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From a safety aspect, 1000x yes. The Twins are very safe (much safer than your aging 4runner), and much, much safer than an older miata (though they do hold a special place in my heart). Same goes for the Focus ST - much safer than other options. So from that angle, I say yes.
The FRS in my opinion is not a hard car to drive. If you're used to off roading, you know how to counter steer like you would at speed in any kind of loose terrain, so you're good to go there - but you MUST respect the car.
From a practicality stand point, it may be nice to have more space like the Focus ST if you are moving away for school after you graduate. It's no fun to have your parents help you move in/out of college just because you can't carry all of your stuff. Although, if you have access to a larger vehicle, things aren't so bad.
I got my S2000 at 20 and didn't have any issues (except for having to work my tail off to get it and keep it running right, keep tires on it, etc). I could go both ways on you having one of the twins at 17. It's not a fast car by todays standards and it is very safe compared to other cars out there.
If you do get one, I suggest you seeing if you can take it to an autox or a track day to learn the car and what it's capable of so that when something pops up while driving, you may be able to call upon those skills to help you stay safe.
For instance - two weeks after I got my FRS, I was driving back from Indy in a snow storm. I was going around 65 mph when all of a sudden the rear hit some black ice and the car started to slide. Without hesitating, I was able to counter out of it and hold the slide for a good 5-6 seconds while I slowly brought the car back in line. Small example, I know, but without my track experience, I would have likely ended up in a ditch...in a two week old car.
Best of luck. I'm sure you'll find the right choice for you!
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