Kids n Cars

[GrnBay007]

For those of you that have been through this....

Did you help your teen purchase/finance a car?

Make them save enough to purchase their own?

[red]

me, and a lot of people i know got one of our parents old cars that was all paid off and everything, then they bought a new car for themselves

i wouldn't spend too much on a new first car, its gonna have the shit beat out of it and really just be used as a rolling sex/drug den anyways

[MJZiggy]

For those of you that have been through this....

Did you help your teen purchase/finance a car?

Make them save enough to purchase their own?

In my family, it's "you want a car? Get a job." Not only did we have to pay for our own beaters, but we had to pay the insurance too.

[Little Whiskey]

My kids arn't old enough to drive yet, but when they are, they will buy their own car, insurance and gas. if you can't afford to drive, you can't afford to drive.

[GrnBay007]

i wouldn't spend too much on a new first car, its gonna have the shit beat out of it and really just be used as a rolling sex/drug den anyways

Thanks....I really needed to hear that!!!!! ugh!!

[GrnBay007]

I used my savings for my first car but was about 1700 short. My parents financed what I didn't have and then I paid them back.

My daughter has a PT job and has been saving for awhile but nowhere near enough. Thing is her having a car would benefit me A LOT!

[SkinBasket]

I was also gifted a parental car. Well, it was gifted to my brother a few years before, then he was finally able to get his own, and I inherited it next. When I got my own piece of shit, my sister got the Oldsmobile. We were always responsible for 50% insurance and 100% gas. The benefits being that generally the car is going to be safer than most you can buy cheap and you know it's history, and most importantly, the parents had complete and total control over how and when it was used. Remember, if you want to grant your kid the responsibility of making them work for it themselves, you're also going to have to allow them the empowerment that comes with: that it is their car, not yours.

Either way, it's a special time in her life. Just be ready to slap her either way.

[mraynrand]

I saved my 1972 custom Opel from when I was in high school and my kids get to use it whenever they want. It cuts down on the fuel costs.

[Scott Campbell]

Mine got our 3rd vehicle, which I still like to use periodically. Problems is, I've got another with a learners permit.

[GrnBay007]

I saved my 1972 custom Opel from when I was in high school and my kids get to use it whenever they want. It cuts down on the fuel costs.

Because it would BOUNCE down the road?? lol

[GrnBay007]

I was also gifted a parental car. Well, it was gifted to my brother a few years before, then he was finally able to get his own, and I inherited it next. When I got my own piece of shit, my sister got the Oldsmobile. We were always responsible for 50% insurance and 100% gas. The benefits being that generally the car is going to be safer than most you can buy cheap and you know it's history, and most importantly, the parents had complete and total control over how and when it was used. Remember, if you want to grant your kid the responsibility of making them work for it themselves, you're also going to have to allow them the empowerment that comes with: that it is their car, not yours.

Either way, it's a special time in her life. Just be ready to slap her either way.

True, true!!!

Thought about me getting a new car and letting her use our current one. It's an older Toyota Camry. Been paid off for several years and would be a safer car for her to drive and lower insurance for a teen compared to many other types of cars.

.....but she "kinda wants her own car....and a red car..." (insert the "slap her either way" here) So we sat down and went through a financial example of that situation last night and I think she is starting to change her mind.

I HATE the idea of looking for a different car!!! It just gives me such a feeling of being RIPPED OFF every time I start the process I put it on the back burner.



I am thinking I would like a Crossover SUV.............anyone out there with thoughts about them? Good / Bad experiences???????? What is good??

[MadtownPacker]

My first car cost $250. It was an old skool chevy that had got towed and the owners couldnt pick up cuz they where in jail. I loved it until I rolled it over in some grapevines.

I say buy a Toyota Corolla (they last forever) or some other small car that is good on gas.

[MJZiggy]

First thing I usually do is go to Carmax. Then I can drive just about anything I want to try and usually after I find what I want and shop around on price and features, I end up back at Carmax anyway.

[GrnBay007]

Yeah, wish I could find a Toyota for her. Tons of people around here driving them but just not finding any used that are older.

Anyone know anything about Dodge Intrepids? Likes or dislikes?? We found a 2001 tonight but didn't drive it yet. Asking 4500.

[Partial]

My parents bought both my sister and I various cars such that when we graduated college we both had 5 year old cars. With extra curriculars and jobs, it really wasn't viable to not have us with cars. Having said that, we were responsible for gas, they paid insurance. The cars didn't go into our names until we had our college degrees done.

If your kids are active in school and/or have jobs, it probably is just easier to get them a car because otherwise it's a heck of a lot of chasing.

I would recommend a Honda Civic. We paid 9000 for it, I think it was 5 years old at this point, and I sold it 4 years later for 4500, so, not bad at all. Never had a single problem with it.

The Intrepid doesn't seem like a particularly good deal. I got 4500 cash for my 2002 Honda. I've heard that Hondas and Toyotas hold their value much better than most other car brands.