wannabe

Oh wait... wrong site! But entertaining reading over at Camaro5.

Whole lotta kids out there driving Camaros. And they all already know that anything 'Ford' sucks.

coffeejolts

Question: How does a 16yo afford a 5th gen Camaro (or any car for that matter)?

cntchds

16 year olds can't. The real question should be: What kind of parent would allow their 16 year old child to drive a 300+ hp vehicle?

I say lock this thread quick. We had an almost identical thread in 05 when that Mustang came out, and it didn't end very well.

ireallycare

The answer is simple - "More than there should be."

wannabe

Yeah... maybe it should be gone. I know they get out of hand over there, but I figured the Mustang group was more 'adult'. I didn't know (being a relative noobie) that it had been a topic before. My bad.

fritzOSU03

There are lots of irresponsible parents with money where I live. I see kids driving 3 series BMWs, Camaros, Mustangs, and even Porsches and Audis. Glad to see some getting life handed to them while I work my @$$ off every day!

1badmax

I'm glad I didn't own this car when I was 16 yrs old; I've told everybody that since I got this car. I no doubt wouldn't have drove it with restraint like I do now. This is not to say that I don't have a little fun, but gone are the days of me using the power a car has without even a thought of the consequences, i.e. ticket, crash, or worse.

Lancel

Some things just seem a little extreme. Still, maybe the parents just let them borrow the Audi or the BMW. There's something to be said for having trusting parents. As for 300+ HP cars, I admit that does seem a little extreme, but hey I got a V6 Mustang when I was 18 and going off to college, brand new. The way my parents saw it they didn't want me to break down on the side of the road on a road trip or anything. Their luck with used vehicles was decidedly unlucky. Even then, it took some convincing to get the Mustang, and 5-star crash ratings and cheapness (I was lucky enough to be getting one in April right before the 2005s came out) really helped. That was only 190 HP, but it didn't have any Traction Control or Stability Control or even Anti-Lock Brakes. And even with an A/T I was pretty scared about wrecking it (mostly given the lack of ABS, though curiously I've never managed to lock up the wheels).

And hey if you trust your kid enough to have that kind of car, why not? Do all the kids with that kind of car deserve it? Probably not, but to a parent this is their kid, and that kid is special. I don't think any of us would be very happy with our parents if they judged us by the law of averages. A parent should know if their kid is ready for it from experience, not from statistics. That said, some parents are just wrong. It happens. Plenty of people with more money than sense.

Personally, with my new car, I feel like I'm 18 again, and once again scared I'll end up breaking the thing. I've never had a Manual before, and the first time I really even drove one was last night. It's proving a sharp transition from the old 190 HP A/T (which after 6 years I was very comfortable driving to its potential) to 412 HP M/T (which I'm actually scared of destroying the engine or the transmission on). I couldn't even bring myself to push that throttle past lightly for fear of messing up a shift. I'll get used to it I figure.

ttiguy

Actually some can. At least when I was that age I did. Back when I was 17 I bought a brand new 95 Mustang GT and yes I paid for every cent of it myself. I always would get pissed when people would just jump to the conclusion that I had rich parents who bought the car for me (not the case at all). Granted my GT "only" had a sticker of 25k or so but that was 15 years ago now so I think a teenager could afford one with a OTD price of around 30k if they have a decent job and are willing to work. Likely, getting reasonable insurance is the biggest problem. Looking back that car actually kept me out of trouble since I always had responsibilities to keep me in check. A car like that may get some kids in trouble but not all.

Dont be haters……….

laserred38

Very similar story to mine. I was a senior in HS when the V6 officially became mine. It was originally my mom's car, but she got a new Focus at the time. I got it with around 26k miles on it. I've paid the insurance and maintenance (and for mods) on it though. I've been through a lot in that car, and it now has almost 110k. I won't be getting a 2011 though. I was *this* close...

Lancel

It's possible to afford one even at that age, it's just not easy, especially in this economy. I know people who want to work but just can't find a job, at least not one that'll work with continued schooling.

Shame you won't be getting one.

ManEHawke

paying one cash at 16-17 is the hard part, but keeping payments is very doable. I can't see parents letting their kids starve or taking utilities away. If paying for a car is the only thing they work for, I can see it.

5.0

If I had purchased my 08 GT when I was 16 I would not be writing this right now, thank god my mom gave me her hand me down 4cyl hondas w/ 100k+ miles! I am a Ford salesmen and as much as I love to get my commission for selling a car I do not recommend any of my customers to get a teenager a high powered car. There may be some teens that are mature and capable, but is it worth risking it? I have a 13 yo son now and he gets his mom's hand me down car when he turns 16, 4cyl mariner. BTW, It's my first post here so don't be to hard on me! My 5.0 is awaiting shipment on ramp 5p.

SynisterGT

When I was 18 (now 21) My parents got me an 07 auto GT. This was a huge jump from a 4 cyl. 06 civic.

A car with that kind of power really teaches you what real power is all about. I remember the first time a really punched into it, I was getting on the interstate and looked down the speedo read 80+ I couldn't beleave how much pick up this car had.

Well after one night I went to take a turn and the car downshifted into 2nd and the back slid out on me. I tried to corect it but overdid it a little. Almost ended up hitting a telephone poll in a week old GT. We bought it used with 16k miles.

I ended up taking a little driving school put on by the BMW Car Club of America. Link to website: http://streetsurvival.org/ I highly recommend it to anyone with a teen driver.

The point is not all kids can handle this sort of power. I for one will not be buying my son a car like this unless he takes a driving course. Todays cars are faster then most parents realize.

Like Capt. Morgan says "Always in Moderation"

Good Luck and be safe.

tmclaugh

I'm thirty and want to do something like this:

http://www.1adsi.com/

They have non-professional driving classes. I'm going from FWD to RWD and a car that's much more powerful than anything I've ever driven before. (And I'm only getting the V6.) They use the runway of a former naval air base so there's some room to screw up.

YardSpecial

MY step son is 19 and owns a 08 GT/CS Sure we had to co-sign, but his credit got the killer deal. The secret was to have a beater car to drive, the insurance is stupid cheap that way..................

I pray he misses a payment, the car will be MINE !!! LOL (kidding)

The MOST resposible young man I have ever seen he is.

steve-o

I purchased a 2005 V6 with a sticker of $21.5K I was fresh out of high school and my parents were getting divorced so I was stuck with nothing. I went out to the lot, picked one out and drove it home. In 2007 (after establishing better credit from making on-time payments on the 05) I jumped up to a 2007 GT with a $32K sticker price at 20.

Its definitely do-able. Not sure about 16, but, 18 definitely. I say that only because unless the 16 year-old is a drop out, I'd find it difficult to work the hours needed to afford it.

But now looking back - buying that 05 did wonders to my credit score...

ireallycare

So how were you able to afford a 25k car at 17?

lou

I dropped out of High School at 16 and I had my dad sign a loan off on 22k 05 GT and I payed it. I worked full time from 16 to present.

YardSpecial

My sons car payment is only $510 a month on a $29K loan

You just have to WANT todo the right thing !