Joined Jan 2007
The Mistress of All Evil!
Forum Thread
Would you buy your newly-licensed teen a brand new car?
December 15, 2010 at
08:37 PM
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Why or why not?
Poll to come.
Poll to come.
169 Comments
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I wouldn't even buy them a used car.
I say get a reliable used car and maybe have them help pay the insurance or payment on it in hopes they will take care of it.
I just see too many teenagers working more and more hours for $8 an hour so they can buy things they want. They neglect school and their studies. Would you rather have your child study and excel in school or waste that time working to buy their $2,000 cars?
When he got his license in HS his dad picked him up in a brand new infinity g35 (his 16th birthday present). He drove that until sophmore year of college when it got totaled. His parents then bought him a brand new bimmer coupe. He was a good kid, he did good in school and now has a great job. However he is definitely the minority. I would say 9/10 of the kids given a brand new car were also given everything else in life and never learned to respect the hard work and effort it took their parents to get them to that comfortable of a life.
Shoot, most of them took college for granted, just like they took everything else in life for granted. A couple of them had to transfer out, or drop out, because they didn't realize the opportunity they had to make success for themselves in college.
Having your child buy their first car teaches them responsibility, you aren't throwing them out without a life preserver, you are still there to help them financially (maybe paying half, or paying for major repairs if they happen).
My mother (and the rest of my family) was very very poor until I was around 14 (family opened up a business). However I was still required to buy my own vehicle, pay for insurance, gas etc.. It teaches you to not only respect the things you have, but also respect the hard work and time it takes to reach a goal. It also teaches children that something that seems so hard to do (save up for a car) is not an impossible feat. You teach them dedication, hard work, sacrifice, but more importantly confidence. Confidence in that if you're willing to put the time and effort into something, you can have/be whatever you want.
You're thinking kids with a superman complex will drive safer just because they dont want to wreck the new car??? Did you ever go to high school in America? Kids with nice cars wreck them more than kids with older cars, inexperience plus bigger engines usually equals disaster.
Side-impact air bags? I'm a car nut and have been in a ton of junkyards, the odds of side impacts are incredibly low, and on most of the cars I've seen t-boned, the side airbags wouldnt have done a lick of good.
TPMS? Are you serious??? Give them kid a $3 pressure gauge and teach them how to check the air! It takes a few minutes to check all the tires. Taking a look at both sides of the car once a day is a more reliable TPMS.
I'm getting my kids a Lear Jet.
if we have kids, our plan is to put up a certain amount (probably a few thousand), then let them contribute whatever they can to buy something straight cash. after that, they're responsible for the car, including gas, insurance, repairs, etc.
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For one thing, I don't like used cars. While they aren't always the best value, I don't like the trouble that can come with used cars.
New cars are also safer for a variety of reasons. Despite vehicle history reporting services, you still never know the history of a used car for sure. It's nearly impossible to know if a used car really has working airbags or has ever had damage that impacts safety. Side-impact airbags can be hard to find on a used car. Many new cars have side-impact airbags standard or at least as an option. Side-impact airbags can and do prevent splattered brains. I wouldn't put my kid in a car without them. It is also easier to get stability control on a new car, and all new cars have TPMS. Some of these things can mean the difference between being dead and walking away from a bad situation or avoiding it altogether.
Many kids will be encouraged to drive more safely in a new car. The last thing they want to do is damage a brand new car.
that made sense for a minute. but then i remembered my little bro totalled 3. brand new cars.
i think a new car is the WORST life lesson for a kid. THE WORST.
bro is spoiled. i think things would have been different for him had he had to get his own car OR gotten just a used. it affects how they will BE w money, finances etc...
my neighbor bought a new car cuz she couldnt afford to FIX hers. OMG.
wouldnt it be nice to teach the kid how wonderful life is w out debt. u start off w debt on his car at 16...he will think it the norm and a MUST HAVE expense. when its absolutely not.
my neighbor bought a new car cuz she couldnt afford to FIX hers. OMG.
wouldnt it be nice to teach the kid how wonderful life is w out debt. u start off w debt on his car at 16...he will think it the norm and a MUST HAVE expense. when its absolutely not.
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No, no I would not. Not even if I won the lottery.
And hopefully i'll raise them not to ever buy a brand new car.
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