Would you let your kid drive an '02 as a 1st car?

[Jim_75Sahara]

Chris, just don't forget the soccer dads & the guys with the F250 or F350 for no logical reason. The guy that can drive a Festiva and walk proudly, well, he's got no compenstion-type issues...

[cj]

Yes, I would. I built a '75 for my brother and gave it to him for his 16th birthday. This was in 1995. He still owns it today and takes great care of it.

I think my building it and him taking care of it taught him responsibility. He's now an aerospace engineer.

Cris

[skipsfcr]

LOL...I can't help but think "phallic" when I see tie wearing guys driving giant p.u's to their office jobs...or see ANYBODY driving the aptly named Hummer

For sure this WILL be a sweat equity deal too...thatis when I decide it's '02 time. I'm not "giving" ANY kid a nice car.

[JohnC]

I let my youngest daughter (19) drive mine, less so since I restored it. I always tell her that in a normal car, you are just going from A to Z, but in the bimmer YOU ARE DRIVING THE CAR! In other words, pay close attention to everything you do, because of the lack of airbags, ABS and because of the small size with behemoths all around you. For longer trips, I encourage her to take one of the other family cars, but I've allowed her to take to the beach and other moderately distant places. She loves it, and so do her friends!

All three of my kids learned how to drive a manual tranny on the old Ford Probe beater that we had.

[Mike87]

I bought mine a 1980 320i. I did take him to a proper driving school first though (read Russel Driving School) so he would know how to handle it. I think he is doing wonderful in the car. He knows the limits, is learning to work on it, is maintaining it himself and is really growing to be a proud owner of a BMW.

To each his own. Any car can be unsafe, just teach the nut behind the wheel to keep his/her eyes on the other guy and drive defensive.

[danjrusdug]

I've got a "live in" nephew who is about to turn 16 and has the fever for an '02. I'm not too worried about him taking care of the car...

Chris,

As you are probably aware, I ran into him Wednesday night at Walgreens. He seems like a pretty level headed kid. Especially the way he is helping Lisa out while she has some down time.

Evidently he spent some time pouring over my tii because they checked out before I did and when I went out the store, they were just backing out. He however had Lisa stop so he could tell me 'how sweet' my '02 was. That sparkle in his eye says that he NEEDS an 02 and that he will take care of an 02 if he gets one.

Having you as an uncle is just icing on the cake for an 02 person!

Get him one that is safe, has both mirrors, 3rd brake light, and I like what MIke said......get an airhorn. Just have him use it when appropriate. You don't want any of those Wye Mountain bubbas in their trucks coming down on him for scaring them and making them fill their overalls! lol ! !

Doug

'73 tii Atlantik

[Pancake]

I wouldn't at this point, since 02s are starting to get harder to find. +1 for the E30 318i there. I would probably try to get my kid into a FWD with a stick (something like a Golf) just for the understeer when you really push the car. I'm not sure how much I want a young driver having to learn about throttle oversteer before they've had a chance to master the basics of driving. I learned on a 88 Celica ST, and I did a lot of stupid things in that car that probably would have killed me in something faster or more agile. I didn't really learn to respect a car until I got my Supra (when the Celica died) and found myself going sideways down a road looking into a ditch.

Of course, I've still got 14 years before I really need to worry about this with my son (at which point an 02 for a first car will rate the same chance as a snowball's chance in hades), but I've still already given it some thought for when he comes asking to borrow on of my 02s.

[Ray-2002tii]

Two words... No Airbags!

I had a close friend lose her life in a head-on crash in her 76 BMW 2002 on a foggy Thanksgiving night in Rancho Santa Fe. The other party survived in their airbag equiped Cadillac. If she would have been driving a car with airbags, she probably would have made it. This is the only reason I would recommend the 2002 for novice driver.

Mark92131

I agree with Mark. I know I have driven my 2002 for 35 years without airbags, but we had no choice, there were fewer cars on the road and there were NO SUV's. Today is another story. I drive the 2002 infrequently on weekends and really watch the other guys. I bought my daughter a 2003 325i with airbags, anti-lock and skid control. I wanted all the protection I could give her. I also have a new driver in my house who just bought his first car with my advice. We found him a 1990 325i, first year with airbags. The way I look at it, how would you feel if you put your son or daughter in a car without airbags and they were involved in an accident where an airbag would have saved their life? Could you live with yourself? I couldn't.

I know a 2002 is very cool, but in my opinion, no car as a daily driver for a new driver.

[FunElan]

My opinion probably isn't relevant, but I'm currently 17, and drive my 1600 everyday. I bought it when I was 15 and have been fixing it with my dad since then. I was a little spoiled, I grew up riding in and helping to fix my dad's Lotus Elan. That's where the habit really started.

No, I'm not going to say I'm smart or mature enough to drive it because maybe some disagree here, but I bought it with my money and my dad encouraged me to buy it so it doesn't matter. I love it and hope to be loving it forever.

-Matt

[MikeWooldridge]

The one thing that hasn't been discussed is insurance. Be sure to check if he's eligible. I know that with American Collectors Insurance the driver must have 10 years experience before he can drive one of their insured cars. Just a thought to keep in mind. I taught both my boys to drive a standard shift on my first '71. But then it wasn't a 37 year old car.

[752dbl02]

Chris,

I happen to be 16 (about to be 17 in oct.) and will have had my 02 for a year around christmas time.

The first car that i learned to drive on was my dads '96 Audi A4 quattro, which taught me a shit load. Those cars are not fast, but are still fun to drive, and because of the AWD they are hard as hell to slide out ( i tried, no slide . I also have had the benefit of working at an autoshop with a HUGE empty parking lot specifically for the purpose (when empty, and sometimes when not ) of drifting and driving schools. When i got my 02, i taught myself alot in that parking lot, from just going in and making the little thing spin, and learning how to control it. It has benefited me greatly owning a 02. In my opinion, no matter what your driving, there is always that risk of getting hurt; your driving a weapon, and thats one thing that my parents have instilled in me. I second what others have said about teaching him HOW to drive defensively, and esp to watch out for other drivers who are complete f***ing idiots.

My father has done what has been mentioned earlier in the post, and helped me buy the car, and we then did suspension and break resto to make the thing as safe as possible. and when the car doesnt run, i dont drive, and I have to fix it. It has made me appreciate the luxury of having my own car and led to me babying it and keeping it in good condition.

Really, if your nephew has the 02 bug, and he really understands what the car is and its history and uniqueness, then i wouldnt worry about him driving it like a bat out of hell. I love my 02 to death and back and if something ever happened to it, i would be devestated. Teach him how to handle it. take him to an empty parkinglot and just rip the ebrake on him, or make him slide the car out and regain it.

My 02, in my eyes, has made me a better driver. And now i will get off my soap box

Chris

[Benz02]

YES! It's a perfect first car...though as we all know addicting. I bought my first one at age 16, and am now on my fourth at age 36. But my father taught me to drive the old VW squareback when I was 12 (bless his soul), so I'd already been driving for 4 years by the time I got my license. I think nowadays more than ever, it would be vital to teach your kids to drive above and beyond what's being taught in driver's ed...which was almost worthless as far as I was concerned. Having said that, if I had kids, I might be singing a different tune, like Volvo 240.

-Ben

[peteinjp]

I think it comes down to who and where. I and my sister both had 2002's from early on (my influence on her.) We grew up in Austin. I'd say that for me it was perfect but for her so so. She often managed to back into concrete poles and was ultimately blind sided - hit and run. She was fine car was totaled. I had tons of experience as a teen on a bicycle and some on a motorcycle as well so i knew not to expect someone to stop just because the light was red. I was much more aware of what other cars were doing much further down the road.

Austin was not the safest place to drive (compared to say Lufkin) but much better roads and generally good visibility than a larger city (this was the late 80's.) The roads are rather wide and there is no snow. So for me it was fine. For my sister- she should have had a honda first the an 02 IF she really liked them.

I think its a great car to learn to drive in as it is so direct and predictable. Enough power to safely get on the highway but not so much that teh front end is likely to end up wrapped around your next door neighbors tree.

I also think that having something special like an 02 a teen should learn to work on the car a bit. Oil changes etc.

Actually I just had a motor cycle for a long while and always convinced my girlfriends that they should have 02's..... hehe.

[RussTii]

My son began driving a 2002 in Autocross with the SCCA at age 15 with his permit. He learned car control and the vehicle's limits and usually beats me in our 71 E-Prepared 2002. For a first car we got him a 91 318is which of course has an air bag and ABS. IMHO 2002's are disadvantaged today due to lack of ABS, air bags, excessive size of the other vehicles as well as the other drivers who view driving as an opportunity to catch up on their cell phone calls, eat, perform personal grooming, conduct hearing tests for the neighborhood with their sound systems, etc. Virtually anything except paying attention to driving !!

[Harv]

Volvo 240

John