Buying a Teenager a New Car

We got DS a new car when he turned 16, but only because his grandfather paid for it. I actually think it's a good idea, because new cars have more safety features than either DH's or my car have.

We bought dd#1 a used car because it was in our budget and cost less for insurance ... it is very reliable and she loves it   

For teens any car is better than no car I think      

If I could afford it, I would. Because they have more accidents, the latest and greatest safety features might save his life or others.

When my dd turned 16, I gave her my 2003 Acura MDX. If I didn't have my old car to give her I would have still looked for a good used Honda or Toyota product. Unfortunately, she totaled it last year and needed another car. I ended up buying a 2012 Honda CR-V and spent about $5000 more than I had intended but i justified it because it has a few more safety features and I told her this would be our "soccer car" and would need to get her through college at the very least. She was also driving 3 hours two days a week to play soccer and I wanted something dependable and get good gas mileage. That car also needed to get us to all of her out of town games and stuff.

So far, it has been a great car. She is only 4'10" so I also had to find something for her size. That is harder than you might think!

I think this is one of those questions that has no right or wrong answer. It is something where each family has to decide what is the right course of action for them. We discovered when DD was in high school that the issue of new vs used car was just about as divisive as the one about moms working vs staying at home. I learned quickly to just own my decision and not give a cr@p about what anyone else said or thought.

I would not buy my teenager a brand new car.

But I wouldn't even buy myself a brand new car.

But my opinion is probably meaningless, because I couldn't pay for a brand new car even if I wanted to.

My son got a nice used car, newer than I was intending to get him, because we found a deal. My ex looked at getting him a brand new car, but I put my foot down. The only reason ex wanted him to have a new car was because he didn't have his first brand new car until he was nearly 30 and had a chip on his shoulder over it. If my son wants a new car, he can save and work for it and the increased premium that will come with it. He's driving a much nicer car than either his father or I had at 16. It's safe and reliable, but not something I will lose my mind over if something happens to it. Ex is thankful he didn't push the new-new car issue after DS spent the year parked in the student lot last year. Nothing happened to DS's car, but he was pulling his euphonium case out of his trunk and witnessed a girl who pulled into her parking spot, hit the car on her passenger side, backed up, realigned her parking attempt, hit the car on her driver's side, backed up again and backed right into the car in the row behind her. 3 cars damaged in seconds. Student lots are brutal on cars.

I have a client who bought both of her kids brand new Mercedes when they got their licenses. "{Son's name} is doing so well at {private school} that we just had to spoil him." Oh, great. Send me his most current report card and we can keep the premium down some with the Good Student Discount. "Oh, he doesn't have a B average. It's a challenging school so we're happy that he brings home mostly Cs. He's never failed a class!" I'm pretty sure my eyeroll could be seen from space. Yep, C's get Mercedes in Park Ridge, IL. Whatever.

I agree with you. My dd has been driving a 2005 Chevy Optra since she got her licence. He is affectionately called Hank and while a little old he runs well and is safe. She is leaving for school in September and I think Hank might be destined for the junk yard soon after that.

My ds who is a freshman this year has decided he wants to go to university in our city, if he does we will buy him a used car for the commute as we are paying for our dd to go away to school. he still has 3+ years to decide so he may change his mind.

We don`t even buy new cars for ourselves so no way are the kids getting new. T

That being said they go to a school with a ton of Italian kids and most of them get a brand new car on their 16th birthday many which are wrecked before their 17th.

Nope. Not gonna happen. We bought both our boys newer cars, but not brand new.

Both my children had "hand me down cars" from their dad which served them just fine. My DD leased her first new car when she got her first real job. DS is still in college so he is still driving the car his dad gave him. This worked for our family.

With that being said; I'm sure if their dad and I had the disposable income to buy them new cars we probably would have. Not necessarily because they are better but because we sometimes spoil them with crap like that t since the divorce. We split the cost of a lot of items.

I've opened and closed this a few times because it just feels judgy so I probably should just pass on it but...

Our kids received used cars when they turned 16. DH made it a whole process of giving them a budget and teaching them how to shop for a car with them making the final decisions. That said, none of them have ever had an accident and have been incredibly responsible. I wouldn't hesitate to give them a new car if that was in my budget. DH and I both have 'nice' cars and our teens drive them interchangeably without us giving it a second thought. There are several things I have been able to give my children that some may consider luxuries or unnecessary. I'm happy I live in a world where I can make the decisions that are best for my family even if other people think my kids should earn them.

No way would I buy brand new for a kid. I don't even buy brand new for me!

Our insurance is already insane with 2 20 year old boys and an almost 18 year old girl. DD's insurance is the worst because her car is much newer than the boys - I can't imagine what it would be on them in a brand new car.