chfields

Well, when you put a 16YO child, in a 2500LB bullet with 250+HP, thats is an accident waiting to happen. Now, I don't blame the kid, I blame the idiot parents, seems to me, they don't much care about thier kid. If they did, they would start him out with something more practical and work his way up.

Chances are good that he will wreck the car, I only hope he doesn't end up hurting or killing someone.
How often do you hear on the news that some young person crashed and rolled his hot rod and hurt or even killed his own friends or even worse, lost control and slams head on into incoming traffic. Hell, it's an almost daily occurence here.

I think you should drive what YOU can pay for, by the time your earning enough to buy a $30-$50,000 car, you should have the maturity and experience to fully appreciate what cars of this caliber offer.

This is a big decision for a 16YO child, will he be selfish and wreckless, risking his and others lives, or will he be intelligent and mature and start slow and work his way up?? I'm hoping the latter..........

leedogg

Enough. There seems to be more evidence of rampant prejudgment, stereotyping, and envy here then of this kid being spoiled.

subinf

^-My first car was a 1991 Infiniti Q45, which honestly would give the TL a run for its money. One of the greatest cars I've ever driven. It was fast, but it was also safe. I had an unfortunate run in with a rather large deer and I believe that if I were in any less of a car I would have been rather fucked up. If you are going to blame the parents, blame them for raising a moron who doesnt understand responsibility, not for giving the kid a nice car.

Laxplaya11385

First off, let me say, I absolutely love this thread. Sure it may have way more posts than needed, but I get a good amount of entertainment reading you guys argue.


Actually, our waste and spending on extravagance isn't good. For instance, the US makes up 4% of the world's population right. Yet, of the total amount of gas comsumed per year, the US uses 1/4 of it. We waste and spend. Good? Heck no. I'm sure millions of people are dependent on us using up all that gas. People cry about gas prices, but what they don't realize, is that the US wastes more gas than ANYONE. (I blame 1/2 of this on Bush's "war." We actually use up billions of gallons per DAY for this so called "war on terrorism," but that is neither here or there.

I agree w/ deep spaceus on this. Judge the parents, but don't judge the kid. You don't know him well enough to know whether he understands the value of the dollar or hard work. A lot of you are making assumptions. Just b/c one 17 year old is lazy and lives off his parents doesn't mean the next one is doing the same thing.

whatjones911

I agree, you guys aren't acting very mature. I am 17 myself and I know where you older guys are coming from about a kid getting a car. I think cathmag came here knowing that he doesnt deserve the car and blah blah blah but the main reason he started this thread is to get feedback on his situation and all you guys are going off topic talking he can't or shouldn't get a car and that jibber jabber.

THis thread is 5 pages long right now and more than half of the thread is people complaining whether teens deserve a car rather than sticking to the topic.

pttl

You've totally missed the point.

But I will say you have this right - "You can judge the parents..." This is 100% a parent thing. I know kids well enough to know, that, if a 30+K car is offered, a kid is going to take it - Anyone would.
I've also been around kids long enough, and have seen the effects such extravgant "gifting" has on an individual, and the surrounding community. Conversely, I've seen the positve effect, of when a kid works toward something over a period of time, and then finally receives a well deserved payoff. The differences are profound, and the results are as far away from each other, as night is from day.

randomthought

Theres also the possibility of it working the other way around as well. Some will consider a gift of this magnitude to be very fortunate and think about what they just got. In return, they might do what they think their parents would want them to do, ie. not crash it, take care of what is expected of them. But, i have no right to say such things, since i have no kids and have no experience with them yet. When i got my car, i plain started to study my ass of and started to look for a job, rather then stayin at home, sitting on my ass while twidling my thumbs. Other than myself, I've never seen anyone think through what they have recieved. Unfortunately, I've seen the opposite happen WAY too much.

CUNextTuesday

Agreed.

So cathmag, make any progress on your decision?

YoungnTLDrivr

My opinion JUST GET A BIMMER dont worry or pay no mind to watever anyone in here is saying bout earning it or not, that is your business not theirs. You have the oportunity so get the car u want. Times have changed.....people just need to get over it.

mio

U got the point!

nyi37

idk...if the parents are willing to spend the $$ go for which ever you like...personally i think the TL is the better car...and your lucky to be getting either car so it doesnt matter what the other people are saying

Maddizm

iTrader: (5)

Man... would this post be different if the kid didn't mention his age (or his avatar didn't mention his age) and the fact that his parents are buying the car for him? What if the post went something like "Hey, fellow Acuraziners, I got a choice between a BMW 3 series or an Acura TL, what do you guys think?" I think the thread would have stayed on-topic, and there would be a better number of straight answers. Seriously, I agree with all the people in here that feel there's too much "hatin' " going on. I mean I can "feel" it emanating from my screen. He asked a simple question (this car or that car?) and the topic seems to be off on ridiculous tangents of child rearing, what kids deserve nowadays, society, and blah blah blah. I also earned my first car 97 Civic EX (coudn't buy it till I was 18), but you know what? If I had parents that were down to give me a 30k car then I would have taken it hands down. I agree with THe poster that says that it's what he does with it after that will show his true character. I mean no one here knows if he'll handle the gift with utmost appreciation and maturity or not. What happened to "TO each his own"? and for the parents "to each THEIR own" then. I wouldn't give my kid 30k for car but hey that's just me. But I'll tell you I'd buy them something if it was within my means. BTW Cathmag... I'd wait and get the 335 with twin turbo, saaawwwwweeeet.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

@ this thread

and @ ka0tick -- you're an idiot.

That is all.

rrickh1

ahh .. i had the same decision to make ... i just did alot of research and finally ended up with the TL, hence me being here at the moment. I based my decision on the fact that i am located in NY, where the weather changes too often. RWD was not appealing to me for this fact, and so there went the G35 and the 3 series. I was also fond of the body of the TL, and the fact that it was a acura meant reliability.

If you go bmw just don't become one of the many cocky bimmer owners, it seems contagious.
To me it seems
If you want to be flashy go BWM, if not go TL. I was never the show off type, and everything i did/do is for myself, not others. DON'T buy a car because everyone else likes it.... buy it because you do. I have gotten alot of "why didn't you get a g35 or bmw" from people, but those are usually the people love to show off. I liked all the cars i have mentioned but i made my decision for my reasons, and every time someone asks me why i went acura ... i just tell them what i said above.

I'm not that much older than you and it may be hard to make a decision based on reasons such as weather and gas and other things, most likely you will go for the bmw, but just by posting this topic, i can see you have put some thought into it. I personally didn't have to worry about the rising gas prices and maintenance, but thats just my luck. By the way you posted this topic I'm guessing you dont have to either, but make a sensible decision. Don't be the "why'd you get a bimmer? ""because .. uh .. its .. a. ... bimmer..." guy.

TheAcAvenger

Just becuase its expensive doesnt mean he's going to wrap it around a tree. I'm pretty sure my 'Lude when i was 19 could've run circles around the cars he's talking about. Hahaha, what's that post? "Its not like a TL has GOBS of torque" hahahaa, i just laughed out loud

invincible569

In today's new generation, new cars are treated as disposable. Today's going rate is 4-6 yrs, but this has been standardized by warranty coverage & the ease of getting approved. You can walk into any dealership and most likely get approved. +15 yrs ago, this was unheard of, therefore todays generation gets a new car like there is no tomorrow. Just look at how many new models, how many are produced daily, and how many car dealerships you see on one road.

... I still vote for the 1976 Honda Civic.

VIPCLS

What you need to do buddy, is simply do your damn research yourself and decide for your damn self!!! Another tip just look at the reviews of the two type of vehicles 0-60, top speed, horsepower must I go on I think the owner of the car should not rely on everone else for a opnion.

cathmag

Fpr those people who think I am spoiled just because I have this decision to make. , my parents didn't mind if I got a more expensive car. If I wanted the M3, or the E55 AMG, they were happy to get that for me also. I chose either the Acura TL or 3 series because I didn't think those other cars should be for 17 year olds to drive. I didn't want to spend too much of my parents money so I am in favor of the last two. You can see that I do know the value of the dollar by my choices.

leedogg

He is doing research. He's looking in a very good spot as well...even though this thread may be showing otherwise...

Typically people post a question and get useful, helpful responses, not useless posts such as yours.

layzie

You guys should seriously lay off this kid. This forum is for Acura enthusiasts and for those that want to help one another. When this kid comes to this forum and gets criticised, how is this helping. Think of it this way, if he just came in and asked, "of these two, which would you choose?" everything would be fine. So stick on topic, everyone will not come into a conensus with regards to their perspectives, so it's pointless arguing. Just deal with reality, there are the rich and the poor, and the middle class. Some are better off than others and thats that. So to answer his MAIN question, I would choose the BMW. Although a bit pricier, I really like the stiffness of the steering wheel, the simple interior, exterior is really sexy especially the angel eyes that moves in the direction that you turn, and handling. As for the TL, I would get it for the navigation. I also really like the blue dashboard. It really depends, I view the TL as more of a techy car as compared to the BMW. I hope you find the right one for you.

leedogg

you really dont need to explain yourself man. I'll assume your on the level until proven otherwise. The TL is a pretty mature choice/option. That you are considering it over the typical teen hotrod (corvette, camaro, mustang etc) already hinted at your maturity to me.

colossus

I already gave my answer to what I think you should get - a TL simply because it's a better value. If, however, the Beemer screams to your emotions I would get the BMW. I got a TL since I didn't want to "waste" money on a 330. I purposefully got a auto so I wouldn't drive the car as crazy. It all depends on what you want out of the car, and how long you're going to keep it. Remember, 3 years down the road the car will still have to suit your needs and lifestyle (assuming you keep it that long)


I have been critical of the idea of a 16 year old getting a $35K car, but I did not mean to imply that you were spoiled. Your posts have been pretty straight forward and simple (how people can read in to imply you were spoiled is beyond me - I assume they thought you did not contemplate how much to limit yourself). I do think some of the people on here (possibly parents or concerned citizens if you wanna call them that) are just upset that if you get a nice car you may not know what if takes for a 16 year old to get that. I sure as heck can't judge you - I don't know you. For all I know you may end up finding the next quark or finding the cure to cellular decay.

But even if you were the one to find the cure to cancer - I don't think you can really know the value of a dollar until you see what it's worth throughout the world. $1 would get me dinner in most of South America or South-east Asia (God knows I've gotten E. Coli or Giardia in 6 continents now )

Being on the 21st hour of a 30 hour call shift (waiting for the next sicko to come in through the ER) and making less than minimum wage 3 years after grad school I truly understand what $1 will do in the US and abroad. I don't think any amount of maturity can replace the knowledge gained from life experience. Again this is why I say you could probably learn a lot more traveling the world with the extra $15K saved by buying a $20K car. Sure you're "wasting" $35K in the end, but I think the knowledge gained from travels would provide you more than anything the extra $15K of car could - but that of course is my silly opinion.

As I am assuming this is your first car, if your parents are well off enough to buy you a $80K car, you should be able to buy a cheap car now, find out what you truly want from a car over the next 2-3 years while your driving style develops, and then sell the entry car and buy whatever that next car is - whether it be an E55 or a TL.

If your parents are crazy paranoid about your safety they should get the BMW as it has a better safety cage and is best-in-class. I've always been impressed with how BMW and MB survive accidents. No amount $ can bring a dead kid back.


In response to deep_spaceus idea that the world hates America because of extravagance - it's not oppulence that makes them hate us. At least I hope it's not. Jealousy/Envy is not a good color on anybody from any country. Americans in general do work harder than the rest of the Western world (whether or not that work is productive is debateable ie drug dealer and cop opposing each other) so they should be rewarded for their efforts. I think the world hates Americans because they're ignorant to the rest of the world when you consider the fact that we're supposed to be educated. Yes, we have 3 year old kids who know what a QWERTY keyboard is or 5 year old children teaching their parents how to clear their internet cache, but those same kids have no idea of what is beyond their state borders. We, as Americans, are generally assumed to turn our face to the problems in the world. This, of course, is a generalization. But if you go to other countries (which the US has ignored) most of the people will automatically assume you're arrogant and ignorant. Maybe after getting to know you they'll think differently. Maybe it's because the US admin for the last 16 years has flip-flopped on all it's major policies. Either way they think Americans are clueless. The US spent more on corn subsidies than it did helping the Tsunami victims (all to help grow high fructose corn syrup which is now causing me to admit 2 diabetics). OK - pager goes, 3 admits. Laterz (jumps off soapbox)...

juicygirljen

What you should do then is just visit both dealerships, and test drive them both and narrow it down. Good luck choosing your car. Drive safely.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

These threads crack me up. sometimes I feel like anonymously logging in as "random 16 year old" and starting a "deciding b/w TL and E55 thread .. parents gunna buy it for me" ... if nothing else, just to see what the current sentiment is on spoiled kids.!!

mustiy

Lots of hurt people inside this thread QQ

CUNextTuesday

Get an M3 or E55 AMG sweet jesus

cathmag

Cu: I would prefer not to get the M3 or E55 AMG. NOw that would be truly spoiled and I do know some parents who got their 17 year old son an M3.

CUNextTuesday

A buddy of mine got a brand new M3 when he was a senior in high school. Lucky - yes...Spoiled? - probably, but it's still a sick car.

Which 330 are you lookin at anyway? I might have missed it as so few posts in the thread actually pertain to the topic. If you're lookin at the sedans, I like the TL much, much better. The coupe is hot, but it all depends on what you're looking for in a car. If you need the extra space I'd go for the TL because I like it a lot more than the 3 series sedans.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

some may think i am spoiled as i am only 14....

but i get my dad's 2004 TL when i get past 16. I do think that a new car for a new driver is a bit rash, but what happens, happens. I think he asked a legit question - he just wanted opinions, not a complete onslaught toward him because of his age. He just wants to know you're opinions on his question. He might have reasons that you and i might not know.... he gets a present because of a scholarship, graduation whatev. So all age bias thrown away, what car would i or you choose? = TL

cathmag

CU: DAng, M3 in high school? Let me guess, the only guys I know with M3 in high school are the ASian guys with parents who own businesses Was your friend Asian?
If I get the 330, I probably get a coupe. If I get a TL - well its 4 door anyways.

CUNextTuesday

Ha, nah he's not Asian, but his family obviously has money. And yeah, if I were gettin' a 330 I'd definitely go with the coupe. I don't like the exterior styling of the sedan - TL much sexier.

FightingTL

I think either choice is garbage for someone younger.

Personally you should go with an sti or evo. Have some fun and dont get locked into a more refined, slower vehicle.

mio

M3 is nothing here, I see kids drive F430, Lambo Garllado, Porsche 997, BMW NEW M5 etc. here everyday.

Ka0tik

lol, a couple of my friends have multiple 50g+ cars

PenancE

lol just let his parents buy em a brand new 35k car, and lets not say hope for an accident...


anticipate it....

cliff

i am another fortunate kid that my parents pays for the car. ive had it since i had my license, clean record, no accidents. i also bought a 96 civic hatchback as a fun project car and to learn stick on. (paid by myself) i barely drive the TL anymore because the civic is a lot more fun(its turboed now). i hate seeing my parents pay 560 a month for the car i barely drive.

so i made a deal with them this past week. i would sell the TL for a used s2k and i wil make my own payments. they were completly fine with that, but they still pay for insurance.

leedogg

Or how about we anticipate yours instead.


comon people wtf

lscld

cathmag,
Have you looked at or thought about the TSX? Much better car for a 16/17 y/o than a TL, esp. for you first car (assuming that it is). The TL is a very nice car, just not for somone that young, it's more for someone in like their low to mid 20s and up IMO.
Back to the original question, I'd say go with the BMW for the reasons I listed above. The 3-series coupe is a nic lookn' car, esp. for a 16/17 y/o. my 2 cents

CUNextTuesday

I thought about getting an sti or an evo when I was looking to get a new car. Fun to drive? Hell yes...but as nice as a 3 series or TL inside and out? Definitely not.

It all really depends on what you're looking for. Speed, comfort, realiability, etc.

ACCURATEin

I highly recommend going with the TL.