A Teens First Car

Invest in real estate.

 

Wow what a thread !!!!

I have a 16 years old son who will turn 17 in a month or so. We are in that type of discussion with him every day. Of course he wants a car and looks for opportunities but there is so many questions that need to be asked before buying a car (And oddly, I haven't see those questions asked in that thread !) ;

Why do you need a car for ? My son will go to college next year. We live in a city where there is a good public transportation system. From September to November he can continue using his bicycle and I do carpool frequently, why can't he do the same ? Since we have two cars at home, he could borrow my car or his mother's car if he has something special or if he wants to go out at night...

Who will pay for the car ? We have the money, it would not be a problem. His Grand-parents have the money and if they would offer to give a big "gift" for his graduation next year we would strongly protest. After college, he will have to complete his education in a foreign city or province. He will need the money for that purpose. His education should be his first priority for years to come...

What will you sacrifice for your car ? And if he earns his own money, what's the problem ? The problem is the effort that he will have to do the pay for the car, the insurance, the maintenance, etc. If he needs to work 40 hours a week for his car, when will he study and what energy will be left for that ? If he drops out of college what is the benefit ?

Don't you think it is better fot the earth ? Comprared to another car, probably, but as mentionned earlier, ther is other choices. We already have 2 cars at home, do we need another one ? It is not true that every adult needs a car. Can't we only manage our transportation needs another way ? A prius is still a car and it emit CO2 like all the other cars. It needs energy to produce it and it pollutes. (Less than a Hummer tough !)

But if he has the money ? If he does not have to sacrifice anything, if by all means he needs a car for transportation and there is no alternatives, I strongly recommand a Prius rather than an older car. As mentionned, my wife has a car, a 2005 Honda Civic, and every time our son needs a car, I ask him to take the Prius because it is new, because my son has a limited driving experience and because I love him. If he get into an accident, I want him to be in the Prius with all the airbags it has, because it has the Pre Collision system, because of active headrests, and all the safety features it has that an older car does not. I don't mind about some scratchs but I do care about my son and his passager's lifes !

Oh and by the way, am I the onlyone being troubled by this sentence ?

 

"I'm very smart I think I graduated high school early."

I think your first vehicle should be a shopping cart. When you were in "high-school", was the school bus very short?

 

I, for one, get irritated trying to decipher your messages. If you ARE typing on an iPhone Touch or such, and that's the reason for your horrible spelin' and gramer - please stop by a PC and use a keyboard.
Presentation of oneself has much to do with respect they receive - if one dresses like a slob that's how one will be treated. That's life. Don't care how spoiled you may be and how huge your house is.

 

As long as you ask, no. A used Corolla might be a better choice.

 

It's so interesting how times have changed. I feel so old. So many of my co-workers who are in their 20's (late 20's even) still live at home with their parents rent free. When one guy turned 28, his mommy came to work with a cake she baked for him. All of these "kids" who still live at home drive high-end cars.

When I was younger, myself and my friends got out of our parents home as soon as we could. We lived in crappy apartments and ate macaroni and cheese. But we were independent and loved it. I made less than the OP a year and lived in NYC. I just don't get why kids want to live at home until they are married these days. I feel like they are missing out on an important growing period in life and learning to become independent.

To HelpSaveMotherEarth, if you can afford the Prius, go ahead and buy one, you do not need our permission. However, you say you are a good driver, but if you are going to talk on a cell phone, be sure to use the blue tooth, but only if it is necessary. Leave your phone stowed away while driving, do not even think of sending a text message, email or posting on message boards while you are driving. If you find yourself distracted by the HSI and not keeping your eyes on the road, then switch to a screen that is less distracting. You may think you are a good driver, but you do not have enough experience to handle many situations to avoid an accident. That is why people are suggesting a cheaper car until you have a few years of driving under your belt, so that you do not wreck such a nice car.


My co-worker's son who is 21 bought my 2003 Corolla. He is beyond thrilled with it.

 

Fantastic advice!

--- That must have been a long time ago when you lived in NYC! I lived in Brooklyn (right by the river) for a few years. Talk about expensive! My rent was $2400 a month - a nice loft in a building, a mile from the closest subway (but a great neighborhood, etc). Here in Louisiana my mortgage on a great house is less than half of that.

 

I moved there in 1989 and went to school for a year, then got a job that paid $14k a year. I lived in an illegal sublet that was a tiny 1BR that was $600 a month and I had a roommate. The shower was in the kitchen! Those were some of the best years of my life.

 

If you can afford it, go for it. It's more responsible than getting a new mustang or camaro.

Just heed the adive of others and be careful because you are a newer driver.

 

to the OP


you don't have to justify your situation to anybody anywhere.
it's none of anybody's business.


if you like the car then go for it

my only recommendation to any new car buyer is to try other cars before deciding. this way you will know in your heart you bought the right vehicle.


especially if you test drive an insight<<<<<do not want

 

you know what, though? I think your co-workers are definetely the exception, IMO. Most of my friends live by themselves. Only a handful of them still live with their parents. (age range 18-25)

 

That's good to know. Maybe it depends on the areas cost of living. It is expensive here and perhaps they prefer a car over their own place with roommates.

 

Yeah, location might be a big factor. I bet it is easier to find a place to stay here in texas (and more affordable) than in say, Boston. North US = very little land space and high real estate prices; while South US= virtually unlimited amount of land space and much lower real estate prices

 

i'm older also and in my time it was,

graduate from high school.

go to college and live at home free
or
go to work, live at home and pay rent


maybe parents should start to charge rent

 

lol way I partially agree with you. In my case, my wife and I are both college students (full time) and work (full time). We live with my parents, but we pay the light bill, the internet bill, and the directv bill; plus we buy groceries and such for the house as well; those would be the bills we all share. Among other things my wife and I pay: when I turned 20, I got my own cell phone plan with two lines for me and my wife (used to share it with my stepdad), then there's our cat's Banfield monthly fee, credit cards monthly dues (lesson learned, credit cards are dangerous when you are less than 20), gym monthly dues, and other things.

Now my point here is, sharing bills seems like a much better system than charging rent. Reason being sharing bills makes us youngsters feel like we have a concurrent responsability that comes back every month. I still remember how stressed I felt two years ago the first couple of months I had to pay $300+ light bills. It really did create a sense of responsibility that is very different from the responsibility I upkeep at school. If your curious, my mother pretty much prohibits us from leaving. She doesn't want us to leave until we finish school. She is very supportive.

 

You are right on this. I regretted not having my daughter more aware of what the electric bill was, go shopping with me more, etc. Just charging "rent" does not allow the young adult to fully appreciate what the simple things in life cost.
We both have learned our lessons with credit cards and bad boyfriends. Life is good now!

 

+1 Dean - I am very forgiving of a couple of typos (God knows, I make enough of them) but, come on - no one's going to take you seriously if you don't at least take time to use spell check!! (Old English major grumbles to herself....)

 

If she really is going to college (and this isn't a prank...which I think it is), she certainly won't be there for very long.

Call me old fashioned, but I abhor incorrect spelling (typos are one thing, but one mispelled word after another is ridiculous) and incorrect grammar is another pet peeve of mine.

If you plan on moving forward in this society, those two seem to be a good place to start.

IMHO, I think this post is just a prank and I would implore others to ignore this thread and move on.

As an aside, our good President Obama...do any of you notice how many times he says "have got" in his speeches, press conferences and casual press interviews? Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. (Yes, I support the president...don't bash me on that point.)

He loves to say "We have got to move this country forward and get it back on it's feet". I always learned it was just "We have to move this country forward...".

Sigh...oh well!

 

It's a lot less scary than a president who incessantly says "nucular," and refers to terrorists as "these folks..."