I would recommend having the 16 year old not get used to Automatic 4WD as it may encourage unsafe behavior. A rear wheel drive with a manual 4wd option sounds much more reasonable in my eyes and safer as a parent. This way a child will know they dont constantly have that safety net but have something that may allow them to engage should they be in a tough spot (snow, very heavy rain, etc). This will also discourage them to be reckless.
In my mind, Automatics are putting North American drivers at a disadvantage versus their European and Asian counterparts (where manuals still dominate by a long margin). In almost all of EU and Asia you get a restricted license if you take your road test in an Automatic.
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My vote is for the manual. The less automated his vehicle equals the lower likelihood of reckless behavior. If possible I would recommend buying him an new or used Wrangler Sport S. Whether 2 or 4 doors can be your choice.Thanks everyone for the thoughts. Let me ask the full-time 4WD question differently. Is the full-time 4WD safer because it redirects power and brakes to four wheels instead of two? I’m thinking along the line of Audi’s Quattro that really holds the road.
Since you guys touched on it, my wife and I are on the fence whether or not to buy a manual. Two weeks ago, it was a given that having him drive a manual was safer. He and I test drove a new manual Civic, and after an hour, he got the hang of it. It was fun to see him learn. I really enjoyed the test drive too
I think that driving a manual will force him to pay more attention, and thus be a safer. Both my wife and I grew up driving manuals, and she says she would like to have one again, too.
So why the question about full time FWD? It’s because I started looking at getting a 4xe, and full-time 4WD is standard on it. When I started digging into it, I began to think that if it helps the Jeep hold the road better, then it may be safer to get an automatic with it, than buying a manual.
