How picky are you when it comes to cars for your son and daughter?

[ultrarunner]

I asked because when I was growing up we all bought cars with money we earned... mine wasn't even running and I spent time going through it and it was reliable and cheap.

I find in my circle that most of the parents label anything old to be unsafe and too risky.

Surprisingly... many have bought new cars or certified pre-owned with manufacturer's remaining warranty... it never would have occurred to me to buy a teen or young adult a new car.

The most popular are New Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas.

A young man does work at the ranch and asked if I would be willing to sell an old pickup to him... it has good brakes, tires and passes inspection... the next day I said yes and learned his parents don't want him in an old truck... 1999 model year and no rust.

We all got our licenses at 16 and were very much on our own when it came to cars...

Guess times have changed or parents just have a lot more money to spend.

 

[om21braz]

So not to neglect school too much, we bought the vehicles and the kids worked part-time to pay for insurance, gas, etc. We put each of them in 1990's era Jeep Cherokees. They proved to be pretty tough vehicles, especially for a daughter that ignored warning lights and gauges. The vehicles were about 10 years old at the time - about $ 2000 each. That said, if I would have had deeper pockets - they may have gotten newer vehicles, but not new ones. IMHO, new or used - they need to bare some expenses to learn a most valuable lesson many never do.

As for the question of picky - I wanted vehicles with a good reliability record and that I was able to do a fair amount of repairs to myself. Plus, fairly good sized and fairly safe. Gas mileage was not even considered - I realize this may play a bigger part in selection today. They both were fairly good appearance wise in the beginning, but as you would expect - daughter's went downhill far quicker. Both of them made it through the college years.

 

[murphy1244]

Parents buying us kids a car?? Good one Eddie. First cars were 50 buck beaters but those were the days of yuge cars, trunks that sleep 6 at least.

 

[coobie]

My first beater car was a VERY USED 1967 chevy impala super sport that cost me $400 hard earned $$ back in 1973.My how times and car prices have changed.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Guess times have changed or parents just have a lot more money to spend.

Yes, and we're raising a bunch of helpless spoiled babies as a result.


Mine either buy their own or put in sweat equity on an older car to get it in good shape.

No freebies for these precious snowflakes, because I want them to be CAPABLE adults, not precious snowflakes.

 

[oldballs]

4 kids here..........Bought the biggest Mopar that I could find.....used of course.....73 Plymouth Wagon, 70's something Dodge Magnum......81 Chrysler Cordoba....and 71 Chrysler Newport....

Some i rebuilt the engine....some the transmission....some repainted.......some got wrecked as they learned to drive....some vandalized.

But they all survived and paid their share in the process.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[hawkeye08]

Our 3 daughters are in their 20s now, youngest will be 25 this fall, oldest just turned 29, so it has not been that long ago that we had to deal with this. We let them use the family cars (Suburban, Yukon, Fiero) when they were in college, then helped them with vehicle when out of college. We sold the family rigs (high miles) and found some decent rigs for them. Oldest liked an Impala in great shape, still has it (with 180k miles now), middle took my 94 Chevy extended cab half ton pickup, youngest liked a Mailibu. All had around 100k miles when we got them, thinking about it, all 3 now have around 180k miles. The next few years will be the test to see how they do.

The two older ones are married and both have replaced the cars their husbands brought to the marriage. We'll see what they do when their cars need replacing. Youngest one has dreams of very nice car, but the monthly payments have stopped her from trading (her current car is paid off).

 

[TCJatko]

Why buy the child a car? Let him/her work and save and buy their own. Maybe they'd appreciate it then.

 

[ultrarunner]

I guess I would be a bad parent because if my child wanted a car they would have to earn it... not saying I wouldn't offer advice...

My real point is just about all of the folks I work with think it is paramount to child endangerment to put a teen behind the wheel with out ABS, AirBags, Roll Over Protection, Traction Control... etc.

 

[Qapla]

Mt parents used to have a 1956 Chevy Belaire station wagon. When my brother graduated from HS in 1965, my Mom bought a new 1965 Chevy Biscayne 2 door without A/C, PS, PB. My brother got the 1956.

When I graduated in 1970, my Mom bought a 1970 Chevy Impala with A/C, PS, PB and I got the 1965 Chevy.

In both cases my Mom paid cash for the new cars because she saved the money the whole time in between.

Now, when we got the cars, we had to pay for our own insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.

When our girls started to need cars, we let them use one of the family cars until they could pay for their own car payments. We helped with the first car for the oldest daughter by signing on the loan. She did the rest.

When the next daughter needed a car, the first daughter passed her car down and bought a new one without any co-sign. Later she signed to help her sister get a newer car.

The first daughter still owns that first new car - she lets our 4th daughter use it - of course daughter #4 has to pay for her own gas, do the maintenance - she even put the last set of tires on it.

A couple years ago #3 daughter wanted a pick up truck this would be her first vehicle - up till then she used her sister's car. She looked to no avail. Her Grandfather ended up having his right leg amputated and, since his truck was a standard and he could no longer drive it, he gave her his pick up - it is a 1995 GMC - the A/C does not work, no power windows and the radio was shot.

Personally, I have never owned a New Car - and I am in my 60's.