BMW Z4 for a 16 year old?

Question

this is my daughters email im using it so she knows im not lieing to her NOW.. who thinks a BMW z4 is a good safe car if not think of a 2 door convertible car for a 16 year old thats safe but "cute" price doesnt matter. THANKS GUYS

Answer 1

As far as safety goes, none of the cars today and really safe. If money does not matter go for it.

Answer 2

BMW are generally a safe brand to trust in safety and luxury. So I'd say Yes.

BTW, aren't you spoiling her a bit?

What am I saying??? I'd loved if my parents would buy me a BMW Z4!!!

Answer 3

sure it's safe but i personally would get a pontiac solstice or saturn sky

Answer 4

I'm glad price doesn't matter, cause this car's getting wrecked

Answer 5

obviously, Z4 definitely is a s**y car for a girl.

couple things to keep in mind.

roadsters are meant to be driven with a stick shift.

also this is rear wheel drive, if you get snow in the area, you need snow tires, and even with snow tires it will be hard for beginner.

this car also handles excellent in a good driver's hand. Can your daughter drive??

Answer 6

Horrible first car. Horrible.

If she doesn't crash it herself, somebody will hit her. Whether it be in the school parking lot or at a stop light, whatever. It is going to get wrecked.

Also convertible's are NOT safe. The body is less rigid and in an accident the chance of getting seriously hurt is increased dramatically. Also, in a rollover accident, you are pretty much guaranteed death.

BUT, if money isn't a problem. Fine.

But keep in mind you are going to be buying a new Z4 every 4 months.

Answer 7

How about giving that expensive car when she turns 21 AND has a good driving record.  My reasoning behind this statement are the following:

From the first link:

# In the U.S. during 2004, 4,767 teens ages 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. During 2005, nearly 400,000 motor vehicle occupants in this age group sustained nonfatal injuries severe enough to require treatment in an emergency department (CDC 2006).



# The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash (IIHS 2006).



# In 2005, teenagers accounted for 10 percent of the U.S. population and 12 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths (IIHS 2006).



# The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers; the risk increases with the number of teen passengers (Chen 2000).

From the second link:

While American teenagers know how to handle a car well enough to get a license, they tend to lack the maturity and judgment needed to drive safely in real-world conditions, according to Smith.

He told parents the first thing they should do is set a good example for their teenage children. If a parent runs stop signs, doesn't use turn signals and eats and drinks while driving, then a teen is likely to do so, too.

Parents should restrict how much driving newly licensed teens do until they have gained more experience, Smith said. Teens need to focus their attention on the road and avoid distractions, particularly cell phones.

Furthermore, every teen passenger in a car increases the likelihood a teen driver will get into an accident. The speaker recommended parents limit passengers for the first six to nine months their child is driving.

From the third link:

How many teen related auto accidents occur each year?

Auto accidents are the number one killer of teens. Almost 6,000 teens die every year in auto accidents. Teens account for 14% of all motor vehicle accident deaths. 5,288 teens died in motor vehicle accidents in 2005 in the U.S. Crashes are the leading cause of death among teens, accounting for more than one-third of all deaths of 16 to 18 year-olds.

What are the primary factors for teen auto accidents?

Parents are often relieved when their teen starts driving because they don't have to chauffeur them around anymore. The two primary factors that cause teen auto accidents are immaturity and inexperience. Teens are likely to engage in risky behavior, such as: speeding, not wearing a seat belt, passengers in the vehicle, night driving (9pm - 6am), alcohol, following other vehicles too close, passing inappropriately, & driver error. Young drivers tend to overestimate their own physical and driving abilities and underestimate the dangers on the road.

What is the age that teens are at the highest risk for auto accidents?

Sixteen year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age, including older teenagers. However, older teens are still high-risk drivers.

Is there a risk with my teen having passengers in the vehicle?

The presence of passengers can increase the risk by distractions and peer pressure to take risks. Teens often make poor decisions and deliberately seek thrills like speeding with passengers in the vehicle.

PS...I realize that "she has had her heart set on this car since she was 13"  Do you honestly think that a 16 year old has the necessary skills that driving any car???  Will she have a job to cover the cost necessary to insure such a costly car???  -or- will you have to cover the cost...(as well as the cost of the car??)  

I am a divorced parent and my daughter sometimes begs relentlessly for things that are far beyond my budget.  I have had to tell several times that we can't afford it.  Now, she understands...

Oh, by the way, since her friend died in the car accident, she has shown NO need to get her driver's license at all.  She is too scared to drive.  She is my only child as well...and I want to keep it this way!

Answer 8

Ummmm.... my daddy got me a Z4 as my first car.  I mean I'm still 16, but I haven't wrecked it yet.  And I talk on my cell and blare my radio all the time.  Especially since I can set my bass really high XD   anyway.... I think its an amazing first car.  Guys drop their jaws and girls are way jealous.  It's such a s**y car and I def love it!

Answer 9

Um, well the add. info changed my answer. The Z4 would be awful for your daughter. It's a performance car, and she won't be careful no matter what. Most teenage daughters whose parents can afford a BMW Z4 are going to crash while putting on make-up/talking on phone/ listenting to radio. However, as a teenage boy I can say most guys would crash racing. :P

Buy a her a '95 toyota camry and she won't die in a fiery 65 car pileup, and you won't lose tons of cash. Her 2nd or 3rd car can be a Porsche Boxster S. trust me, don't get her an amazing first car.

Answer 10

The Z4 is an awsome looking car and safe for a coupe it has a 4 star rating on both side and front. So this would be an ideal car for a 16 year old girl, also maybe a 328I Convertible would be nice because has 4 seats and more room for her friends :D

Answer 11

Having driven nothing but BMW's sense I got my license 10 years ago, I wouldn't suggest any other make.  As for the Z4, it does not surprise me one bit that your daughter is in love with this car.  It is sporty, stylish, and luxury all wrapped up in a "little" package.  Even with a good crash test rating, a smaller car is still at the mercy of the SUV's, truck's and semi's.  I'm glad to see you are at least thinking about your daughter's safety, and not just getting her what she wants.  There are several options you can take to keep her safe.  First is pick the right engine.  This car comes with several ranging from a 2.2L 170hp I-6 to a 3.2L 340hp I-6 which came in the 3rd generation M3's.  Now if you ask me, a teen, male or female, needs no more than a 200hp car.  Just look at the Hulk's son.  Now I am sure your daughter watns the car for the looks, so I would suggest finding one with the 2.2L, that way she can still cruise, but isn't going 0-60 in 5 seconds either.  You should also try to find one with the sports package.  It may sound crazy, but it offers a much better ride, the suspension is stiffer and it sits a little lower to the ground.  It also comes with larger wheels/tires which means more rubber on the road.  The car does have 3 types of transmissions. Automatic, manual, and SMG.  I wouldn't even bother with the SMG(that is the F1 type paddle shifters on the steering wheel).  Have her test drive a couple of each though to see what she is comfortable with.  

It sounds like she may have you wrapeed around her finger, I am not trying to tell you how to raise your girl, but set some rules about how many miles she puts on the car in a month(the more you're on the road, the more chances for a crash) and increase it when she proves she can handle the responsibility.  Anyway, best of luck and keep driving Germany's finest.