So much this.

 

Maturity, self-control, and other things of the sort will greatly depend on you. Only you know you. So I think the best advice that an internet stranger can give you is simply to make sure you can afford it...at 16 and working or not - it's very likely that you're going to need help from your parents.

 

I got my Evo a day before I turned 16. I've had the car for 8 years now and has been nothing short of a blast. Don't kid yourself with saying you are not going to drive the car hard because it's just what is going to happen. I don't trust most people on this site to have a fast car so to me it doesn't matter if you're 16 or 32, go ahead and look for a better one and enjoy life.

 

As my dad taught me, RESPECT the car and it's abilities. I learned to drive in a Grand National, first car was a 5.0 mustang and drove different mustangs and corvettes through high school. I was taught to do my own maintenance and repairs. My dad told me that if I wanted to go fast that he wanted to be with me, and we went to the local dragstrip a lot. It's all about knowing you and not letting some other idiot tell you what to do or pressure you into something you know is wrong.

Me personally I would say go for it, but learn the car. Do research and take it slow. Not everything has to be done by a shop if you are willing to take on the responsibility of your car.

Good luck

 

I lean towards this side of the argument.

 

I regretted buying my evo when I was 21. Definitely not financially sound enough keep it maintained as it should've been. And if I had the evo when I was 16 I would most likely be dead.

I would recommend a WRX over the evo as your first car. Less on insurance, less on maintenance, and still a fun car. They are hard to break too if you keep them lightly modded!

 

Great advice above ^. My Dad was/is the exact same way. I'm pretty old now at 33 and have had my Evo for over 5 years. If you find a good one, maintenance isn't bad at all. But, if you don't evaluate everything on a prospective purchase, you could end up with a money pit. Ignore your heart when you're looking at these...and use your brain. Ok, maybe a little heart can't hurt ;-)

My Dad also said: "If you don't have enough cash to buy a car straight up...you shouldn't be buying it."

As always, good luck and be safe!

 

I would go with a base model lancer for a couple years and learn to play with that for a bit get some experience under your belt. Thats how i learned, I also turboed it to and learned alot about that. I did my own work and it was a custom project. Now that i have my evo I respect the power it is capable of, i know how to fix and tune my own car without some shop charging me, and I am very grateful for my car. It is my dream car and I would never trade it for anything not even a ferrari thats how much I love this car

 

Thanks!

I've decided I should keep working and keep saving to afford a better 2006 (found a couple listings for 20k) in a year for more experience driving. I've only had a year with my permit, having to drive with my parents everywhere I went, so i'd like to know how its like to drive on my own first.

thank you so much for all of your suggestions!

 

When I was 16 my parents bought me a 2006 Lancer Evolution IX with 7000 miles on it. I was mature for my age though, and very OCD and **** retentive. I never drove anyone or even drove fast. If you aren't dumb you will be fine. Got a Evo X at 20, and now a GT-R at 22. Don't let these people tell you what to buy and what not to buy.

 

Dear lord

 

I would have to agree with this being a terrible first car choice. Let's face it, these cars aren't exactly real high on the reliability list nor are they cheap to fix when something does go wrong. As for the car being "too much" to handle, in Stock form an evo is a pretty tame car in my opinion.

 

I bought my evo when i was 19. not my first car but second. I Came from a base model cobalt which i built and boosted to 400whp. As long as you respect the car it will respect you. Repairs can be costly but if your willing to do **** yourself and learn youl be fine. Insurance on the other hand....goodluck.. i get bent over at $265 a month full coverage on a IX at age 19.

 

According to my wife 16 is the demographic for the Evo. :-)
She always asks me why I drive a "teenagers car".

As a first car it's not anymore dangerous than a Mustang or Camaro and arguably the AWD makes it a bit safer when accelerating hard. But the maintenance is what will kill you financially.
Budget tires, brake pads, timing belt, oil changes etc.

 

Wow you guys aresao much nicer to the younger enthusiast than the Subaru community. They would have totally made him feel bad. At least here he has suggestions on what and what not to do. Some say yes and some say no. Subaru just says "**** no! Your just a kid!"

In my opinion I say get it. Got to run before you walk. Haha. I don't see a problem with being 16 and driving an EVO. As long as you can afford maintenance. And if your parents are down. All i ask be responsible and don't ruin the evolution community by driving dumb.