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I'd say go for a '99-00 civic ex. You'll save a good bit because it's already taken the hardest hit in depreciation. Plus, you can't get a more reliable car for the money unless you want to look at the corolla. I can guarantee you that your son doesn't want a corolla.

Lastly, I wouldn't get him a car geared towards performance in any way. If you do, he will drive the hay out of it and almost certainly get into a wreck. No male at his age is ready for a performance car. Yes, I know the rsx-s or the si aren't super-fast but they are plenty fast for an immature teenager.

He can get into trouble in any car but the chances are much greater in a car geared towards performance.

 
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If you found a 99/00 Si that looked like crap or the owner didnt take care of it, they should not have owned it in the first place.

 
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Oh, I almost forgot. I totally disagree on him needing a used car to learn how to drive a manual on. Unless he is very uncoordinated he'll pick it up long before he does any significant damage to the car. It makes no sense to me to buy a used car because he doesn't know how to drive a manual. I learned on my first car, which was a brand-new '93 acura integra. Drove it till almost 100k without a hint of a problem. Unless he is a total goof ball he'll catch on very quick. I don't know why people try to act like learning to drive a manual is so hard.

Go rent something if it worries ya.

I would go used because you are going to save a lot of money and get just as good of a car. Honda's are almost bulletproof.

However, if you have the money, get him a new car. You could buy him a used one now and buy him another one in a few years because the first has aged and the miles have racked up. Get him the new one now and never buy him another one. I am assuming you make decent money since you are buying a fairly expensive car for his age.

 
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I agree with mbow, RSX it's a powerful car for a teenager, and immaturity leads to accidents...let him learn to drive first, then learn to go fast...i would go for the ex since it has abs which is a very good safety feature that other models don't have. to be a good father you don't need to get him a fast car, but to show him the right way to learn to drive...

 
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get him the rsx, but make sure he has a pretty good handle on driving stick before you buy the car for him

 
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An RSX will come out well over 20,000 once Acura adds in all of their extra charges for shipping and whatnot.

 
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Do you only want to get him another civic so it will be a manual? If thereŽs nothing wrong with the current car IŽd just keep it, why spend to get the same car anyway?

If you are getting other car IŽd probably get something different than the civic, call it the Si or whichever, just to have something different.

How about a Mini Cooper? That is a cool little car.