my son wants to get a 2001 mustang is it safe for a new driver?
Depends on how responsible he is. My kids didn’t get “hot” cars until they could pay for them and had a couple of years experience behind the wheel. Many 16-18 yr old drivers have an accident or “fender benders” during their first year of driving, and neither of mine were exceptions to that. I put them in basic, midsized sedans.
Mustangs come in many different flavors. Is the one he is looking at a V8?? Call an insurance agent first…
A V6 Mustang isn’t a terrible choice, it’s not really fast, gets decent mileage, is cheap to buy, cheap to fix, and not too bad on insurance. If you live in a area that gets snow, you may want to consider something else though.
The GT or Cobra model will probably be a little too much car for a 16 year old.
Definitely not “safe” for a novice. When I turned 16 I already had driven trucks and tractors on the farm and during my highschool cadet training. And I still did not get to drive a sports car, just the family Buick Roadmaster. As others say, start with a midsize, low powered sedan that will no doubt collect a number of scrapes and dents before your son gets experienced.
How old is your son?
Who is paying for the car?
What is the car’s configuration?
A V6 has 160HP, not enough to be doing burnouts but enough to get into trouble.
However, if he’s earned the money and will be paying for it himself, he’s already demonstrated responsibilty and I vote to let him get it.
If you’re paying, get him a Corolla, or a Civic, or even perhaps a Focus. Skip the 'Stang.
The 1999-2004 V6 models have the split-port 3.8L (or 3.9L in the late 2004 models) They make 190-193 HP depending on year. The split-port 3.8L doesn’t suffer from the same head gasket issues that plagued the earlier 3.8L V6s.
A 2001 will be able to do burnouts, but only one wheeled burnouts since the base Mustang didn’t come from the factory with limited slip. The kid will likely be to ashamed to do a one-wheel burnout.
No, if it has a V8. Yes, with a V6. The biggest risk with new driver’s is distractions, too many friends in the car, texting, fiddling with the radio, cell phones etc. At least the Mustang has limited rear seat space.
If you are contributing to the costs of buying, maintaining, and insuring the car in anyway then you get to set the “ground rules”. Be prepared to enforce the rules. One of mine was any evidence of “reckless” driving and/or speeding and the car was gone for at least a week. 2nd offense much longer, etc.
Driving behaviors have more to do with the driver than the car. Still, you need to be practical about the car. You don’t talk about the dangers of speeding and reckless driving and then provide a 400 hp “racer” car to drive. You have to be consistant.
Any car is safe in the hands of a responsible driver.