18 year old needs help buying first car

[mogu]

I'm an 18 year old girl shopping for her first car. I can pretty much get any car I want under $40,000 due to the fact that its being funded by my father whom I've just met for the first time last month, and he is pretty well off. It's very tempting to milk him, but since its my first car I know I dont want to risk getting it totalled.

I'm currently considering the 240sx then eventually getting a sr20det swap. I'm also considering an integra with a s15 frontend conversion (I dont like the stock headlights).

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[SniperX13]

I didnt know the s15 (nissan) and the Integra (honda/acura) were swappable. Get something you can easily handle, like a civic, spec v, or a celica. maybe an rsx.

[MexSiR]

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

Dont get a civic, sentra, prelude bla bla bla...

Get a:

Bmw M3 used.
BMW 3 series.
Honda S2000.
Acura NSX used (95)
Mitsubishi Evolution.
Nissan 350Z.
Mercedes C class.
Audi A4.
Porsche Boxter Used.

A modified econocar will never match up.

This is coming from a guy that owns a Civic SI EBP 99, very popular car for modifing, who has a Porsche RS and BMW 3 series on his driveway.

A Honda Civic, with a bodykit, lowered, hood, rims, dropped, suspension, turbo/supercharger...yada yada...will never give you the satisfaction or respect as if you were driving a BMW 2002 M3.

Period.

[Z_Fanatic]

let me ask you something, how can you just go ahead and advice these high-performance cars to a newbie driver? and not only that, could you imagine the insurence rates on these cars? I agree Civics and Integras are terrible cliche cars now, but M3?? NSX? Porsche? Geez. When you have these cars in your garage, there's no way in hell anyone's gonna pay that much insurence and just keep it for "show and tell."

performance + inexperience = accidents.

As for the driver, congrats, but save that offer for now, and get a car well below 200 HP. you'll live longer.

[Joseph1082]

I agree w/ that

[MexSiR]

Yes I know what you mean. But she can learn how to drive in performance driving schools, friends FWD cars, or just do what I did. I drove a Big V8 old ford for a year, then a pickup for another year (cheap cars) and then bought the Civic Si 99, which isnt all that fast but its a sporti car, with my experience I can now drive the porsche and bmw.

Plus you learn little by little. If you have an M3 you just dont try drifting your first time, you get some lessons, pointers from your dad, take it easily at first etc..

[Z_Fanatic]

I think she has rest of her life to learn "racing." This is her first car. And no pun intended, lol, but even girls in 350Zs concentrate more efforts on doing their make ups than driving. And when I see it happen, I either accelerate or slow down, but never in the same lane or adjacent to it.

[MexSiR]

Hahahah...true.

Get a car under 200 hp, thats too broad. How about a 190 hp Lotus Elise that does the 1/4 in low 13 sec, as fast as an M3??

Hahahah...
Peace.

[3kgt8]

40 grand for a car. damn you are really lucky.

[raji]

very lucky indeed... you can buy some very very nice cars for 40 grand...

but i have to agree with Zfanatic, getting a higher-end sports car for her first car is just gonna end up killing her. The problem new drivers have IMO is that they're still getting used to how cars behave under certain conditions, circumstances, etc... and sports cars are known to be even more touchy and temperamental. What happens if she takes an off-ramp too fast and fishtails the car? What happens if she overestimates (or underestimates) the power of the car when taking a left turn at a busy intersection?

If you want to be smart, get yourself something classy-looking and has a little less under the hood. Perhaps something you can mod if you ever feel like it. I'd suggest the base Acura RSX or the Type S if you're a little more daring. Maybe even the Acura TSX. Test drive the cars before buying too, so you get a proper idea of how it behaves and if you like it.

If you want to get yourself killed, or worse, accidentally kill someone else and get thrown in prison for 25 years on charges of manslaughter, then get yourself an Audi TT, a fully loaded Nissan 350Z, a Mazda RX-8, a Ford Mustang Cobra SVT or some car that is similarly fast and temperamental. It'll do great for killing *someone* if you happen to decide to get behind the wheel after a big fight with your boyfriend or something...

don't milk your dad, buy a normal car for now and move up later.

[Z_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by raji

if you want to kill someone, then get yourself an Audi TT, a fully loaded Nissan 350Z, a Mazda RX-8, a Ford Mustang Cobra SVT or some car that is similarly fast and temperamental. It'll do great for killing *someone* if you happen to decide to get behind the wheel after a big fight with your boyfriend or something...

I think you may have encouraged some of us instead to get these fast-cats. Well that's another reason to look forward to.

[RA64]

better to get a new car (acura, bmw 3 series, etc.) rather then an older sport compact and spend $10K modifying it.

When you total the new car (ok, IF) you will still get enough from insurance to buy another one. If you total an integra or 240sx, you'll get a few thousand bucks for it, and the 10k+ you spent on modifying it will go out the window. Even if you don't wreak it, you won't get anywhere near the initial investment when you want to sell it in a few years.

just my 2 cents...

[Z_Fanatic]

what happens when you total the driver? i mean you know, injure yourself or the other drivers? how much modification money can you save then? I'd say a lot. hell, why modify? get a pre-owned carerra gt-2 and play destruction derby.

Live longer > 200 HP.

[christophv]

Îf I had 40g on my hand I would create the meanest drift-machine the sun ever witnessed.

But since you are a lucky 18 year old girl, I'd go for a Toyota MR-S or a Honda S2000 or a large 4-door that weighs at least 4000 pounds and has under 200hp so you don't total your car within the first two months.

If you're heading for that rich-kids image, grab a benz or bmw instead.
usually you shouldn't care what other people think, just get a car that is
1. reliable
2. comfortable
3. not too prolly (heck, do you need it?)

maybe you should go for a used, decent Mercedes SLK

cu

(damn, I would rather buy a Citroen DS convertible or a '69 dodge challenger or or ... you're sooo lucky)

edit: just read that you even consider swaps and

I'm also considering an integra with a s15 frontend conversion

you're so sexy
ok ok so forget my post

I try to imagine your situation now:
I'd go for a reasonable car-
get everything modded very carefully and reliable
do some stuff for the looks but do more for rebuilding/performance
get a nice allaround - nice soundpackage, not too much performance (~200hp is enough, isn't it?) nice interior, good paintjob, stylish rims (check out Veilside) -

the car itself, maybe a Nissan S14a?
or still the Toyota MR-S
eventually consider a 350z, really enough performance even w/o a charger, no need for optic upgrades

cu

(and come back and show what you did with the money!)

[Z_Fanatic]

.... ay, honestly, mogu, I hope you have a smart head on your shoulder. think of the insurence rates and liability. because people here will argue and argue about what they'd do with $40k (and all the fuzzy images insert ____ here). But I hope you save all that money for a few years, think about college, learn to drive, live longer, etc, etc. then roll on yourself on shiny, expensive, factory rims that needs no aftermarket swap. I have seen and heard of what sort of accidents occur with these cars in the hands of a newbie driver. hell, I myself was afraid to hit the road after hearing about so many deaths. because drivers out there are CRAZY, even with their Cutlass.

good luck, let us know what you got.