16 Year Old Driver???

[BigWheel]

"Would you let your 16 year old son/daughter drive a Festiva as their first car?"

I already have an opinion on this subject and my friend has another. We want to get your input. Basically we want to see which side of the isle you guys fall on.

[ruppenduro]

honestly, i wouldn`t. if he/she were to get into an accident due to inexperience, it could really be a problem for them. i saw a crash test on a festiva @ 30mph, and it was totalled. pretty sure the roof even buckled.

i hate to sound like a square, but just trying to look out for your teen's well being

[deathegg]

I totally agree. Something safer would be a much better choice for a younger driver.

[freshtiva]

I wouldnt give a 16 year old a festiva to drive. Teens are careless and the festiva could get damaged. Give them something else to tear up.

[ruppenduro]

^^^^lol, but i would have to agree with that as well.

take a look at some older subarus for him. my first 4 cars were subarus and i loved them. they drive like tanks and take impacts extremly well. they are also fun to go off road every now and then.

[Biglay5150]

If my son wanted a Festiva I would let him. You can get hurt driving anything. I wouldnt give him mine! I would find a stock one and tell him to leave it that way.

[Festiva_Fred]

I'm 17 and will be driving a Festiva.. well I already do sometimes, First car I ever drove was a 93 Mustang, after my parents sold it I bought Old Red, then my dad got back into festivas and bought the 89' (they had 2 before, thats how I got into festivas..) Then Wes got red, and I got 3 new ones, and the 90' L+ I'm building will be my first car that I actually worked for and built myself for the most part..

[milehighbear]

naw, i wouldn't let her/him drive a festiva, get her/him a corvette. Much faster and can get out of the way of an accident much faster.

[Sparky]

I would give them something like a 1991 Chevy Caprice:

a. Lots of metal around them for safety.

b. Has ABS.

c. Would be too embarrassed to drive it much, further protecting them.

[festymick]

Good to see that the safety concerns are there.
I would love to see some young kids jump behind the wheel of a Festy. I reckon it might give the kids a little bit of appreciation of a newer car when they move on??
In addition- i get a little upset with some minorities seriously injuring themselves or others, due to easily available high performance hot hatches. The Festiva would be a good way to introduce a respect for power (or a lack thereof).

I also think (in some cases) a respect for maintennance and repairs are taken on due to the nature and age of the Festy. I have found that many younger guys i meet don't know anything regarding mechanicals these days? Only where to fill their cars with fuel.

Having read the other opinions though- safety would be #1 concern.

EDIT: Wooot!!!! 1000 posts!

[NovaSS]

My first car was a 1963 Buick Le Sabre, Had to rebuild the motor just to drive it. Must of weighed in at 4500 lbs.

Came in handy because with in a month I hit a parked car and totaled it, not the Buick , it just busted the head light. It pushed the other car into the front yard and tore off its front end.

[FB71]

a safe, cheap first car? 96-04 Taurus. Does very well in all crashes, for sale everywhere, dirt cheap to replace.

[muscle_Car1]

I have to agree larger sedan

[91blufestiva]

I'm drivin an aspire but I want a festiva, and I'm 16.

On the caprice part... My friend has a mid 90's caprice, that used to be a cop car, so it has the LT-1 with a police intercepter... fun...

[xanthinic12]

i've had mine since i was 15 and its been through my sister before me,so yes i think its a good first car