wouldn't buy a turbo Mitsu if I didn't plan on modding; so think about that if you want to mod in the future as well.
In my opinion, it is not a good first car to own. This is not because it's a bad car. In my opinion it is a good car from what I've heard and read. My issue with the idea of buying a ralliart AT THAT AGE is that priorities can change quick. The last thing I would want is an expensive loan and an expensive maintenance bill when I was graduating and looking into going to grad school. When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think anyone who is 18 and absolutely has the rest of their life planned out is nothing short of insane.
If you graduate and are perfectly content with an entry level job and an apartment. Go for it, get the ralliart/evo or whatever! Then you will know it is something you can handle for the next 5 years.
Dude, you're 18. Get a reliable cheapish car and focus on your education and having fun with your friends.
I don't know your body style tastes but...Here is what I would recommend:
-08+ Base Lancer
-Mazda 3 / used Mazda 6
-VW Rabbit 2.5 (If you can stomach the cutsie appearance, they are fun to drive)
-06 Ralliart
-Subaru 2.5 liter non-turbo impreza
-Acura RSX
-Honda Fit (again, the appearance. But they are also fun to drive and very thrifty)
Those cars all have their benefits and drawbacks but they won't break the bank and can all be fun to own/drive. I would highly recommend the subaru seeing as how you live in canada. A low mileage non-turbo awd impreza is such a steal. It's not really fast but it has a lot of other advantages.
Also, and this is a caveat, but I wouldn't buy a car with a cutting edge transmission when I am young. They don't fix those sst trannies, they yank them out and fully replace them. As soon as your warranty goes you better be mindful of that and ready to shell out some serious cash. A few MR transmissions have already blown after modding. The sst in the RA and MR cannot handle a ton of power, and seems to be fragile to begin with. I wouldn't buy a turbo Mitsu if I didn't plan on modding; so think about that if you want to mod in the future as well.
I'm 17, I DD a Ralliart to school everyday. My friend he's also 17 and he DDs an 09 STI and a few others do the same with a 128 and 335i. Its not really that bad for young people. It's perfect for day-to-day driving. Especially in Canada
EDIT: before i get flamed, I intended to say the RA and the STI are good for winter cause of the AWD. RWD is just another experience lmao
EDIT: before i get flamed, I intended to say the RA and the STI are good for winter cause of the AWD. RWD is just another experience lmao
Last edited by laksman91; Apr 21, 2009 at 06:48 PM.
I still don't see why people are complaining about a discussion about ALL of the factors in beginning car ownership. The OP wants to know if an RA is a good first car to own; to answer that it is necessary to discuss costs, competition, performance, insurance, location, school etc
In my opinion, it is not a good first car to own. This is not because it's a bad car. In my opinion it is a good car from what I've heard and read. My issue with the idea of buying a ralliart AT THAT AGE is that priorities can change quick. The last thing I would want is an expensive loan and an expensive maintenance bill when I was graduating and looking into going to grad school. When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think anyone who is 18 and absolutely has the rest of their life planned out is nothing short of insane.
If you graduate and are perfectly content with an entry level job and an apartment. Go for it, get the ralliart/evo or whatever! Then you will know it is something you can handle for the next 5 years.
Dude, you're 18. Get a reliable cheapish car and focus on your education and having fun with your friends.
I don't know your body style tastes but...Here is what I would recommend:
-08+ Base Lancer
-Mazda 3 / used Mazda 6
-VW Rabbit 2.5 (If you can stomach the cutsie appearance, they are fun to drive)
-06 Ralliart
-Subaru 2.5 liter non-turbo impreza
-Acura RSX
-Honda Fit (again, the appearance. But they are also fun to drive and very thrifty)
Those cars all have their benefits and drawbacks but they won't break the bank and can all be fun to own/drive. I would highly recommend the subaru seeing as how you live in canada. A low mileage non-turbo awd impreza is such a steal. It's not really fast but it has a lot of other advantages.
Also, and this is a caveat, but I wouldn't buy a car with a cutting edge transmission when I am young. They don't fix those sst trannies, they yank them out and fully replace them. As soon as your warranty goes you better be mindful of that and ready to shell out some serious cash. A few MR transmissions have already blown after modding. The sst in the RA and MR cannot handle a ton of power, and seems to be fragile to begin with. I wouldn't buy a turbo Mitsu if I didn't plan on modding; so think about that if you want to mod in the future as well.
In my opinion, it is not a good first car to own. This is not because it's a bad car. In my opinion it is a good car from what I've heard and read. My issue with the idea of buying a ralliart AT THAT AGE is that priorities can change quick. The last thing I would want is an expensive loan and an expensive maintenance bill when I was graduating and looking into going to grad school. When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. I think anyone who is 18 and absolutely has the rest of their life planned out is nothing short of insane.
If you graduate and are perfectly content with an entry level job and an apartment. Go for it, get the ralliart/evo or whatever! Then you will know it is something you can handle for the next 5 years.
Dude, you're 18. Get a reliable cheapish car and focus on your education and having fun with your friends.
I don't know your body style tastes but...Here is what I would recommend:
-08+ Base Lancer
-Mazda 3 / used Mazda 6
-VW Rabbit 2.5 (If you can stomach the cutsie appearance, they are fun to drive)
-06 Ralliart
-Subaru 2.5 liter non-turbo impreza
-Acura RSX
-Honda Fit (again, the appearance. But they are also fun to drive and very thrifty)
Those cars all have their benefits and drawbacks but they won't break the bank and can all be fun to own/drive. I would highly recommend the subaru seeing as how you live in canada. A low mileage non-turbo awd impreza is such a steal. It's not really fast but it has a lot of other advantages.
Also, and this is a caveat, but I wouldn't buy a car with a cutting edge transmission when I am young. They don't fix those sst trannies, they yank them out and fully replace them. As soon as your warranty goes you better be mindful of that and ready to shell out some serious cash. A few MR transmissions have already blown after modding. The sst in the RA and MR cannot handle a ton of power, and seems to be fragile to begin with. I wouldn't buy a turbo Mitsu if I didn't plan on modding; so think about that if you want to mod in the future as well.
We're not beating it into the ground, we're constantly being forced to reiterate our points/define our points because people are openly attacking us. Funny how people are fine with their own point being said a million times but get pissy when someone else actually responds to comments.
We're not beating it into the ground, we're constantly being forced to reiterate our points/define our points because people are openly attacking us. Funny how people are fine with their own point being said a million times but get pissy when someone else actually responds to comments.
Evolved Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 662
Likes: 0
From: michigan
If you drive a car daily, then it's a "daily driver". That doesn't mean that it has to be practical, fuel efficient, comfortable, etc. So, for someone who only likes to turn fast, stop hard, accelerate quickly, then an Evo, corvette, and even a porsche can be a "daily driver". My point? Unless you need mammoth ground clearance, seating for 20, cupholders that will fit a gallon jug, or just haul a lot of garbage around, then an R/A will be just fine on a daily basis.
Also, it isn't too much of a car. Sure, it can accelerate pretty quickly, and handle good - but these attributes can also apply to safety. It's better than driving a '52 chevy with the shocks blown out. Also, a RWD car like a Mustang GT or Camaro SS is MUCH MORE dangerous than the R/A. YOU can get ANY car into a bad predicament. Yeah, lot of teens in sports cars are idiots, but I'm of the mindset that not everyone is the same... So why ruin it for those people?
Also, whats all this nonsense about maintenance costs? Besides fuel, rubbers, and oil, you shouldn't be paying for any service as it should be covered under warranty. I have a feeling that a well cared for R/A will give you trouble free operation well beyond the 3/36k, anyways.
I still back up my recommendation that you take some racing/performance driving classes, so that at least if you are an idiot on the streets, you know how to drive properly. I'm not just suggesting this for people with sports cars, as anyone who drives can benefit from the knowledge and experience.
Get yourself an R/A. IMHO, they're totally worth the money (from a hardware standpoint).
Also, it isn't too much of a car. Sure, it can accelerate pretty quickly, and handle good - but these attributes can also apply to safety. It's better than driving a '52 chevy with the shocks blown out. Also, a RWD car like a Mustang GT or Camaro SS is MUCH MORE dangerous than the R/A. YOU can get ANY car into a bad predicament. Yeah, lot of teens in sports cars are idiots, but I'm of the mindset that not everyone is the same... So why ruin it for those people?
Also, whats all this nonsense about maintenance costs? Besides fuel, rubbers, and oil, you shouldn't be paying for any service as it should be covered under warranty. I have a feeling that a well cared for R/A will give you trouble free operation well beyond the 3/36k, anyways.
I still back up my recommendation that you take some racing/performance driving classes, so that at least if you are an idiot on the streets, you know how to drive properly. I'm not just suggesting this for people with sports cars, as anyone who drives can benefit from the knowledge and experience.
Get yourself an R/A. IMHO, they're totally worth the money (from a hardware standpoint).
Evolving Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Boston
I said no earlier because of maturity and remembering when I was 18 (reading all this would just make me want it more...) but the RA is my DD and I'm so happy with my purchase-- if you can throw down the 10k down payment you should be golden this is my first car i've paid for completely on my own and I didn't have a co-signer and still was able to get 0% APR... have you test driven it yet?
Yeah, lot of teens in sports cars are idiots, but I'm of the mindset that not everyone is the same... So why ruin it for those people?
I still back up my recommendation that you take some racing/performance driving classes, so that at least if you are an idiot on the streets, you know how to drive properly. I'm not just suggesting this for people with sports cars, as anyone who drives can benefit from the knowledge and experience.
I still back up my recommendation that you take some racing/performance driving classes, so that at least if you are an idiot on the streets, you know how to drive properly. I'm not just suggesting this for people with sports cars, as anyone who drives can benefit from the knowledge and experience.
+1 on the driving performance classes. I personally have yet done one myself but am dying to, been trying to get some literature as well.
Evolving Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
17 and own a RA!...I'm so jealous
I wish my dad bought me a car, the only 4 wheeler he got me when I was 17 was a skateboard.
Whatever happened to the notion of getting a used car as your first "learning" car. I guess parents nowadays want their kids to have the fancies stuff...iphones, blackberries, etc...
I'm actually glad that my first car was a used car that I learned everything on because when I did get my RA I really learned to appreciate things much more (sorry for off topic).
The RA is a great first car if you can afford it as its not cheap, but its a load of fun. Boils down to what you want.
I wish my dad bought me a car, the only 4 wheeler he got me when I was 17 was a skateboard.
Whatever happened to the notion of getting a used car as your first "learning" car. I guess parents nowadays want their kids to have the fancies stuff...iphones, blackberries, etc...
I'm actually glad that my first car was a used car that I learned everything on because when I did get my RA I really learned to appreciate things much more (sorry for off topic).
The RA is a great first car if you can afford it as its not cheap, but its a load of fun. Boils down to what you want.
seriously... people are going to drive like idiots no matter what the car is... you can drive any car fast and dangerously some cars just take longer to get there... i dont know how many corollas, scion tcs, civics, kias, pickup trucks, suvs whatever blow past me on any road every day of the week. No matter what kind of car they have some people think they are driving race cars.
I had some random old white trash guy in a old pickup sitting next to me at a light the other day (confederate flag on the back window and everything) holding the brake down and flooring the gas like he wanted to race me... i just let him go and laughed at him.
but back on topic... Buy whatever you like but think about it your options first. I personally would buy AWD though, so that rules out a lot of options.
I had some random old white trash guy in a old pickup sitting next to me at a light the other day (confederate flag on the back window and everything) holding the brake down and flooring the gas like he wanted to race me... i just let him go and laughed at him.
but back on topic... Buy whatever you like but think about it your options first. I personally would buy AWD though, so that rules out a lot of options.
Last edited by xdemoulasx; Apr 21, 2009 at 10:44 PM.
not by me, he didn't come off as a pompous *** like you did (and have done many many times in other threads) I have been on this board for a month or so, and you are the only person I see over and over and over again getting into arguments. I think you thrive on it. You seem to like to try to impress people or something. I never hear you admit you made even a tiny mistake, you always try and make yourself right. I PROVED the insurance line and still you didn't acknowledge you made a miscalculation (you said check a GTS and Ralliart and I bet you'll see a huge (this is off the top of my head) difference. I proved from toronto where he is you were completely wrong. I wish we had Ignore buttons on here lol.
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