Opinions on buying cars for 16 year olds (legal, teenagers, daughter)

[mcatp]

I got my mom's old car when I turned 16 since she was do for a new (actually slightly used) car right when I turned 16. People couldn't believe they gave me the older car and my mom got the newer convertible. I was like well I'm not paying for it. They helped me get into one more car while I was still in college since that first car was becoming VERY unreliable. I helped with the down payment, and the payments so it isn't ALL mine, but I did help a lot.

[DubbleT]

I bought both my kids their first car the summer after their graduation when they were 18. Five year old, second hand, sturdy cars for both of them, as graduation gifts. Told them if they wanted to drive or own cars before then they would have to buy their own. They both waited until they were 18. Of course, by then I was pretty well tired of chauffeuring them around everywhere.

[formercalifornian]

Like the previous poster, I benefited from an automotive hand-me-down during my senior year of school. I was responsible to taking my brother and I back and forth to after-school activities. In exchange, my parents paid for my gas and insurance through high school. They continued paying my insurance for the first couple of years of college, but I paid for fuel, maintenance, and repairs. When I married during my junior year, my grandparents gave me their old creampuff of a Buick (My husband owned a new Integra). I loved that Buick and drove it until it fell apart. I bought my first new car, an Acura TL, when I was 31. It's still going strong, and I'm now 41. At this rate, it will be the hand-me-down car for my daughter, who turns 11 in a couple of months.

[phonelady61]

Okay well in the first place I did my son like I was done . I told my son when he could pay for the car and the insurance then he could get a car needless to say he did not get the car untill he was 18 . I was not going to be responsible for him injuring himself or others because I could not afford to pay for someone elses hospital bill. it worked out really well .

[mamom1]

My son will be 16 next year and I am going to give him my 9 year old truck. He will be responsible for paying for the insurance, gas and any needed repairs. I just hope he can find a job in this economy. If not, he will have to wait for the truck.

[spinx]

We have graduated licenses here. I don't really know how that works because that was before my time.

My mom bought me a car on my 16th birthday. I drove it for 7 years without incident (on my part, at least) and I had to drive 100+ miles every other weekend to visit my father. It really depends on the kid. You can't say that all teens are irresponsible.

[Hopes]

I was the third of five girls and the first to get a license and car at 16. My mother was done being family chauffeur so I was promoted to drive my little sisters everywhere.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by spinx

We have graduated licenses here. I don't really know how that works because that was before my time.

My mom bought me a car on my 16th birthday. I drove it for 7 years without incident (on my part, at least) and I had to drive 100+ miles every other weekend to visit my father. It really depends on the kid. You can't say that all teens are irresponsible.

I don't see anyone saying teens are irresponsible...? I do personally believe that having some degree of "ownership" in a purchased car does tend to make one a bit more "thoughtful"....I don't equate that to responsibility. We had a "leftover" car when my DD was 17 - we told her she was free to drive it but it wasn't "hers" - she was just fortunate to have a car available to her (the car did eventually end up getting totalled - it was very old and very high mileage and the accident was not due to her irresponsibility). DS won't really be in the same positition (no extra car around this time)- we will most likely help him out though. He is also very responsible - if he weren't, we wouldn't be inclined to help him out in that respect. I have always believed in giving my kids the gift of learning self reliance. The live a very comfortable life and are fortunate in many ways but they don't take a lot of "extra's" for granted. Many of their friends do....

[no kudzu]

it doesn't matter how financially well off you are, my opinion is that kids should not be given cars just cause they have lived 16 years. i think it fosters a sense of entitlement and that can be very dangerous. If the kid must have a car for work or to really help out a parent, then the kid should earn the money for it and pay the parents in installments with interest. Just like the real world, it will be upon them soon enough and they need to learn to handle it now.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by no kudzu

i think it fosters a sense of entitlement and that can be very dangerous.

Perhaps that's the case for some kids, but my brother and I were both given hand-me-down cars when we were seniors in high school. Neither one of has ever had more than a minor fender bender, and both of us were out of the house and paying our own ways through college the very next year. The cars were extremely generous gifts, which we both appreciated very much. My extremely responsible and independent husband (nobody would ever accuse him of being a mooch) also received a car from his parents. So, I suppose what I'm saying is that it depends on the kid.