> In my dad's generation, having a car at 16 was socially a big boost, while I think it's just not as important anymore for teenagers.
    > [...] other car-centric things (like suburban malls) were at the center of teenage social life, but it's not clear that's (as) true anymore.

I'm a teenager. For what it's worth, being able to drive is still important for me and the majority of my peers. I think that you're right, teenage culture has changed since your father's generation, but cars are still a huge factor in teenage social life. Being able to drive is still important because of what it allows: a huge amount of personal freedom.

EDIT: formatting