Daughter is about to turn 18 and she wants a Mustang. I found a used one with relatively low mileage in a color she'll really like. My main concern is it's a convertible. She'll probably dig that too, but should I do it?
It doesn't seem to affect insurance rates. Assuming she never rolls it (I had a few pretty major crashes (went airborne couple times) as a young lad and never rolled a car), are there any reasons I shouldn't? Thanks in advance.
the way one of my kids has damaged/dented/had minor fender benders, I tend to stick the dime a dozen older but reliable camry's or accords mostly due to repairs, but your call on that.
my biggest question would be more about where you live and how practical a convertible would be in the colder months.
As I said, she wants a Mustang.
"can you explain why you were doing 65 in a 25"
"i was drag racing"
"in a prius?" (Gen 2)
"i don't win a lot"
My parents couldn't afford getting me a car so I did it myself. That thought me to work hard and value the money I earned at 15 years old.
Damn times have changed since I got my license. My parents said until you can afford the cost of the vehicle, the insurance, gas, etc. you will take whatever car we let you drive (and this is in a town where parents routinely gave their kids new BMW's, SUV's, etc. when they turned 17 if not before then).
As a parent to 9 kids (three out of the house now), the idea that she won't be happy unless it is a mustang is difficult to read. You have to parent as you see fit (preface that before saying this)- I however would be very clear, if you don't like the car I am BUYING you then get a job and buy your own. Just my opinion.
This was done for a variety of reasons
You cant drive a stick and use a cell phone simultaneously
Their friends had no idea how to drive the car so I did not worry about others driving the car
I wanted them to learn how to drive a stick
Manual cars were less money than automatic cars
I also got the safest compact available (used Audis)
This is the best answer.
This was done for a variety of reasons
You cant drive a stick and use a cell phone simultaneously
Their friends had no idea how to drive the car so I did not worry about others driving the car
I wanted them to learn how to drive a stick
Manual cars were less money than automatic cars
I also got the safest compact available (used Audis)
I learned to drive stick when I was 17. Funny thing? Since that merry day of mastering said wonderful task, I never drove a car with a manual transmission ever again. One and done.
I feel bad prying but you did start the thread - why does she need a new car, is the current one no longer working properly? Does she want one just because?
We can't really help you on the later - up to you on how you want to do that. I know how i'd handle it though.
The option always exists for her to buy herself a car, doesn't it?
I was thrilled that my dad got himself a new car and gave me his 1991 Pontiac Bonneville. The very notion that he would have let me dictate the specific terms of a car I wasn't paying for is ludicrous.
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she's been driving a Ford Escape for almost 3 years (got her license at 15) and she's only had a minor fender bender about 1 year ago.
I feel bad prying but you did start the thread - why does she need a new car, is the current one no longer working properly? Does she want one just because?
We can't really help you on the later - up to you on how you want to do that. I know how i'd handle it though.
The Escape is our 2nd car and will return to being that. Daughter is going away to college. Maybe I'm trying to be too nice, I don't know.
It has a V6
That said, it depends on the model. Base Mustangs can be pretty tame, relatively. I don't know if I'd hand the keys over for a GT, though.
We are (have a 529 acct), but she's been dual enrollment for her Jr and Sr yrs of HS, so she should get her BS in 2.5-3 yrs.
But i'm of the other mold - already paying for college, drove a car that she didn't pay for for 3 years and now wants a new one of her choosing? No shot, but that's just me.
So is the question about the safety/reliability of a mustang, or whether you should get her what she wants? 2 different questions with 2 very different sets of answers.
She had the car all through high school and college. It is still going with 130 thousand miles and I would do it again.
If your daughter is responsible and has shown to be a good driver, go for it.
Exactly
ALL of these produce a LOT of HP. Even the 6. I have a 2009 GT as my "play" car. It's a shitload of car, and I have very few mods on it. Be careful and be sure she can handle it.
When I turned 16 in 78, my dad was going to sell me his 73 SS (350 V8) for 400 bucks. My mom put the kibosh on that instantly. I loved that car.
Government?
ALL of these produce a LOT of HP. Even the 6. I have a 2009 GT as my "play" car. It's a shitload of car, and I have very few mods on it. Be careful and be sure she can handle it.
I would never get her a GT. It's a 3.7L V6
As late as the 2015 model, the Mustang has no roll-protection. The standard in many convertibles is to have rear seat head cushions pop-up within ~125 milliseconds after a roll sensor detects an event, and in that case it's pretty damn safe. As the Mustang back seats aren't used all that often...bonus. But, I couldn't even find the primary front seats having a pop-up head cushion roll bar.
Ask the seller straight up; if there's no rollover protection, I wouldn't buy the car myself let alone a son or daughter.
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GT V8(4.6L)? V6? GT500 (Coyote 5.0)?
ALL of these produce a LOT of HP. Even the 6. I have a 2009 GT as my "play" car. It's a shitload of car, and I have very few mods on it. Be careful and be sure she can handle it.
I would never get her a GT. It's a 3.7L V6
Then if she's a safe driver, I think that's reasonable. Just remember, the 3.7 still generates 300+ HP. It's a lot of car.
I had to use max ABS and offset the car towards the lane lines to avoid the rear of the car in front, then immediately look behind me, but thankfully I was now visible at the top of the crest with brake lights.
My point being: I'm not worried about my driving. I'm worried about some real massive idiots out there. The kind of type who don't understand driving too slow in the left or right lane for a given road isn't safer, but more dangerous. The German Autobahn unlimited sections don't have worse safety records than American highways, because Germans (and surrounding EU citizens are taught to drive the correct way: left lane is for passing only.
The accidents that are caused on the Autobahn are primarily due to the speed differential between travelling cars. Keep your speed relative to your lane and the lane into which you're moving over to. Then you'll be fine.
Off of the highways, it comes down to luck when some asshole runs a red light or is drunk.
Credentials: motor-racing enthusiest with the goal of amatuer racing one day (my last two cars were even sporty with the near-extinct manual transmission!), 0 accidents with ~20 years on the road, never even pulled over by a cop (well, except when I borrowed my mom's car to go to university classes and she forgot to renew the registration; he let me go with a warning).
I hope this helps.
The 240 is also in a much heavier vehicle
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the car she's been driving has 240 HP. Obviously I know 300 is (25%) more than 240.
The 240 is also in a much heavier vehicle
I just checked and they're actually not that different ~3500 lbs. Based on the wt range I found, the Mustang might be 100 lbs lighter. Don't know if that's a huge diff.
man, I wish.
We live in FL. I probably wouldn't consider a Mustang up north.
If you live in Florida that's a perfect climate for a convertible just stay away from the higher HP options for the Mustang
That’s my take too.
We lost a dear family friends daughter when she lost control of a mustang in Virginia several years back. She was 19 at the time and her dad is a mechanic, she grew up in a shop and around cars all her life.
Wanted and got the Stang, and it ended up being too much car for her. RIP.
Sorry Dr. D don’t mean to say that’s what will happen but it was the first thing I thought about when I saw the thread. Second thought was don’t do it.
Dr. D's daughter is not a novice driver as she is in her 3rd year of driving.
Yup. Perfect first car:
This was done for a variety of reasons
You cant drive a stick and use a cell phone simultaneously
Their friends had no idea how to drive the car so I did not worry about others driving the car
I wanted them to learn how to drive a stick
Manual cars were less money than automatic cars
I also got the safest compact available (used Audis)
Wow. That’s really smart. Great parenting idea
[quote] whatever you get her.... and I do not think "getting good grades" counts. [/quote
I don't either. That may be part of a package, but alone, doesn't mean much. Here in GA good grades will get you an insurance discount and a voucher for discounted (possibly free) driving school.
V6 model will be enough for a non enthusiast girl.
Plus, women aren't the demographic giving these cars the bad name.
I had to use max ABS and offset the car towards the lane lines to avoid the rear of the car in front, then immediately look behind me, but thankfully I was now visible at the top of the crest with brake lights.
My point being: I'm not worried about my driving. I'm worried about some real massive idiots out there. The kind of type who don't understand driving too slow in the left or right lane for a given road isn't safer, but more dangerous. The German Autobahn unlimited sections don't have worse safety records than American highways, because Germans (and surrounding EU citizens are taught to drive the correct way: left lane is for passing only.
The accidents that are caused on the Autobahn are primarily due to the speed differential between travelling cars. Keep your speed relative to your lane and the lane into which you're moving over to. Then you'll be fine.
Off of the highways, it comes down to luck when some asshole runs a red light or is drunk.
Credentials: motor-racing enthusiest with the goal of amatuer racing one day (my last two cars were even sporty with the near-extinct manual transmission!), 0 accidents with ~20 years on the road, never even pulled over by a cop (well, except when I borrowed my mom's car to go to university classes and she forgot to renew the registration; he let me go with a warning).
I hope this helps.
A few things I see that are problems for drivers in general (not going to single out young drivers):
1) Not looking far enough ahead when driving
2) Poor anticipation skills (ties to #1)
3) Too much ego for right of way scenarios (i.e. it's my right of way, so I won't slow down for a car that could enter my lane/path)
4) Lane discipline
Not everyone will have great reaction time, or elite car control skills. That's ok......however, for the most part those factors translate more for track use than street.
If people are above average in all 4 of those skills, accidents will go way down. Just consider that in real racing and some stunt car precision driving, the amount of cars in super close proximity to each other that don't hit each other..........and now compare that to actual driving. Night and day difference.
I was originally going to add oversteer control (i.e. fishtailing).....which I feel is important in the states that get snow, but also helpful in the dry of course with the more powerful RWD cars. If you want to call yourself a real enthusiast driver, you have to get this skill dialed in on some level.
To your point, the track stuff helps a lot. Lots of fun too. A real shame it costs money to do these things, otherwise many more would be doing so.
Have you tried going to a drift school? Epic level of fun. The one issue I have with most schools is they don't want to encourage you to exceed the limit (for good reason), but outside of skidpads, nowhere else to do it safely. Drift school is all about the loss of control, and the many counterintuitive ways to control a car going sideways.
Rally school is great too, haven't done yet.
So it wouldn’t be the convertible aspect that would worry me as much as the speed and power of the Mustang. And I’d probably worry more about my daughter’s boyfriend driving the car. The most dangerous animal on the planet is the young male. But, the truth is that so much is left to chance. You can get good and banged up in a Prius or a big SUV too. You can die riding a bike or skiing or walking to church. Plenty of peril in life. Best to enjoy and have fun while you’re young.
There are a few reasons to go with the 6-cylinder.
No one has beat the car up racing around in it.
The 6-cylinder is a good reliable engine.
It will also be the cheapest for a used mustang.
When searching for it just pick the Ford Mustang Convertible Base as the trim level. They will all be 6-cylinders
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Mostly it proves out. Kids eventually crash their first car. Buy them a cheap beater. After the crash or 1 year, help them buy a practical car. When they have their 1st job you can guide them, providing $ if necessary, to their 1st nice car. I don't like giving brand new esp higher end cars to kids that didn't earn it through their own job and income.
Yup. Perfect first car:
Lol - I was about to post the same picture. (I love when the guy thinks it was vandalized.)