hoopster88

i will be getting my first car in the next year or two. my grandpa is giving me 30k to spend and my first choice right now is the 350z. i am worried however that as a highschooler having a two seater will be a problem. any advice/suggestions are welcome. thanks.

samw1978

350Z is an AWESOME car! but I'd suggest getting some FWD car first for an year or 2, and get the 350Z when you're more experienced, cause I've seen too many Z accidents by young drivers here

just my .02 peace

FairladyZ

Grandpa giving you 30K for a car? Use it for college.

RedShft

get an integra GSR or '97-'01 honda prelude and a turbo, save the rest for school.

Bertg

Use it for college and get a good education. Get a car with less power until you have more experience driving. Plus, you're insurance would probably be sky high!

Dissolved

If the $30k is for a car only (and you have a different fund for college) then get a Z. Pick up a performance model.
Highchool and 2 seats a problem? Lemme get this straight. You're about to own (for free) a $30k highly sought after sports car WHILE STILL IN HIGHSCHOOL. Yet you're worrying about practicality?

hoopster88

the money is for the car only and i cant save whats left over. also i drive my grandpas 290 hp lexus that is rwd. i do realize that its a heavier car but its still got alot of power. insurance we can handle because i get the good student discount and i wont be putting that many miles on the car. only about 15-20 miles a week.

Bertg

15 - 20 miles a week? Get a bicycle! J/K - Go for it! But shop around to get a good price, DON'T PAY MSRP!!

ZIABLO

iTrader: (7)

Having a 2 seater in high school is not the problem, your friends will have to drive the bigger groups. Having a 2 seater in college is a problem when you need to transport many things back and forth from home to college and vice versa. Having a 2 seater and a family is a problem. How did you ever conceive that a 2 seater would cause problems for a high school student? Unless you've got some cello you're carrying around...

marhot

There are other issues to consider for a car like this at your age.
-- insurance will be extremely high
-- if your HS is anything like the HS where my kids go, there is a lot to worry about having this type of car in a HS parking lot; i.e. Having to worry about have the car keyed, door dings, and those sophomores who just got their licenses yesterday and will be wanting to park next to a Z (ouch).

My advice (and I agree RedShft) get a good late-model Honda or Integra and save your money. I good FWD is the best bet on a first car. My daughter is a junior in HS and she drives a ’92 Honda Civic Si -–it is plenty of car for her—I highly recommend it.

Obviously you’re going to do what you want, but you asked. And my advice is free.

RedShft

yea, like kegs of beer and chicks!

cedusett

If you're going to get a prelude, it has the same 2 seat problem as the Z doesn't it? And if you have to spend the cash on a car, why skimp? Sure there is the risk of having people key it etc, but would you rather have a Z and worry about people keying it, or have something else that nobody notices. Saving money is one thing, but he doesn't get to save the money that he doesn't spend!

Go for the Z, just make sure you don't drive it like an idiot and end up with no car.

cedusett

Oh yeah, sorry for the double post, but I'm only 24. My insurance with the Z was barely (maybe $50/6 months) more expensive than if I bought a brand new Honda Civic. Definately check the different rates before you make the decision though.

SlamMan

Hell, it's not your money. Buy the Z. Just be carefull.

hoopster88

the high school i go to has nice cars so i dont have much to worry about as far as getting it keyed. there are already 2 350z's there and my best friend drives a brand new mercedes c230.

EL Diablo

Rich Kids. Gotta love'em

hoopster88

thanks so much for everyones advice. it really helps my decision.

dchengmd

Unless you go for a base model Z, have you considered the other costs of ownership? Here's a scenario:

You spend close to $30k on your new car. Let's say you have $2000 left.

Is that $2000 all you have for insurance, gas, oil changes, incidental costs, etc.?

If so, then you're gonna royally screw yourself. Buy a cheaper car and use the rest of the money for the costs I mentioned above.

350zluvr

Tell your grandpa that I'm up for adoption

hoopster88

sure thing 350zluvr. the papers are in the mail.