Quote:
ORIGINAL: Jestnomen
Ok a 16 year old does not need to be driving around in a TT, you are going to get yourself killed. My first car was a 92 toyota pickup, and I thought I had it good!
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My knee-jerk reaction would be the same, but there is always an exception. I would be very cautious as a parent though. A 16 year old with respect for the road and the car he's driving may do very well with the TT, but the young driver would have to be a very conservative driver. It is almost inevitable that an accident of some sort will happen within the first three years of driving (statistics suggest this fact). It would be a shame to get into an accident in a TT!!
Every new driver has to learn, by experience, what his/her limits are, and the best way to do that is with a forgiving vehicle; the TT is not this type of vehicle. Young, new drivers start out with a lot of bravado and confidence. They convince themselves that they are competent and skilled after just a few hours behind the wheel of their first car. This premature overconfidence is intoxicating and impairs judgement.
I'm not preaching ultra-conservatism here; I'm just concerned. I have learned, by experience, that 99% of young drivers are so excited about their new "independence" that they lose perspective - they are in control of more than 3000 pounds of metal, and they are traveling upwards of 5 times the speed of their old ten-speed bicycle. Maybe all new drivers should take a short course on physics (momentum and inertia come to mind) as part of their driver's ed.
I could go on and on (I probably have already). I guess I'm saying that
wannabejdm could be very happy with the TT and may own one for several years of trouble-free driving, but I'm cautiously hopeful that he's a mature and sensible driver. With properly channeled respect for the car and the road, he may become an excellent driver that many other drivers may come to admire and respect, too.
Sorry for the soap box. Just my opinions.