Horsepower and Teens

Parents: When picking a safe car for your teen, keep in mind that cars today have a lot more horsepower than when you were teenagers.

Then and Now
Remember that ’93 Mustang GT convertible or that ’84 Corvette you lusted after? (And the members of the opposite sex you thought would lust after you if you had one?) No responsible parent would have considered buying either of those for their teen back then.


A 2010 Honda Civic Si, the kind of car today’s teen long (not exactly lust) for has almost as much horsepower as either an ’84 Corvette or a ’93 5.0-liter Mustang. The Civic Si boasts 197 horsepower while the ’84 Corvette and ’93 Mustang GT both were listed at 205 horsepower.


Why should parents be concerned about the horsepower of the car selected for their teen? More horsepower means they can get into more trouble—quicker. Less horsepower doesn’t mean they won’t get into trouble, but you might as well make them wait a few more seconds for the problem.


More power means those inclined to risky behavior will do it at 120 mph instead of 80. It’s fortunate that the top speed of most of today’s cars is electronically limited. Depending on make, model and tires, the limit is usually somewhere between 110 and 130 mph. Ask your teen: He’ll know.

Theory of Relativity
We’re not telling you to not consider a Honda Civic Si for your teen. Au contraire. We’re suggesting you restrain yourself and your teen from driving a 300+ horsepower vehicle as his or her first car. Even the most grounded teen will likely get carried away with a lot of power underfoot. But you want neighborhood bragging rights by buying your son or daughter a BMW M3 or a Mustang GT500?