So..my sister is gettin her first car (she's 16). My dad wants to actually buy her a new TL, but she wants a smaller car. My mom has put me in charge of getting her a new ride...im thinking either the TSX auto for her or the base model RSX...but im not sure which one would be better. P.S, her best friend has a BMW 325i..she asked for a BMW, but my dad suggested Acura instead. I'd let her have my car..but she doesn't like it cause its lowered and what not...

 

Trust me, you don't want her to drive any vehicle above 20k as her first car.

Plus, she's young, suggest a Scion vehicle.

 

20K for a first car is a lot. Give her a few years of driving experience before giving her a car thats 20K plus.

 

put the stock springs back in the mazda and you get the tl.

 

Definately talk your dad out of the TL. That's too many horses and too much torque steer for a first car.

I personally would agree with the other posters that a 16 year old doesn't belong in a new automobile.

However...Please don't take offense, but it sounds like your family is pretty upper class (or at least upper middle) if they are considering a TL, and not considering a used car, etc., and it sounds like your family is set on a new car around $30,000 for her. Given that, IMHO, I don't think a TSX would be a terrible first car, but most teenagers aren't into four doors, and the TSX is pretty easily dinged. RSX wouldn't be a bad choice. Of course, if her friends have Beamers, and an RSX is much less in terms of cost than a BMW. How about a Lexus? - you can get an ES 330 for around the price of a well stocked 325, maybe a touch over, but not much (around the price of a TL w/NAVI). The ES is nice, easy to drive, doesn't have too too much horsepower, will be durable and safe, and your sister won't feel bad parked next to her friends BMW. Plus, Lexus caters to female drivers (our local Lexus dealer has free manicures w/oil changes!).

 

have her drive the cars, theres plenty of other options also, but she hasta really see what "Type" of car she wants. the rsx and tsx drive totally differently, (the rsx drives more nible and seems alot smaller, as where the tsx has some body to it and really sticks to the road). dont let the price tag scare you tho, if shes responsible and u wouldnt have the doubts then go for it, but if not then change the price accordingly.
and yes i am 17 and saying this, this is sorta my first car and i baby this thing. it gets washed almost every weekend and everything else that goes along with this. yet now my freind has an RSX for a few months and already has transmission problems and had to get new tires from driving it irresponsbily by burning out the tires and driving offroad (yes off road in an rsx).
so it comes down to you, how u feel shell takecare of the car then you can really choose the price tag and then from there which car she prefers to drive.

 

Assuming your family can afford such a car and insurance for your sister, I would recommend the safest car she can get. This would be the TL but if this is too big, get the TSX.

My 2 cents.

 

i agree totally, this has to be her opinion on what shes gunna drive. shes the one whos gunna be in the car almost 99% of the time. but you hafta make the decision on how well shes going to take care of it and if thats even a problem if she doesnt. that and how great of a driver she is, the tl does really give you a run for your money if ure a first time driver (yes ive driven a tl and notice the difference). thats mainly the reason why i got a 4 banger and not a 6, id be getting in alot more trouble with more ponies and would be wasting a ton more in gas.

 

imo .. what i thikn you should get is the regular rsx ... not very fast. You can go highclass and all but get a car that she can handle. A TL for her .. too much for her to handle unless she drives like micheal schumacher as a newbie. For new drivers .. i recomend front wheel drive veheicles so that rules out the bmw, if she wants expensive car, look into a lexus that doesnt have a lot of power, or maybe a mini cooper.

 

if your dad can afford getting your younger sister a TL, get her a TL, no need to be thrifty and all with cars if you have the money to spend. Another car to look at might be an A4. TSX is always a good choice in my book. But think safety!

 

How about the RX330? I think girls like small SUVs and the RX has a bit of snob appeal...and Godwacker is right, lexus does cater to female drivers.

Please ask your parents to adopt me?

 

A base or preimum RSX would be nice

 

and drivability!

 

Dodge Viper? Maybe....

 

Seriously, putting a 16 year old in a new Acura TL is . Heck, buying them a new car period is a stupid move, but if your parents have money to burn then more power to'em.

 

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but....

WTF are parents doing buying completely new and inexperienced drivers brand new $30k cars? A first car is something they should learn on. They're going to bang it up for sure (most new drivers do) so get them something they can learn on first. Put them in a defensive driver training course and let them gain about 2 years of driving experience. After all that, then perhaps consider a new car.

 

thanx for all the comments and the help!, lol. Yeah we are preety well off, even more so since my dad started his new practice..we have just come into a lot of money lately and my dad wants to actually buy 3 new cars (one for him, one for my sister, and one for my mom). I think my sister is gonna get a new car no matter what..and i hate to say it..she sux at driving, im 19 so i have experience, im preety much a natural driver (i drove my dad's camry for 2 years as my first car). Yeah the Scion tC was another option i was looking at...hadn't thought of the mini cooper though. I try to baby my car as well..but its really hard here at college...
Yeah the TL is already out..my dad asked her about getting a Civic..she said no..i want a BMW, so thats why the TL came up. She wants somethin with 2 doors, so the TSX might be out as well..i think i'll try to focus her on the cooper, base RSX, and the Scion tC.

 

i think the mini cooper would be a great choice, since the interior is pretty nice and it's easy and fun to drive.

you might want to consider the rsx with titanium leather as well, looks pretty good.
another nice 2-door car would be the accord coupe.

 

I think some of you must be pretty shitty drivers to keep saying buying a new car is gonna get all messed up. My parents bought me my first car (brand new), and I never hit shit. My first accident came when I paid for my first car, but I was hit by someone else. That would be my only accident in my 14 yrs of driving. Give it a rest.
I have all intentions of buying my little girl any car she wants when she is old enough to drive, cause the money will be there. She will learn how to drive by me, and will also learn values of items also by me...for I am her father.
I think this guys sister should get whatever her parents are willing to get her. You don't know her driving habits. She could be a better driver than all of us.
Not trying to take a strike at anyone, but everytime a young buyer comes on this site, it's always the same crap about how they should get a used car, or a car under 15K. Let's give it a break and answer the guys question.
I say, she should get the TL if mom and dad wanna pay, or the RSX, but a type S. The TSX is a slush box. Granted I love mine, but not something I would personally want as a first car.

 

TL would not be safer. It has too much power for a 16 yr old. She would lose control and destroy her confidence in driving way too early in life. I think a small SUV is best, like the BMW X3. It has the high status appeal, it's easy to drive due to the high visibility aspect of driving, and has the $30K tag to go along. Plus the engine is nice, yet not too powerful.

The Legacy GT would also be nice, but definitely get AUTO.

My brother had a new RSX for 2 weeks before he totaled it (he was 18, I think). It's a nice car, but very uncomfortable in the back seat (no friends will want to come along) and it's small (i.e. not as safe as a larger car, like the TSX).

The TSX is a great car, but definitely not for the HS parking lot. It will get dinged, since it lacks the protective plastic bar on the sides.

My first car was the family 4Runner. I still think an SUV is best for a first car.

 

The Mini Cooper S would definitely be a nice car for your sister. Pretty hip, and definitely a girl's car.

 

Just don't get black. It's a pain to clean.

 

civic ex~prob the best first car?

 

Get the base RSX. It's a chick car IMO. Price isn't too outrageous for a first car, unlike the TSX.

 

when i got my tsx the 05 rsx jus came in....i wanted it but we already did the loan. but im happy with my choice now.

if i had the choice again i would get an rsx. jus cause its cheaper to mod and its a "teen" car.

 

yeah the civic ex is out..she said no already, even though both my dad and i suggested that. Trust me, she SUCKS at driving... . My dad won't get an SUV for himself or my mom, so he prolly won't get one for her. If its gonna be a Beamer...she wants a coupe..so i'd prolly tell her about either teh 325ci or the 330ci (if she gets teh 330 or even teh 325i, im borrowin it... ). Iono, most of the time she acts like a spoiled brat, so i don't even know why my parents are getting her a new car...but its not my place to say if she gets a new car or not. Anyways, im going home on wed...so i'll take her to teh dealerships and see what and what not she likes..i still think maybe an RSX premimum, tC, or a Mini Cooper.

 

how about a mercedes c coupe?
they are nice, and well in my opnion better than bmw..

i'd definately get it if i'm a chick and i have a lil extra money, in australia it cost much more than my tsx

i'd like to be adopted too thanx...

 

05 Rsx (type S!), C coupe is one of the ugliest and not worth it cars on the market.

 

How about a Mazda 3?

 

How about a Chevy Aveo for a girl who needs to learn to drive first?

 

Or the Chevy Cobalt? Ford Focus?

 

1979 VW Rabbit manual 4-speed .... worked for me

Honestly - for a 16-year old the TSX does have some safety appeal I suppose. I would go with that ... in a 5AT ... nothing wrong with that other than it is too much money to spend on a 16-year old's 1st car, but that's already been said.

 

Even though your family can afford it, it would still be a shame to see a 16yo girl driver gradually thrash a new car. -----I'm thinking back on my sister's first car.

On the other hand, she should have something comparable to what here circle of friends are driving. If they are sporting new BMW's and TL's then get her one of those. Just be sure she's comfortable with the vehicle.

Has anyone taken her car shopping?

 

That's funny. 16yo kid getting a car given to them gets a say in what it will be. Weird. I don't have a problem with people providing cars (even expensive ones) for their kids, but if it were my kid, she'd d@mn well drive what I tell her to or she'd take the bus.

 

I second the Mini Cooper (non S) convertible!!! Total chics car and a small, fun, easy to drive car. If you get an S, it only comes with a manual tranny so the non S would be necessary if your sister doesn't want to learn to drive stick.

 

id hate to be your son. when i went car shoping with my father he wanted to know my opinon so he knew where we should look. why would u intentionally buy something that u know ure child will hate? trust me if i had to be stuck with a car that i hated and a car i loved, the car i hated wouldnt be treated as well. it happened with my first car. got stuck with a geo metro, almost got killed quite a few times cuz of lack of power and what not, so when we went looking for the TSX the civic was canceled out.

its definatly not a good idea to pick meaningless fights with ure children, cuz then when u hafta put ure foot down they wont listen beucase youve lost that touch.i have a much greater respect for my father beucase he listens to my opinion (as long as its within reason). trust me ull learn that real quick once u have kids and they become teenagers and wont listen to a word you say, or ure so over protective that once they get free they abuse it.

 

or even a VW bug, theyve got convertible too, i dunno if its the same price rang. vw kind of bothers me to an extent. or maybe even an eclipse?

 

It's one thing to say "hey what would you like?" and hear "honda civic" and a whole different thing to hear "a brand new BMW."