SUV's for a 16 -17 year old

[Lohman446]

i strongly believe in the size argument. i will grant you, though, that anything above 30-40mph headon and your likely gunna be f'd no matter what you're driving. but what cars are regarded as the safer cars? benzes...volvos (pre-ford)...bmws. three heavy cars. sure, they have great saftey measures in the car and have lots of research done to enhance saftey, but they all weigh a TON.

its just the physics of it. throw a 5oz clay ball at a 1oz clay ball at the same sped and what happens? they collide and the 1oz clay ball sticks to the bigger one (while getting crushed around the big ball in the process) and they move in the path of the 5oz ball (slightly adjusted). sure, a car wreck isn't that extreme (5:1) nor is steel as maleable as clay, but the basic laws of physics still happen, to a lesser degree.

im not saying you havn't seen bad wrecks involving SUVs. And some of it may relate to the design of the SUV where that manufacturer may have flaws in their design. But when big object 1 hits small object 2, in most cases big object 1 'wins'. (winning here, though, may be which body is less mutalated)

Volvos were not that heavy.... And only the bigger Benzes and Beemers had teh size argument going for them, the C class Benz and 3 class Beemers were not at all big, and still had very good safety ratings.

[skife]

I agree with the inexperienced driver bit, If you have a habit of showing off and wanna speed around in a car which most teens do SUV's are way harder to control bigger so they take longer to stop and cant turn like they are on rails .....So, Only if you plan to drive all responsible like should you take on the SUV. Also, insurance is higher and gas is like twice as expensive.... So be prepared to get in pretty hard in the wallet. I have a car and an SUV..... As a daily driver cars are alot more economical.

my buddy has a '79 K5 blazer, we have lots of fun with it, tons of room inside and it'll go through pretty much anything, its easy to fix, parts are cheap. and it has a removable fiberglass rear top.... so sweet in the summer time. on the title it says its a "station wagon" and
last i knew "station wagons" are alot cheaper on insurance than smaller "sports cars" are.
it does decent on gas. $20 to get to ludington from cedar springs michigan, thats about 120 miles. and thats with the TH350 transmission with no overdrive... 3000 RPM's @ 70 mph.
so its a guzzler on the highway.

the only problem with the older blazer's is that they are made out of compacted rust well in michigan anyways, you'll never find one with good floors.


Pyro, why didn't you post pics of your camaro wreck, those were awsome pics.

[Lohman446]

last i knew "station wagons" are alot cheaper on insurance than smaller "sports cars" are.

Not 4WD "station wagons" and that MI title designation means nothing when it comes to insurance that goes by model designation anyways.

[bofh]

/wants a 110 Defender badly
//sorry Britons, but I've had two MGs and a Triumph in my family

brit car represent!

/has a TVR
//wants a Norton.

[Target Practice]

Remember kids, the best defense is an agressive offense. If you want to stay alive, drive it like you stole it!

/'03 Ranger
//Building a '63 Nova

[FromTheBack]

Honestly, I read about half the posts so I am hoping no one posted something similar, if they did, I appologize, but I think this is some good input.
Well, for my first car my parents bought me a 2000 X-terra from a friend when I turned 17. I like the idea of an SUV for teenagers because:
1. You cannot accelerate as fast to race or do retarded corners (every teenager does it) and ultimately possibly wont be going as fast if/when you wreck into something.
2. You get a lot of space which is important for a teenager because I know I have lugged some big stuff around in it from drum set, to bike, to dorm furniture to 9 friends.
3. If you get into a situation where this is bad weather such as snow, or a need to go on a trail or poor road to get somewhere, the 4 wheel drive is a definate plus, I didnt think I would use it, but it is great to have and much safer.

The only thing is yes, some SUVs are huge, but those are not the right kind for a first car, definately something managable.. driving an expedition or suburban is just rediculous and you have no idea where it is at times while driving it hah. Also, I dont see much difference in the actual driving of a car and an SUV that you wouldn't see from any car to car, maybe just in diff forms. Yeah, so the gas mileage may not be that great, but for the following reasons they are nice to have and I reccomend to any teenager

[Alley]

This is my beast! If you want an suv this should pretty much cover all the bases.

[maxama10]

Got something against mini-vans huh? 1998 PURPLE Ford Windstar. Man that thing's bad . With the window that doesn't work and the moose on the antenna. Makes me fell very manly. You should get one.

Haha what ever works for you.....

[maxama10]

At 17, you need a KIA Sportage or a Hyundai Tucson. We don't need 17 year olds driving Sherman tanks down the highways while they dick with their iPods and talk on their cell phones.

HAHA yeah you do....but i wont be cruising around for fun or anything nor will i be on the highway much just around town....and well i rarely use my phone but the ipod is gonna have a playlist and hooked up to the stereo so its all good

[maxama10]

Honestly, I read about half the posts so I am hoping no one posted something similar, if they did, I appologize, but I think this is some good input.
Well, for my first car my parents bought me a 2000 X-terra from a friend when I turned 17. I like the idea of an SUV for teenagers because:
1. You cannot accelerate as fast to race or do retarded corners (every teenager does it) and ultimately possibly wont be going as fast if/when you wreck into something.
2. You get a lot of space which is important for a teenager because I know I have lugged some big stuff around in it from drum set, to bike, to dorm furniture to 9 friends.
3. If you get into a situation where this is bad weather such as snow, or a need to go on a trail or poor road to get somewhere, the 4 wheel drive is a definate plus, I didnt think I would use it, but it is great to have and much safer.

The only thing is yes, some SUVs are huge, but those are not the right kind for a first car, definately something managable.. driving an expedition or suburban is just rediculous and you have no idea where it is at times while driving it hah. Also, I dont see much difference in the actual driving of a car and an SUV that you wouldn't see from any car to car, maybe just in diff forms. Yeah, so the gas mileage may not be that great, but for the following reasons they are nice to have and I reccomend to any teenager

yeah thats kinda why i want one,
i also was looking at xterras but they dont seem as 'offroady' as 4runners (the old ones)

[FromTheBack]

If you take the running bars off the sides they actually do pretty well off roading stock. I haven't personally taken mine, but my friend who offroads all the time was my source for that info. I know the lift kits for them are few and far between but if you are just looking for something casually offroad xterras aren't bad.

[Lohman446]

1. You cannot accelerate as fast to race or do retarded corners (every teenager does it) and ultimately possibly wont be going as fast if/when you wreck into something.

You cannot safely corner as quickly... acceleration can be the same in a SUV as any "normal" car. Its a matter of torque and horsepower compared to weight

2. You get a lot of space which is important for a teenager because I know I have lugged some big stuff around in it from drum set, to bike, to dorm furniture to 9 friends.

It has been repeatedly shown that one of the major causes of teenage accidents is distraction, You know what the number 1 distraction is - being tired... you know what the #2 is - friends in the vehicle with you.

3. If you get into a situation where this is bad weather such as snow, or a need to go on a trail or poor road to get somewhere, the 4 wheel drive is a definate plus, I didnt think I would use it, but it is great to have and much safer.

The idea that 4WD is better on snow than FWD is highly questionable. It may be an issue when you are pushing snow, it is likely not on slippery or snow covered roads. Yes I have driven both in extreme weather. Trail use... fine, but using your primary vehicle on trails, the one you depend on without any backup, is of questionable logic

The only thing is yes, some SUVs are huge, but those are not the right kind for a first car, definately something managable.. driving an expedition or suburban is just rediculous and you have no idea where it is at times while driving it hah. Also, I dont see much difference in the actual driving of a car and an SUV that you wouldn't see from any car to car, maybe just in diff forms. Yeah, so the gas mileage may not be that great, but for the following reasons they are nice to have and I reccomend to any teenager

To me the extended wheel bases of the Excursion and the Suburban make them less "squirrely" on the road than the shorter wheel bases. As a general rule the short wheel based vehicles do not track as well as the big ones, they are also more prone to rolling (or worse end over end rolling) in an accident.

[Alley]

.....Well, speaking from experience anything with 4WD is higher on insurance. and mine is a diesel so it will go 0 - 60 in about 3 mintues :) but, that being said it will still go 0 - 60 in 3 minutes with a few thousand pounds in tow ! And yeah finding an old blazer/jimmy with a floor is pretty rough but, I've got that covered to.....mine is getting a whole new floor put in then im having it rhino lined....she will one day be a sweet sweet ride. but, still wouldnt want to drive it every day :)

[FromTheBack]

Ok, so my answers were not exactly correct in all senses, but I am not trying to put it out that way. Simply I am addressing it as how a teenager would use the car, their reaction to it, and how they will enjoy it.
With the acceleration thing, I drive my xterra all the time, but drive other people's cars too. When I get behind the wheel of a smaller regular car I feel as if its alot easier to accelerate and just more confident in its ability to take corners better, so therefore I do it. Thats how my teenage mind works, because it is fun. My car, and other SUVs I hardly feel to urge to go fast and I feel as if my car will tip over if I try to take a corner fast, I really have enough common sense to not take one at too high of a speed. Now, I am not saying every teenager is like me, or thinks like me, but I am using my way of thinking as a possible guideline for other teenage minds (not saying they will all have common sense about these things). Some of us really don't always know what a Car can do and how it stands up to a SUV in terms of horsepower and other things in comparision so our mind creates the thought that it will not perform as well because stereotypically and offroading vehicle does not perform as well in the back of most everyone's mind, therefore it should not be driven as hard. I honestly think its great that you address these issues and they are indeed important to young driver's safety though, merely trying to clarify the point I was trying to get across so others don't take it the wrong way.
As for the distraction yes, that is very important because green and experienced drivers alike can easily be caught of guard because they aren't paying attention. But in the long run more space will be better. When I started driving my parents just did not allow me to have anyone besides me and a person in the driver's side because it simply was the law and they were the ones who got me the car. Again this is me, but I am just trying to state my raw experiences for people to take it how they will.

Snow, well thats from my experiences, I slid less and felt more secure. Same as you, in some pretty extreme cases. Good point though, Situations are different.

Trail use... fine, but using your primary vehicle on trails, the one you depend on without any backup, is of questionable logic

All I was trying to get at there was that if you need to go somewhere, and it is down a questionable road...I would rather have 4WD then FWD or RWD. The decision to take the road is merely the driver's not the car's.

From driving an Expedition..yeah it is steady, but I know I still dont feel comfortable that I am always in my lane and I have been driving a lot over the past 3 years. Anyways thats not really what I was bringing up. Have you ever tried to parallel park one of those things on a mainstreet, or just fitting it into a lot of areas can be a pain. Haha, its just not the best thing to begin with, so hard to maneuver.

Anyways thanks for the info, didn't know about some of that stuff and is very important to new drivers as much and probably more in cases.

[PyRo]

my buddy has a '79 K5 blazer

Pyro, why didn't you post pics of your camaro wreck, those were awsome pics.

1. Full size blazers rock I was going to drag 2 of them home then my mother threatend to castrate me

2. Here ya go :)