I taught both my young'ins how to drive. I initially took them to the local mall parking lot to get used to shifting, turning, braking, and taking instruction while doing all of it. You can work in blinkers, lane changes, and parking.

One I loved, have them run a slalom. Getting the feel for body roll and rotation is something they don't address in school courses. Think about it. Something falls off a truck in front of you on a two lane road, with a car coming in the other lane. That is three snap turns, at speed, on or off the brakes. Let's do that in a Suburban or a Bronco with that skill set.

I also taught them how to position the seat, and why. You are not driving a barcalounger, and your elbows and knees are not for steering the car. I told them that if they put their left foot on the seat I would take the license and the car. You know how far you travel a second at 60 mph? The world can look a lot different from there.

That done, I vote economy to to mid-size. More concerned with impact survival, because they can forget what other people may have never have been taught. So a Mini is a good candidate.

Besides, Mini is such a girl's car, anyway.

 

On the contrary a mini would probably be a safer car then any pickup truck or truck based SUV and defiantly safer then a big old caddy. people mistake size for safety. while thats true is some respect its not for old sedans and body on frame trucks (most pickups and truck based suvs) because in a major collision it is more likely to have a passenger cabin collapse.

I think a mini is a great car to build that initial confidence on the rode while staying away from vehicles more likely to lose control on the road like a pickup truck with its light rear end or a top heavy SUV riddled with blind spots.

a mini regardless of model is extremely safe though maybe something like a jetta would be a step up I still would trust my child to be protected by the engineering in a mini.

however if you don't teach them good habits they might as well be riding with live explosives in the back. speed and distractions will make the safest car a coffin

 

that is NOT what i mean buy learning to drive in a large vehicle. What I mean and said is "Get her something big to learn on so that she gets used to knowing where the vehicle is"

In other words if they learn where a big vehicle is in relation to where the other cars oar on the road then when they get in a small car they are less likely to hit something. Prime example is a friends daughter learned to drive in a Chevy Aveo (small car) and the first time she took her father full size extended cab Ford pickup she backed right over a curb and some shrubs. Later on the same trip she side swipped 3 parked cars while driving on Main St. Reason she gave is that the truck is alot longer and she did not realize how long it really was, and that it is wider and she had driven that narrow stretch of road before and thought she had enough room.

So going from a large vehicle to a smaller one is not the same as going from a smaller one to a larger one. Going from a smaller one to a larger one makes it much more difficult for them to judge the actual size of the vehicle.

I do fully agree with you that Bigger is not always safer and in many cases it is proven that they are not. But they dont need to learn to drive in an H1 Hummer either.

Definitely but this can be done in many vehicles. And well to teach avoidance in a MINI and then for them to have to drive a friends SUV is going to end up in a possible rollover as they have no respect for the lack of ability in cornering of the SUV. of course that can happen with anyone that is used to a small car a but experience is key, and to learn that experience early ini your driving life is the best.

 

(Note - Schatzy posted while I was typing. I see we echo some sentiments! :-) )

I tend to lean toward a MINI for a teenager's car for a few reasons;

The MINI's handling is ideal, meaning that it's less likely to "depart controlled flight" and roll over during a routine avoidance maneuver, etc. As shown in the pictures above, as well as by an accident in front of my workplace a while back - not to mention NHTSC statistics - the average sport utility or truck is quite prone to falling over with little provocation. Automotive safety systems (i.e., belts and bags) are designed to work best in frontal collisions, and second-best in side collisions. Rollovers are a whole different matter. And I suspect that MINIs are lot more forgiving of over-correction from the driver in emergency situations such as dropping a wheel off the edge of the road.

On a related note, when you tell the MINI to do something via the wheel and pedals, it just does it. You don't have to factor in handicaps such as soft suspension, excessive body roll, poor damping, and high center of gravity. I'd much rather send our son out in my MINI than a larger, and presumably "safer" sport-ute, etc. (BTW, He actually has a Nissan Sentra. He picked it out because it has a subwoofer...) I think that new drivers shouldn't be saddled with clumsy-handling vehicles before they've had a chance to become well-versed in general car control.

On the emotional side... and this may not apply in every case... the MINI has a personality and a "cute" factor that teens may find appealing, and therefore find the car worth caring for and protecting. Seems to me that this factor might be a good thing; a sacrificial "beater" of a car, even as a first vehicle, probably wouldn't invoke the pride of ownership and attention to maintenance a kid would get with a MINI, and a MINI of their own might make them more careful. Just my opinion... ;-)

Lastly, one of the reasons I enjoy my MINI so much is that it becomes my partner in the driving experience, and not merely a means of getting to point B. I think that new drivers who become truly involved in the driving process are less likely to get bored and drive inattentively.

And finally - if worse comes to worst - the MINI is rated well in crash protection...

Cheers,

Spridget

 

As a young driver who still remembers the first time stepping into the driver seat 4 years ago with a family of trucks and suvs (Highlander, F-150 and Ranger)i think having learned in bigger vehicles i think it made me a better driver faster. My dad also took me out on the first day driving and had me take the truck up to 80 and burry the brake pedal to the floor, take a safe turn aggressively and then proceeded to put me on the highway. Learning by fire, but it teaches you how to control the car. Not having confidence in your/the cars ability is just as dangerous as being over confident. My first car for a year and half was a '96 explorer sport, larger than a car but still not massive. This car was indestructible, again my dad had me go out in rain and snow and push the car over the limit in a parking lot to find where the limit was and how it would handle. First day i had my license i made a legal left through a 1/2 mile line of stopped traffic waiting at a light, driver flying down the shoulder slammed into the side of me in a Hyundai. He hit my rear rim and did zero damage but blew the front of his car apart. Had i been in my mini or gti it likely would have totalled them.

I could step the rear end of the explorer out and control it if the even ever arose (and wont roll over, the tires break loose long before tipping), control and avoidance can be taught in any vehicle, driving school will do an even better job. Then going into a vr6 gti (which can haul *** very easily) i had much more respect for its power and limits. The mini took me along time to get it to even understeer slightly bc i was used to not being able to attack turns as hard as a mini can.

I personally think a larger first car is better for a new driver (its not hard to get bigger than a mini :p, mazda 6 is bigger lol) But i also dont see a mini being a poor first car as long as the driver is well taught and has car handling experience and you understand the potential for a higher risk of damage due to any parties error (i drive 100 miles a day to school and work and cant count how many times i have to avoid other a-holes in one day.)

 

No matter what you decide to get a teenager be it a big SUV, a tiny sub compact, or a freaking scooter the biggest is thing you can teach them is that driving should not be taken for granted. Teach them that they are hurtling a ton+ of metal down a road at speeds that if they hit someone they can kill that person or themselves. Teach them that driving is fun but, it comes with dangers. Just teach them personal responsibilty. I can't tell you how many people get on the road and just check out because they see driving as some mundain task to get themsleves somewhere and don't realize the dangers that are involved.

end of /rant

 

huh, where can I find Mini safety ratings and data???

 

Google? Or Bing....amybe even dare I say it Altavista/Yahoo.

Just giving you a hard time. Those are good staarting points.

 

Yeah, I heard what I posted after I posted

Found it, not bad...see ya at The Dragon!!! Hope we meet!

 

I'd say the MINI would be a great first car, several friends of mine started out in 1st gen minis. They seem very safe. I started in a pickup truck (automatic, bought it when I was 16), but when I had my learners permit when I was 15 (20 now) I was not allowed to drive an automatic until I learned to drive a stick. My dad taught me in a '91 miata in the school parking lot.

They also put me through several driving courses with Audi Club, BMW Club, and Hooked on Driving within the first year of having my license. Now I'm a coach. Go figure!

 

If I could erase 40 years or so..... Will you be my Dad?

IMHO - If your kid is not responsible and doesn't take driving seriously, no car is going to be safe. Otherwise, a MINI would be a teenagers (or anyones) dream car.

And you get a new one out of the deal? Go for it.

 

I'm still somewhat new to the driving scene (in comparison to other members here), so I thought I'd put in my two cents from the 'kid' standpoint...

I wanted a MINI as my first car, but I did not get it. I got a Jeep Grand Cherokee instead.

To say the least, I'm glad that I didn't. MINIs are far too fancy for someone who is just learning and may make (huge) mistakes. I've never had any incidents, knock on wood, but I'm just glad that I had a cheap, $3,000 car to learn in. Insurance was reasonable, the car was practically indestructible and I didn't feel tempted to speed (which, I'm sure that some other owners know what I'm talking about.. :P) or whip around corners way too fast. I also didn't have a bunch of young kids in Hondas trying to race me at the stop lights.

When I was test driving MINIs (I was 19), I drove very, very badly. I admit it. I tried to push the car to its (and my) limits. I'd be worried your daughter would try to do the same. I did a lot of things in those poor MINIs that I regret doing, but so glad that none of them turned out badly.

A few years later, I matured enough to feel confident enough in buying a MINI. I know that I would've gotten in big trouble if it would've been my first car. It needs a little bit of maturity to drive one... at least, I think so. Safety isn't a concern of mine at all. I think they're plenty safe for a first car. Just needs experience. :P

 

Yes I personally think it'll serve as a great first car. Fun (so she will enjoy owning it) and still fuel efficient.

 

I got my cooper s when I turned 17. It took a rear ending from a Mercedes G wagon like a champ

 

The mini is a very safe car. But I like the volvo idea, a cheap one, at least for a while. ANY small thing like a bump up in the school parking lot will be an insurance claim on a mini. This will be problematic for most normal people by the 2nd or 3rd time it happens.

I learned on the manual transmission but that was back in the day. I don't think
it applies anymore (mostly).

I have always had a very small car. From MG to CRX to MINI. I have
extreme trouble driving anything bigger than a mustang/sx4. Just something to
consider.

A lot is based on the teenager as well. For example, my wife came with two daughers. Based on their behavior we will let them get learner's permit but not
driver's license. I mean possibly ever as long as we are paying for them but
certainly not until they are 18 with their own policy. My own daughter is two.
I like the volvo idea but not with 60 hours of driving practice. I'm thinking
600. Seriously. (I mean for all of them, lots and lots and lots more supervised
practice than the minimum by law)

 

1992 buick parkavenue, my first car, nothing like a land yatch to get your road bearings together, and safe as well as dirt cheap

 

I'm 20 years old, got my license at 15. My dad had just bought a brand new F150 so that was my vehicle for my first 3 months of driving. When I got my own car, I received a 1997 subaru outback sport. Automatic 2.2 litre. Not the world's funnest car, but it was very safe and I beat the crap out of it. The first 3 years of driving I was hit 3 times. It was definitely good for me to have a cheaper but reliable car. I could haul my friends around and not get worried if one of them put a dent in it or hit another car with the door.
Think about the cost of fixing a MINI if she wrecked it... not cheap.

Like others said, you know your daughter better than anyone, but I would never have given myself a 3 year old MINI (BMW if you want to me dramatic about it ) at 16 years old. Plus with the excellent resale value of MINI's and yours only being 3 years old, you could make some money

 

My first car was a MINI and I loved it! I got it brand new in October of 2003 and loved that car so much! I thkn it is a great car for a 16 year girl and its safe! someone put some links to saftey in a MINI for you already they are safe! I would say go for it I loved mine.

 

Lots of cars that people mention here would make fine first cars. However, they are boring compared to a MINI.

The R56 has great safety ratings, plenty of airbags and active safety features. Combine that with good driving instruction and lots of practice and it will be a great first car.