[Bx_Bomberz]

I am A 18 year old with a large inheritance i have been driving (a stick) for 2 years my mom will finally let me get a nice convertable ive Narrowed It Down To 3 Cars The XLR The Dodge Viper and The Jaguar XK8 Convertible

I d Like Some Imput as of right now im favoring the viper because of its engine and look and i hope i can get some helpful imput

Here Is A Link from Yahoo Auto's Comparing the 3
http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/comp...erview&carid0=12423&carid1=13193&carid2=14400

 

[rick1827]

If you are over 5' 11" tall, the Jag is a real paint to get into and out of. I also had problems seeing traffic lights with the top up.

I like the XLR a lot more. Viper is way too much car for you.

 

[mswaim]

From my point of view the choice is pretty simple, but it is my choice so you have to make yourself happy.

Over the years I've owned tons of fast cars including a 1996 Viper GTS in blue (of course, what other color for a Viper is there?). If my memory is correct, I paid somewhere around $67,000 for it new. It was tough to get in and out of, it was hot and noisy and my wife hated it.

I've owned two modified Lightnings, two modified Cobras, two Allantes, three MB's and two Jags.

None of them, not even one of them turned heads like the XLR does no matter where I drive it.

At this stage in my life I love the XLR's comfort, exclusiveness, power and handling all wrapped in one very sharp package that didn't cost me any more than the Viper did 8 years ago.

At this point in life price is not that much of an issue, however I still prefer the XLR - - for now.............

 

[1_XLR]

. Viper is way too much car for you.

Tell that to an 18 year old with some bank and guess what he's buying? :glol

I had narrowed down to the same two choices, but went with the XLR because I wanted something I could drive to work everyday. Can't do that in a Viper
The Jag was my trade in. :thumbs

 

[aviator]

XK8 - and some downhome advice

Ditto mswaim's comments. The XLR attacts more attention than all the other cool vehicles that I've ever owned COMBINED. But the cool ride may still not get you what you seek.

My advice for an 18 year old is to by a nice used car, invest the money in a world class education (a business or engineering degree is the most flexible), invest whatever remains in an S&P 500 mutual fund. When you get out of school use the remainder of the money to start your own business (yeah its a lot of hard work). Then let the business buy you a cool ride.

If you decide to go the instant gratification route, the problem you will face after the newness wears off the XLR is that your peers will not respect you at all. Perhaps exactly the opposite. Respect from your peers and personal validation are earned attributes. And the chicks will like you better too. And the money used to buy the XLR will be gone.

Please allow a small analogy: Suppose you were in a race where a group of highly trained athletes had to run hard for 100 yards, except one fat guy with gravy stains on his shirt who only had to run one yard. And he WINS! and he's all dancin' around and cheering about it.

Get it?

It's a tough choice for an 18 year old, and one that only a very rare kid would choose correctly. Its why trust funds exist.

I think you need to add "MBA" to your poll. I'll abstain on the vote.

 

[Bx_Bomberz]

Thx For the Advice

but i have all that stuff planned already and paid for and still have 100 grand to spend on a car...

the only reason why i said im 18 is because i wanted to give you guys a perspective on the cars im buying one so i just kneed advice on which one


and ps ive ruled out the Jag i am liking the XLR but still the vipers specs and look are better then the xlr

 

[Quixotic]

I found the Viper a pain in the a** to get in and out of, painfully banging my knee almost every time.

 

[Eyedoc]

Specs

I am not sure what the MSRP is for the Viper. If it is more than the XLR (my thinking) and you like the look of the XLR, then put the extra money into a suspension and engine blueprinting package for the XLR.

You have the best of both.

 

[Bx_Bomberz]

its the difference of about 5 grand

 

[aviator]

Insurance questions

I noticed from your link below that the Viper has 8.3L V10 (507 cubic inches) and 500 horsepower. How much is insurance going to be on a Viper for an 18 year old? Are you certain an underwriter is actually going to insure you?

I would be very interested to know what your premium is. A big portion of your research should be toward obtaining insurance coverage. And when getting quotes, you shouldn't consider the mandated minimums on liability coverage. When one gets in an accident, the defendant's assets are "discoverable" by the plaintiff. That means if you are in an accident that is your fault, and you are underinsured, all of your money, college fund included, must be disclosed and can be awarded to the injured party.

Kudo's to you, kid, for doing this reaearch. The more you know, the more likely you are to make the right decision. :thumbs

 

[OlGeezer]

I agree with Aviator, only moreso. Put the money in the bank, Frank. You can never have too much salted away.

Buy something cool, like an Escalade. Perhaps used. DON'T flaunt it; everybody will detest you for that.

Neither the Viper nor the XLR are everyday drivers. They are both "special use" cars.

BTW, one of my good friends on the Corvette board was plant manager at Viper-Prowler. (& the stories he can tell !!!). The new, 500 in³ Viper was offered to current Viper owners. Its entire production sold out almost immediately. Ergo, that option is not viable; the car is not available from the factory.

 

[Dadonator]

What do you expect on an XLR forum site?

Of course everyone's suggesting the XLR over the other cars, duh, this is an XLR website, and the voters were mostly (all?) XLR owners!

Please read Aviators analogy at least 5 times! I remember 2 kids, one who got a brand new RX-7 in 1979 for senior year high school, and one who got a Porche 944 for freshman year college.

School opinion of both was always the same 2 words: "Lucky" and "A--hole".
:yesnod

The Porche guy did get a lot of chicks though. Not sure if it was because of the car, but I'm sure it didn't hurt!

--Dadonator
:flag

 

[nicksdragon]

I traded in my 2003 XKR for the XLR. I miss the power of the supercharger, but the XLR has all the looks and technology and the convertible hard top is over the top. I can definately remember being 18. Power was everything. The Viper is unbeatable in that category. Ride quality was not even a factor. I had a blown 65 Vette in high school and it was a dream for me. Good luck, they are all magnificent cars. Kyle

 

[rkhare]

I'm glad someone has their priorities straight...

"Sheena says she is not sure if she will keep the [XLR] or not. She is considering selling it and using the money to pay for college."

... after taxes, that's still an entire college education, and congrats to her if she chooses to 'do the right thing' and go to school. You can always buy a car later on...

Blackfoot Girl Wins $70,000 Car * May 21, 2005

A Blackfoot girl got a shiny new ride Saturday, and the best part? It didn't cost her anything.

Sheena Lindholm is the proud new owner of a convertible Cadillac XLR.

She won the $70,000 car on a TV game show this past March, but Saturday was the first time she saw it.

"It's an absolutely beautiful car, and I really want to keep it. I've been waiting a couple of months now to get it. Now it kinda seems real that it's here,” said Sheena.

Sheena says she is not sure if she will keep the car or not. She is considering selling it and using the money to pay for college.

From http://www.localnews8.com/home/1565741.html

 

[Sparky]

The Viper is considered by many to be a street legal race car. The handling dynamics of a Viper is very different than most cars and very easy to loose control. If you can get insurance with a Viper and decide to buy one, it is essential to take a high performance driving course/car control clinic from Skip Barber. Skip Barber is the only driving school I know of that uses Vipers. Take the training BEFORE you start playing with the car! Many new Viper owners have crashed the car in the first month of ownership. The snake will bite you if your careless.

Brad

 

[RDH]

Answerman

I think the answer may be right in front of you.

I also had some pretty fast cars (Porsches, Vettes, XK8, Maserati Spyder GT) and I have found that the XLR gets more attention than these cars (the Maserati did get almost as many looks from the few people that even knew what it was). I haven't had an SL, but there are just so many that seeing one on the road just isn't distinctive. The Viper is really nice (a very close friend of mine has one) and it is fun to drive but it is not easy to drive, nor is it comfortable. Further, the Viper hops around bumpy corners and is really just a "fair weather" car.

I can also tell you that the comments about the insurance need to be considered carefully. It will be VERY expensive IF you can find an underwriter willing to write the policy. If I were an underwriter, I just wouldn't want the risk with an 18 year old driving a nuclear missile.

The XLR is a very comfortable ride, it has reasonable power and you can use it virtually everyday (and on long trips -- which would be HELL with the Viper). The answer: WAIT FOR THE XLR-V and get great power wrapped in a comfortable package. The XLR-V is it!!! I know it is very difficult for an 18 year old to be patient (especially with $100K burning a hole in his pocket), but try to be patient --- it will be well worth the wait.

By the way, if all you have left is $100,000 to spend on a car, you better think about your priorities at your age UNLESS you already banked $2,000,000+ from the inheritance and have it invested safely. From the mouth of a CPA!!

 

[jlmartin99]

I considered the Jag and Cadillac simular to compare. But the Viper is a beast. Not what you want to drive in everyday traffic, but great for the track. You may want to wait for the XLR V if you can. I have the XLR and reviewed the Jag, Maserati Spyder, MB SL500 and Lexus SC 430. In the end the XLR was my choice, but I liked all the cars I tested. I also tested the Corvette Coupe and I liked it the best overall when compared to the Porshe 911. Again wonderful cars. The best is to read the reviews and test drive when you are ready.

Best to you in your purchase.

JLM

 

[aviator]

C6 Z06 'vette

too bad the new C6 Z06 is not in the poll. It's the real competitor to the Viper.

The SL, XK8, Porsche 911 ar the real competitors to the XLR

 

[Caly]

If you ever drive on a trip, or more than about 20 miles daily, the Viper is a brutal and uncomfortable ride.

If you ever want to carry more than one friend at a time, go with the Jag.

 

[RDH]

If you go with the Jag, make sure the friend isn't any taller than about 4'5" ... the back seat is only big enough for a brief case or a dog!!! It is not big enough for an adult human.