Would the FR-S be a good first car?

[DBacon1052]

This is my first car and I can tell you it is an awesome first car. The best part about the car is that it's naturally easy to drive. Since its so small, you dont have to worry about drifting in the lane (which I did in my brothers big ass truck when I first started driving) and you can also maneuver the car in spots very easily. Blind spots aren't too bad and let me tell you, it's one of the funnest cars to do your first donut in. It does run premium gas, but that will only add about a $100 more a year depending on how much you drive. As far as leg room goes, you can shove a person in the back if you really need to (just keep a pillow in the back so they don't completely hate you). Do you really want to be the one who drives everyone around anyways?

P.S. for the comments above: I paid for this by myself. My parents are paying insurance though which I am grateful for. I hate when people think I'm some spoiled kid for having this car

[R_E_L]

If you are just starting out driving, no. The unfortunate truth is you are likely to smack a car within the first couple of years of getting your licence, even more so if you are driving around with passengers to distract you.

I don't want to be a wet blanket but it's just the truth. Unless you got bucket loads of money and don't mind damaging or totaling a new car, get something that wont make you cry if you wreck it.

[husker741]

Get a MT Celica first, then two years later, have the money saved for a factory FI FR-S/BRZ.

[DBacon1052]

BTW having a nice new car rather than a crummy used one has made me a much safer and better driver. Also, don't let anyone get in your head that you are going to wreck it because its your first car. It's nonsense. If you drive safe and don't race or do any other stupid stuff, you'll be fine.

[l0aded]

I think its a great first car (its the first car I owned, not driven) as it isn't powerful enough to get you into trouble and it's not an expensive car compared to most. not saying this is a factor but you will get more looks than 98% of cars on the road incl incl cars 5x the price (speaking from experience).

leg room is unusable no matter how you spin it though lol.

[Grey]

Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere

Inexperienced drivers should NOT drive nice cars. I'm glad my first car wasn't that nice.

It took me three cars to get to one that I finally treat with respect. Do not buy a nice car for your first car.

[Chen]

The fr-s is my first car. But I was driving my parents car since I was 16 and now I'm 23. Frs is a great first car in my opinion.

No tickets, clean driving record. But now with a 2 door coupe. I have the urge to speed more than ever.

[Tigranakert]

Originally Posted by alexb99

Hi everyone. I've been wondering if the Scion would be a good first car. My concerns are that the rear legroom isn't good, and cost to run. Any thoughts?

It is my first car and I drove a family car before, too (I'm 18 btw.) The legroom is not that great, as everyone else has said, but you can fit 2 other people fine in there. The passenger seat can come forward a bit so the person in the back has some room to breathe normally with the right lung. I don't know what you mean about the cost to run, as it gives (depending on how you drive) an average of 29mpg.
Now, when it comes to would it be a good first car... Some users care for your situation. You do stupid shit when you are a new driver. It comes with inexperience. I am not focusing on a new driver driving too fast or breaking a few rules here and there, but the instinct you build with more experience driving. Being able to see how much room there is between the cars around you, learning to drive on the freeway, learning to your surroundings, keeping your eyes on the road, learning how to dodge an accident or not to panic as much. You get the point. That's what many users have been saying, as you could crash it very easily and it is more expensive.

However, there have been so many times I have been close to having an accident, and I have been thankful for being able to dodge these instances, and many times, it was due to the great handling of this car, whereas I think I would have crashed if I had an older car.

Now, there are others in here who care for their own money, (naming no one in particular, just referencing the comments posted by people on other threads about others who got in an accident) knowing that if you get into an accident, insurance rates will go up for them, and they tell you not to get it.

Here is one thing I missed out on, though. I learned how to drive in a Camry. I loved it. Then we bought this car, and now I can't drive any other car normally, not even the Camry. Every turn I make with another car, I feel like the steering wheel is gonna fly out the window (might be the fact that I have only driven in less than 10 different cars). This car is perfect in sooo many ways.

The interior is what pisses many people off (That's why people get the BRZ as it is essentially the same car with more inside features, at least, for our level of experience in driving cars.)

Sorry guys, I got carried away again.

But, If the things you posted are the only 2 things you have to worry about, I say you get the car.

[fatoni]

new cars dont make good first cars. we dont really know how expensive it is going to be to own one of these things but new cars are generally pretty cheap to maintain. also, if rear legroom is a concern at all, get a different car

[Tigranakert]

Originally Posted by Grey

It took me three cars to get to one that I finally treat with respect. Do not buy a nice car for your first car.

Wow... Don't mean any offense, but did someone else but the other cars for you? If so, then it could have been from that.
I mean everything I buy, I treat with respect, as it took a certain amount of time out of my life that I will never get back.

[dori.]

If your parents or whoever can afford it, I say go for it.

My first car was an 87 FC3S fwiw.

[Tigranakert]

Originally Posted by boredom.is.me

Tell me, why do you want rear legroom? You sound like you want to kill yourself and three friends. You do not need to carry all your friends around. It will only bring trouble. Trust me there.

Occasionally carrying more than one friend is ok, but legroom is not something you think about when that is the case. (It is also illegal if you are under 25.)

(I'm 19 btw and I only keep a handful of friends.)

Haha freaken high-school man, it's like the moment you graduate, 99% of your "friends" disappear.

[Grey]

Originally Posted by Tigranakert

Wow... Don't mean any offense, but did someone else but the other cars for you? If so, then it could have been from that.
I mean everything I buy, I treat with respect, as it took a certain amount of time out of my life that I will never get back.

No, I bought all my cars on my own. I bought my first car, a used '96 Saturn, when I was 16. If I was sensible about it and wasn't 16, I could've gotten a lot more out of it than I did. Instead I drove like a 16 year old, didn't respect the mechanics and engineering of something like a car, and it didn't last long.

You learn respect for cars slowly over the ownership of them. Liking them and respecting something enough to care for it properly are two different things, and the second comes more with age. I'm 35 now and two of the three cars in our family are showroom condition at all times.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Grey

No, I bought all my cars on my own. I bought my first car, a used '96 Saturn, when I was 16. If I was sensible about it and wasn't 16, I could've gotten a lot more out of it than I did. Instead I drove like a 16 year old, didn't respect the mechanics and engineering of something like a car, and it didn't last long.

You learn respect for cars slowly over the ownership of them. Liking them and respecting something enough to care for it properly are two different things, and the second comes more with age. I'm 35 now and two of the three cars in our family are showroom condition at all times.

the fact that you bought a used 96 and are now 35 makes me feel old as fuck