17 year old looking for BRZ as a first car.

[KR-S]

I would definitely not object to a 17 year old having a sports car if he was as responsible as he said he is.

Insurance, however, would.

[kch]

There's nothing wrong with it as a first car, but considering how easy it is to wreck a car when you're a new driver, I would say get a beater first. A beater civic is nice and reliable, but can be kinda boring. If you want to stay with RWD, a beater miata is a great idea because you can learn to drive and wrench at the same time.

[Sigh-on-Rice]

My first car was 10+ years old beater. And that car stayed in the shop 1/2 the time. I agree about the idea of getting something cheap as a first car, but I'm not sure about a beater. It will depend on luck, I guess. For me, it happened that keeping that beater for 1 year when it was in the shop 1/2 the time, the repair cost added up to the point I could have bought a 3 year old Corolla instead for the same amount of money spent and I would have been able to drive it everyday and not 1/2 the time. So, I wouldn't suggest getting too old of a beater. Maybe something around 5 years old.

[humdizzle]

i think its fine if you don't care about the money. you're likely going to speed in a civic, mustang, etc anyway. At least with the brz its fun at low speeds... so when you do crash you're only doing like 30-40mph. Plus lets be honest, newer cars are built much safer than older ones.

I flipped my celica gts through a light pole when i was 17 being a dumbass.

[ze12o]

Originally Posted by KR-S 86

I would definitely not object to a 17 year old having a sports car if he was as responsible as he said he is.

Insurance, however, would.

^This

My first car was a ford taurus. and that thing hit many metal dumpsters, donuts in grass fields, curbed the shit out of the rims, eventually blew the engine due to lack of oil....

My BRZ is in pristine condition, because i learned through trial and errorr...

just be careful on the everyday stuff bud

[shawnie]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I'm less worried about the cost and more so my own personal safety with the car, like is the car itself safe? My dad will be paying for it even though it will be my car, and due to that fact I will treat it as though its someone else and with the utmost respect because I'm really grateful to my dad for putting in the money for me to get this seriously amazing car. Even though I am going to be putting in about $3000 of my own, that's not really that huge of a portion of the cost.

[jdmblood]

get ready for lots of nights of disappointment....

[DarkSunrise]

You seem like a very mature kid. It's a great first car (or 20th car), and incredibly rewarding to drive hard, i.e., on the track if you get the chance. In terms of safety, it's certainly more safe than a Miata and has been an IIHS top safety pick for years. Not a ton of power, but enough to get you in trouble so make sure you're ready to drive responsibly on the street (or buy a beater car first).

You're lucky to have the opportunity to own a first car like this, and parents who are willing to make it happen. Make sure to test drive a bunch of different cars to find the one you like best. You may want to try the Focus/Fiesta ST, new Mustang/Camaro, 370z, etc.

[Tcoat]

OHHHHH here we go again. Might as well get it over with.
Get a Mustang
Get a Miata
Get a 370Z
Get a Camaro
Get a Lotus
Get a WRX
Get a 'Vette
Get a Fiesta
Get a Focus
Get a Evo
Get a BMW
Get what ever car was popular when I was 17 and I always wanted bout never bought.


Now that that is out of the way:
I think the FRS is a very good first car. Buy a decent used one and leave it stock (performance wise. Knock yourself out on the cosmetics) for a couple of years. Don't let your buddies tell you it needs more HP, is slow or any of the other crap they will spew at you. Learn to drive it well as is and then start to change things if you feel you must.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by shawnie

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I'm less worried about the cost and more so my own personal safety with the car, like is the car itself safe? My dad will be paying for it even though it will be my car, and due to that fact I will treat it as though its someone else and with the utmost respect because I'm really grateful to my dad for putting in the money for me to get this seriously amazing car. Even though I am going to be putting in about $3000 of my own, that's not really that huge of a portion of the cost.

Is he paying for your insurance too? Does he need anymore sons?

[Veloist]

Originally Posted by shawnie

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I'm less worried about the cost and more so my own personal safety with the car, like is the car itself safe? My dad will be paying for it even though it will be my car, and due to that fact I will treat it as though its someone else and with the utmost respect because I'm really grateful to my dad for putting in the money for me to get this seriously amazing car. Even though I am going to be putting in about $3000 of my own, that's not really that huge of a portion of the cost.

Did you say you're worried about safety? SAFETY?!?

The Subaru BRZ is arguably the world's safest sports car. Subaru wouldn't just nod its head yes and risk its current reputation for having THE safest vehicles on the road by making an "unsafe" sports car.

You see, SAFETY is rooted into Subaru's Core Values (along with performance) and divides safety into two categories: ACTIVE and PASSIVE safety.

Active safety are safety features that help AVOID an accident (A=active, A=avoid). On the other hand Passive safety are features designed to PROTECT you in an accident (P=passive, p=protect)

There are 10 Active safety features in the BRZ and those are

• 4-wheel disc brakes
• anti-lock braking system
• electronic brake force distribution
• brake assist
• brake override system
• vehicle stability control
• traction control system
• tire pressure monitoring system
• automatic headlights
• daytime running lights

On the other hand, there are 14 Passive safety features and those are

• Subaru's advanced frontal airbag system
• front seat/pelvis/torso airbags
• side curtain airbags
• safety pedal system
• ring-shaped reinforcement frame
• side-impact door beams
• front seat head restraints
• collapsible steering column
• LATCH
• rear seatbelts
• front seatbelts with pretensioners and force limiters
• front passenger occupant detection system
• whiplash protection front seats
• impact-sensing fuel cutoff

And how about federal government safety ratings? Well the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) rated the BRZ 5 stars OVERALL as well as in the Side Crash and Rollover crash and it earned an amazing 4 stars in the frontal crash.

To reinforce government safety, the IIHS honored the BRZ's safety with a “TOP SAFETY PICK” award as the car earned an acceptable rating in the small overlap front test (arguably the hardest test to pass in the IIHS crash test). It respectfully earned a “GOOD” rating in the moderate overlap front crash, side impact, roof strength, and head and seat rating tests.

This is arguably the safest sports car you can buy. Visit ANY car dealership. No salesperson is going to brag about the safety of the BRZ's competitor (Miata, the Genesis...and don't even get me started on a 10-year old used sports car that aren't up to today's safety standards).

TLDR; The BRZ is a very safe car.

[Mr_Hann]

Originally Posted by shawnie

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I'm less worried about the cost and more so my own personal safety with the car, like is the car itself safe? My dad will be paying for it even though it will be my car, and due to that fact I will treat it as though its someone else and with the utmost respect because I'm really grateful to my dad for putting in the money for me to get this seriously amazing car. Even though I am going to be putting in about $3000 of my own, that's not really that huge of a portion of the cost.

What is your definition of safe?


This is my 2nd RWD car, and I find it much "safer" than my first (91 MR2). The electronic aids, feedback from the suspension and steering, and high level of visibility (for a car of this era) are all things I find safe. My insurance thinks the same, as this car is cheaper to insure than my previous 2007 Subaru Impreza (non turbo). Although MY definition of safety is by increased awareness, preventing accidents before they occur. While also having a car with higher levels of grip, stopping power, and agility to get out of a dicey situation.


But if you're thinking about safety in terms of crashworthiness (the moment two vehicles collide) - If there was an 18 wheeler barreling towards me, and I had to sit in my car or a Suburban, I would choose the Suburban.

[Mr.ac]

All I read was my parents are going to buy me a car. Should I get a FRS/BRZ?
To me it makes jack shit what your parents get you. Whether you get $1k or $30k you are not making the payments, so it means jack shit. Be glad your getting a car.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Mr_Hann

What is your definition of safe?


This is my 2nd RWD car, and I find it much "safer" than my first (91 MR2). The electronic aids, feedback from the suspension and steering, and high level of visibility (for a car of this era) are all things I find safe. My insurance thinks the same, as this car is cheaper to insure than my previous 2007 Subaru Impreza (non turbo). Although MY definition of safety is by increased awareness, preventing accidents before they occur. While also having a car with higher levels of grip, stopping power, and agility to get out of a dicey situation.


But if you're thinking about safety in terms of crashworthiness (the moment two vehicles collide) - If there was an 18 wheeler barreling towards me, and I had to sit in my car or a Suburban, I would choose the Suburban.

This is my 23rd RWD car. I would take the FRS/BRZ over a Suburban in a crash any day. Bigger does not mean more protection in passenger vehicles.