buying teenager a new car
kids with brand new cars
parenting
teen drivers
would you buy teenager new car
Would you buy your teenager a new car?
By trish32
@trish32 (1471)
United States
November 15, 2006 12:25pm CST
I know many parents in our neighborhood who have bought, or plan to buy, their teenagers a new car. I mean brand new cars. These are high school kids, not college kids. I think it's a bit much. I'm all for getting your kid a car if they have a job and can pay for their own gas, insurance, etc. But I think a brand new car is going overboard. What do you think?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@Withoutwings (6992)
• United States
25 Jan 07
Absolutely not! Teenagers are hard on cars. Not to mention teenagers tend to be irresponsible (even the best ones). I've also noticed that when you buy something for a kid they don't appreciate as much. My plan is to buy a used car - and to pay half. They have to save up and pay half too because then they will have a sense of ownership - they will be more careful, and take better care of it. Insurance will not be as high as it would on a new car (we all know it's going to be high enough just having a teenage driver). If they wreck it - it's not such a hard hit.
@trish32 (1471)
• United States
25 Jan 07
I completely agree with you. My husband and I have discussed this topic on several occasions. We've decided that we'll help our kids get a nice, safe, economical used car. They have to be making good grades in school and will have to make regular payments to us to account for a portion of the cost of the car, along with paying for at least a portion of the insurance, their own gas, registration, inspection, etc. We're hoping to use the car as a means of teaching them to be financially responsible along with the responsibility of being a driver.
1 person likes this
@wahmoftwo (1296)
• United States
15 Nov 06
No new car. A used one with some STRICT guidlines sounds much more reasonable.
@trish32 (1471)
• United States
15 Nov 06
That's my thinking on the matter, too. My folks didn't even buy me a used car. I had to get a ride from my mom to and from work, or had to walk, until I saved up the money to buy my own car. And even then I had to be in at a decent hour and keep up my grades or mom would've taken the keys to "my" car, lol!
@Tanya8 (1733)
• Canada
15 Nov 06
I agree with you. I'm not even sure if I'd want to buy a used car for my kids.
I think a car is a luxury that a teen should save up for him or herself unless there are some unusal circumstances (e.g. the teen works somewhere not accesible by bus, or in an area where traveling by bus or on foot is unsafe).
There's also the issue of the environment. Having a car for every one of driving age in a family isn't sustainable. Maybe we should be encouraging this generation of people to stop taking single car transport for granted.
@trish32 (1471)
• United States
15 Nov 06
In our area it's very easy for kids to get to and from an after-school or weekend job using public transit. Our public transit even offers discount passes for students, and bigger discounts for kids on the honor roll. There's also scooters and bicycles for transportation, too.
