For all you youngins - Should you get a camaro?

[seeknay2000]

For all you younger guys/gals thinking about getting a camaro:

There have been countless people asking whether or not they can handle it, should they get it, asking for help convincing parents. This is a poll (assuming I'm smart enough to figure out how to post a poll) to help you decide.

Ultimately, it is your decision (unless you're under 18, then it's your parents decision).

I have posted numerous times about recommending NOT getting the SS, especially when you are only 15 or 16. Read some of the posts here and decide for yourself what is best.

I will post my opinion below but for the thread - here are some things you should think about before ordering:

1) Who is paying for the car?
2) What is the cost of the car? (actual cost, dealer fees, delivery fees, tax,
title, insurance, gas, maitinence, reapairs - even something like a flat tire
will set you back $250, any tickets/fines you get etc)
3) How much hp and torque do you need/want? What for?
street racing , or taking to the track, or do you want 426hp
to just get up to the speed limit as fast as you can?
4) How much experience do you have driving cars? Sports cars?
5) What will happen should you not be able to make payments on the car?
6) Where are going after highschool? (If it involves a commute back home
maybe you will want a V6 w/ better gas mileage. If it's in a city, maybe
you aren't allowed to bring a car first year of college, or have to pay $200 /month for parking garage)?
7) Have you bragged to anyone about how fast your new camaro will be?
(signifying you will probably street race)
8) When you buy insurance, are you getting liability only, or full coverage?
9) How much does insurance cost for you? - GET A QUOTE!!!
10) What kind of car is this - second car/weekend car, daily driver, car to
commute with, track car?



Think about these things - look at poll results, and decide for yourself. Just remember, if you're inexperienced and have never driven a 426hp car, you DONT know what you are getting yourself into, and nobody can argue otherwise. Maybe you'll be a perfect match, maybe you'll lose your license within a week, maybe you'll kill somone. you DONT know. Until you have driven a high hp car, you do not know what you are going to act like

Members here have had good and bad experiences with getting a high hp car as your first car - listen to them!!! They have real stories!!!


P.S. If you decide not to get a camaro, you can still get a chevy! or at least a GM.

[seeknay2000]

Here's my 2 cents:

Sports cars cost a LOT! Car, tax, title, high insurance, gas etc. Also, consider if you get a flat - these are performance tires. They cost $250 each, not for a set of four (like on a civic). It's a lot of hp and if you are first starting out, you dont' know how to handle it. You can watch fast and furious all you want, you can watch drag racers all you want, until you get behind the wheel, you know nothing!!!

I recommend if anything get the V6, but I think 306 hp is still too much power. I recommend getting a sports car with 185-200hp - that is pleanty to get you started - if it's a used car you can trade it in in a couple of years, insurance will be a lot cheaper, and it will break you in a lot more easily.

Also - I recommend getting a used car with 50,000 miles and paying for it yourself. I know a lot of 15 year olds on here have their parents buying them a car - and nothing wrong with that if it's an average car - but if they buy you a SS you will NOT appreciate it as much. If you pay for it yourself you will think twice of the consequences of how you drive - because you will realize if you blow a tire doing that burnout it could cost you $250 - instead of just swiping your parent's credit card.


Basically - I don't recommend it. I know a lot of people who have gotten in a lot of trouble with high hp cars as their first car. Why the rush? Wait until you're out of high school and get one then.

[TheCavalry]

I'm a little older than the targeted age group here, I'm 21, and I really don't think this is the best investment for me right now. But I'm still getting it. The most powerful car I've driven in an S2000, a far cry from the Camaro, I know. I'm a pretty responsible guy considering my age though. So I don't believe I'll have very many problems.

[diddiyo]

[Zabo]

23, finishing college in dec. It's a present to myself after retiring the Exploder. Math works when I plug in the lowball income estimates. Isn't set in stone though because I can wait.

[KILLER74Z28]

I think it depends on the individual. My first car was a 69 Firebird 400 with well over 350 HP and I had just turned 16. If you are taught to respect speed there usually is not a problem… What’s hard for me to believe is that the average 16 year old is going to be able to afford the insurance let alone the payment…

[headpunter]

jealous much? who cares what they get, its their business

[kdbolt70]

I'm 22: old enough to afford it, young enough not to care. I'm kind of in that middle ground between the "responsible mature driver" and "young thundercat". I've driven vette's, Camaro's, GTO's; I think I'll be fine. (insurance company doesn't seem to think so, $3500/yr to insure!)

[TheClassicCarKid]

Originally Posted by headpunter

jealous much? who cares what they get, its their business

Exactly.
But if you have to ask if other people think you'll be able to handle the power, I don't think you'll be able to.

[TheClassicCarKid]

Originally Posted by kdbolt70

I'm 22: old enough to afford it, young enough not to care. I'm kind of in that middle ground between the "responsible mature driver" and "young thundercat". I've driven vette's, Camaro's, GTO's; I think I'll be fine. (insurance company doesn't seem to think so, $3500/yr to insure!)

What do you have covered for 300 a month?

[seeknay2000]

Originally Posted by headpunter

jealous much? who cares what they get, its their business

Apparently you have nothing to live for - if 75% of 16 year olds get a high hp car and drive reckless - who cares? I care. My family cares. People driving on the road and don't want to get hit head-on after a 16 year old who is street racing loses control and hits thier car - they care.

Fact is young people + hp generally means trouble. OBVIOUSLY there are exceptinos. That's not the point - if 75% cause trouble, that's too much. If I can convince just 1 kid not to get a high hp car, then it's better.


Second - have you read the threads lately? I have seen at least ten threads saying - what would you do? How do I convince my parents? Should I get an SS?

Well, obviously if they didn't want our opinion, they wouldn't ASK FOR IT!