h011yw00d

I totally agree for my son. My daughter however is the type that will be like "That's OK, Dad... Bruno (the bolt-nose meth-head) will drive me wherever I want to go..."

She's getting the armor-plated Outback.

Courtshark

Daughter just turned 4, so this decision is a ways off for me, fortunately! My first car was an Aerostar van. Packed a ton of people and band gear into it (drummer); 3 accidents later... but I think part of the accidents related to the poor handling and stopping capabilities of that vehicle, combined with my inexperience as a driver. Emphasis on my inexperience as a driver.

I was going to suggest something less powerful than the S4 as a first car, and I think the 924 is an excellent compromise. I cannot imagine how much insurance would be on the 928. It will still be a pretty penny on the 924 for sure. You two will have a great time wrenching together. That sounds like a wonderful bonding experience.

I think my daughter will end up in a Saab 900 of some kind (or something similar) for her first car. It will be broken/damaged/dinged; it's just what kids do. All you can hope for is that they are safe, and put them in as safe a vehicle as you can to protect them from everyone else.

Green Goblin

I think it is a great idea as far as learning how to work on the cars and doing things for/with your son. If you decide to get this car (havent read all the posts) i would but make it contingent on how he is with maintaining/taking care of his first car older honda or older toy along those lines, grades, attitude, etc etc. My son just turned 16 and i got him his first car which is nice but nowhere near what he wants (sti). See how the responsible he is with that car and life and then ONE DAY if he DESERVES IT after high school he can show you that he deserves an S4. Just because you can doesnt mean you should.

And lets be real, and this is a true story my friend(16) got a completly restorded 69 SS Camaro from his dad, the day he got it was the day he died. Youth and power are killers on the road, hell they are crazy with the slow cars.

MY .02

Andy

83 Euro

supercedar

My daughter drove my S4 to school today. Her car is up for wheel enhancements at the time. I am not worried about her with it but I am starting to worry about all the other kids from some of these posts. I know I am in trouble now

MainePorsche

I wouldn't give them a 928 for their first car, no matter how tempting. One needs to gauge their level of overall responsibility with this responsibility requiring device, which by its nature (and their age), is new to them and new to you.
There is also the 'standout' quality of the 928 - a 16 year old cretin who is envious of (let's say) my daughter's haircut maybe more likely to key her 928, as opposed to her non 'standout' vehicle while incurring the same risk in doing such a thing.

Green Goblin

My son is a very responsible TEEN, so was I but i even raised some hell in my little 2wd pickup and i am sure i would have done the same in a 928. My brother got a Z28 4-speed at 16 and it was a huge mistake, my brother and I talked about this a couple of days ago and how it was not a wise thing for my father to do but he did and my brother still cant believe it even today.

Andy

17prospective buyer

I say no... My 87 S4 is my first car (first in the sense that i saved up by working and bought it all myself) and i have a 98' Corolla from my parents with approx. 400 000KM. I bought my own car and it's turned into more of a project that tests my skills and consumes the money i make.

It's just different when it's your own money... For a 928, you really have to be invested in it both in time and money. Your kid has to be truly into cars to work on it with you and actually be a help and learn something. I say start on an old British roadster or Miata (dead simple to work on). Or an old 70's Nissan Skyline, Ford Capri, any of that.

Oh and older STI's are cheap now...

ROG100

Well contary to what I used to say on this subject, my then 16 year old proved me wrong. Her first car was an 87 S4 auto and up until she graduated this month her daily driver.
Her graduation present a Mercedes 2005 C230 sedan - 1.8 Litre supercharged.

Both Zane and I trusted her in the 928 and she proved she could drive it correctly. We also felt secure knowing that if there was an accident she stood a very good chance of walking away unscathed.

Ryleigh now 16 will have to prove she can be trusted with 928 once she has learned to drive in the 1994 Mercedes wagon.

dogleg

no way.start small and low powered and work their way up to it. maybe with a couple of years experience.

Bjbpe

It is beyond me how anyone would turn over a near-exotic car to a youngster. My daughter, at age 16 totaled a brand new Pontiac. I suspect she was reaching down for a cigarette (which she hid under the seat) which was not permitted around us and she ended up rear ending a schoolbus. Thankfully, that was the only wreck but it taught me something about letting a kid have a new car. Her second car was a ten year old, well used Subaru that she hated (and I loved because it put her in her place).

Our son before her took an almost new Plymouth and turned it into a garbage scow. He wrecked it so many times (generally fender benders) that it ended up in the junk yard.

To a father who loves his children, give them something they can wreck without a lot of anguish.

At this point in time, my son and daughter are in their mid forties and my son is still wrecking cars. At this point, however, the cost comes out of his wallet.

rgs944

My daughter has the OK to take the S4 when she likes. She does'nt drive it that often and knows that when she does she needs to be extra carefull. I trust she is very carefull because she has always been a good kid in every other way. For me its kind of like gun control, guns don't kill people and cars don't cause teenage wrecks, wreckless kids cause teen wrecks.

Fontana

I would never give my teenage son an 8 cylinder, rear wheel drive car to start out with. That would be a death trap. Wait until he can afford to fix and insure it himself without your help. Then and only then will he appreciate and respect it. These cars are not forgiving by any means.

It is different for boys than most girls. You cannot compare the two. Boys have something to prove just like men do. We have egos that get us into races and accidents. Girls/women don't generally have this problem. Their problem is that they have tunnel vision, usually because they are too busy thinking about themselves and are not concerned about anyone else (a perfect example of this is when you are in a supermarket and a woman in front of you just stops dead short with her cart like nobody else exists in the world but her as she blocks the isle). That would give you a good indication of how she drives...lol

Fogey1

When I was a kid I found out the top speed of every car I drove as soon as possible. My Dad was very wise to get slow, safe cars to replace his previous fast, sexy cars. I hated it.

Yes, it's easy to kill yourself at 35-50, but it's also easier to maintain control than at 150.

Courtshark

I think there's a canyon of difference between the car belonging to the child outright (and yes, a 16 year old is still a child) and the car being one of the parent's. Of course, you can still have a Risky Business moment either way... but I definitely drove my Dad's cars much easier than I drove what I considered to be my own car.

catamount

The perfect car for a 1st time teen driver? Not an S4 IMHO. My 15 1/2 daughter will be getting use of a 2008 Toyota Prius. If there ever was a car a kid can't get really into trouble with, it has to be a Prius.

Once she proves her abilities, she might get wheel time with my '84 928S but not my '87 951. Same goes for her younger sister.