Cars for teens: Luxury or necessity??

[momx7]

I would say more of a conveninece rather than a necessity in my situation. My 16 year old is a pretty responsible kid...good grades, plays sports and is just all around a good kid. We decided to buy his first vehicle for him...we made it VERY clear that it had to be less than $1000 and he would be responsible for gas. I felt it was necessary because he does play sports and it is a 10 minute drive to the school from our house and a huge gas bill for me to drive back and forth twice, sometimes 3 times a day. So him haveing his own was a convenience for me, but had he not found a job, I don't think he would have gotten his own vehicle. I do beleive that some parents go WAY overboard getting their kids brand new cars and not making them have any type of responsibility with it! (which seems to be the norm around here!). I see 16 year old kids driving nicer vehicles than I drive...who don't have to have a job or help pay for gas or insurance or anything! Not a good way to teach responsibility!

[trippinwurmz]

Jul. 20, 2007 at 1:26 PM

I agree with you on that!   Although my first car was brand spankin new....( i was a spoiled little daddy's girl!) I want my kids to have a mid range vehicle.    We are in the same boat.... school is about 15 min for us... and with the new one being built... it will be more like 20 minutes.    When my kids get of age I will have four of them vying for driving... or me driving! I want to get a mid range vehicle... not brand new  but something around 5 years old or so.  With teens I feel that safety in a vehicle is a must... and some of the older vehicles safety standards just don't measure up.   I want to spend maybe 5k at most.   But that car will be split for the kids!   Joey and Addie will share it when they are both driving and then the kids can go to college without a car for a year or so!  My kids won't pay for insurance (it is higher naming a vehicle in a teens name!)  but they will pay for ALL repairs and gas.  That is exactly what my dad did for me, and what I intend to do for them!  And a Job is a must!  end of story! If they want the car, they have to have a way to pay for it!  So I think that they are both... necessity and luxury... luxury for us moms so we don't have to haul them everywhere 5 times a day!

[thill06]

Jul. 20, 2007 at 4:06 PM

My husband bought a used truck for 3000.00 for our step son for his Senior Year.  We also did the same thing for my son.  I believe in teaching responsibility, a new car is great if you can afford it but  I would request the child pay for the insurance and the gas.  If the grades are bad the car gets parked.