im 18, i own an s2k, i go to college full time, i work my ass off at the local DQ. im not trying to say im poor or rich but i set a goal for my self when i was 14, when the s2k was first released. i worked hard through high school and saved up over 10k working multiple jobs and maintaining a 3.9 GPA. Got a shit load of scholarships too when i graduated. so now i pay for the s2k, insurance, school, ect. and i rarely ask my parents for help even though i need to some times. NOW THATS DEVOTION.

oh yea for a first car trust me do not buy a s2k. honestly consider a civic or integra A.because they are FF and B.because if you want a platform to learn about cars and experiment with driving techniques then you and something inexpensive, easy to modify, and durable because you will be beating the hell out of it for the first couple of years of driving. I.E. my first car was a 95 EG-6 coupe with a D-16z6 single cam.

 

I'm 19, I got my S about two months ago. I've been working and saving up for 4 years. Insurance is a b****, but to me, it's worth every penny.

 

Wow, this thread is still going

Yea, I have no problem with a teenager driving an S2K (thank God I don't know any).

I've been fortunate enough to own all RWD cars in my young life (24). First car was a first generation MR2, second car was a mid 90's BMW 318i, and now I got the "S." I never wrecked my MR2 but I had several close calls and that car only had 120 horsepower; I gained a lot of experience in how to corner, brake, heel/toe, when to shift, drive in the rain, corner in the rain, accelerate in the rain, when to accelerate out of the corners, etc. I think that's why I enjoy driving the "S" so much...I believe I know it's limits now.

Anyway, to all you young drivers out there who saved up all their money for an "S", let me congratulate you! That's quite a goal to shoot for! I didn't have that luxury cause the "S" came out when I was in college...dirt poor.

Be safe ya'll

 

Get the S2000 and take take a couple of evolution autocross school. Learning to drive a rear wheel drive car like the S will most certainly make you a better driver on the road. And don't believe that crap about autocross is not the street, because you should treat the street like an autocross. Why? well simply put,

you would not be on your cell phone while autocrossing.

You pay a lot more attention to what the car is doing and the condition of the autocross lot.

Your senses are operating ten folds which is good because that keeps you alerted at all time.

Now just think that if you drive the same way in the street and what I mean by the same way is that you're very focus on just plain driving and not doing anything else, you just decrease your chances of an accident by 40%. Learn early because you don't want to do it when you're older for sure. I wish i had an s2000 when I was 16 or 17. autocrossing and track days will make you into a disciplined driver not an overly agressive one. You will always be ahead of the car.

 

[QUOTE=healandtoe,Aug 9 2004, 08:25 PM] im 18, i own an s2k, i go to college full time, i work my ass off at the local DQ. im not trying to say im poor or rich but i set a goal for my self

 

if you learn what u can do before what the car can do then theres no reason an s2000, carrera, ferrari would cause you any trouble. ive driven fast cars all my life and have never wrapped a car around a tree or anything (got rear ended one time thats it)

 

I think some of the people above have given some really good advice but here's my 2 cents:

S2000 is not a forgiving car with even a moment of irresponsibility. It does what it does quickly and offers very little in the way of second chances unless you have some serious RWD driving experience (or you invest and do well in some good driving classes). This is reflected in insurance rates, which are set from statistics of actual claims based and on the car, driver's age and record, and not just the opinion of some car guys on the internet.

So an expensive insurance quote is telling us that you are more likely to get hurt, or hurt someone else while driving a particular car (or that it gets stolen a lot or easily damaged and/or expensive to repair which is also bad news regardless of insurance). You can get some idea of which area is the issue when you compare the liability / medical rate vs. the comprehensive portion of the quote. Keep in mind for a 2 seater car you are already getting some slack because there is only one other person in the car you can hurt.

So aside from whether you can afford the insurance, you should consider the message behind the price of the insurance as well. Driving around in a different kind of car might allow a moment of irresponsible behavior (regardless of your intentions!) to occur without as much consequence.

(A sharp knife is a good thing, but I'd rather fall on a pair of dull safety scissors.)

Still, many young drivers can be more responsible than some 40+ year olds we know so age isn't the only thing.

And I apologize for sounding like the old man I am

 

ain't no thing but a chicken wing

 

My first car was a 2000 audi a4 1.8T Quattro 5spd, I bought it when i was 16 and kept that car for a year and a half and then i bought my s2000. My advice, dont get the s2000 as a first car. Its not a good first or even second car to own, I've almost had some very bad experiences with it. I spent at least 8 grand on aftermarket products for my audi. Its a fun car, it looks good, it can handle, its safer then the s2k and with spending a little money you can make it alot quicker then stock , ex. chip $ 400= +50hp and +80lb of torque. Audi's can get chicks too.

 

My recommendation would be to NOT start out with the S. Find a fun, sporty car that you like and that you'll enjoy, but that is not quite as extreme. Drive that for a couple years, have a great time (you will), and keep the S on the back of your mind.

I don't want to sound old or hypocritical, but the S is not a good car for a 16 year-old, or for an inexperienced driver of any age. You WILL make some mistakes that will teach you how easily things can go wrong, and they will happen over the course of a year or two, maybe even more, of driving. I belive that no matter how exceptionally, amazingly responsible and mature you are, it is only these little mistakes and close calls (or worse) that can truly teach you to respect a car. I say this because of my own experience; I consider myself to have been very responsible in my late teens, but it still only because of a major wreck in my Prelude that I can now truly respect my S. The experiences of some of the other posters in this thread sound similar.

Hopefully you will only have close calls and nothing serious, but you WILL make mistakes. And think of it this way... The same mistake that will simply scare the shit out of you in something like the Audi or an RSX might put you into a guardrail in an S. The S is much less forgiving than many other sports cars.

OTOH, I would not say that you need to "wait until you finish college, then buy a nice car." Don't jeapordize your education (or social life, or any other important part of your life) by buying a car, but if you have the means to drive a nice car while you're in college or even high school, go for it. You're only young once; I see no reason to deny yourself a nice car just because you're young, as long as it's not putting other parts of your life at risk.

I think the FWD vs RWD for a first car debate has been overemphasized. You can learn to drive both. And what I think is important is that you learn to drive in traffic and other difficult conditions, and that you learn to respect the power of a car.

I hope this post is helpful and doesn't come off as a rant or hypocritical. This is a subject I've put a lot of thought into, and I don't think anyone has the "right" answers.

And in the end, only you can decide. You have to do what you feel is right for you. Just be carful behind the wheel of whatever you drive!