Anything wrong with buying your teen an nice car? ($40,000 and up)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's your call, OP.

But I will say this: Jeeps are not that safe and not that reliable. IDK if that's a wise choice for a first car.

Putting aside the cost (which IME is ridiculous for a teen) this is not a safe car. The kid who lived across the street from me when I was growing up was given one for his birthday, wrecked it and was killed.

My kids will get used, reliable-- but for a teen driver in this area, most of all safe.

By that logic, why buy your kid a car at all. Make them wait till they are done with school and use yours. Then, they can buy their own.

Isn't this really about what the parents want? Many young people are eschewing cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of wealthy folks raise spoiled kids that ace their college courses and get great careers. You all are so jealous. Stop with your old wives tales.

I am the post above of "my only gripe" and I don't think you are wrong, but they STILL can't usually sustain their acquired lifestyle in their 20s with their own jobs, and will have a let down. My DH and his friends are tech nerds and they were the best paid people right out of school (actually most still are in that range now) in our circle and could swing this level of consumerism (well DH had BIG loans but the rest could) but the vast majority of 20 year olds aren't necessarily making tech salaries. So they either have that let down of lifestyle (which isn't necessarily the end of the world for them but why bother?) OR mom and dad pay for "fun" stuff for their kids until 30. which sorry, makes you a loser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of wealthy folks raise spoiled kids that ace their college courses and get great careers. You all are so jealous. Stop with your old wives tales.

I am the post above of "my only gripe" and I don't think you are wrong, but they STILL can't usually sustain their acquired lifestyle in their 20s with their own jobs, and will have a let down. My DH and his friends are tech nerds and they were the best paid people right out of school (actually most still are in that range now) in our circle and could swing this level of consumerism (well DH had BIG loans but the rest could) but the vast majority of 20 year olds aren't necessarily making tech salaries. So they either have that let down of lifestyle (which isn't necessarily the end of the world for them but why bother?) OR mom and dad pay for "fun" stuff for their kids until 30. which sorry, makes you a loser.

There is never a 'let down' period. Rich people aren't like you. Rich kids drive to their $50k a year job in a new car worth more than their salary, live in a $2500/m apt, take exotic vacations, and still shop at Barneys. I had a friend from college that saved every dollar he earned in his 20s because his parents paid for everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bought my son a nice car because he's like the OP's daughter — good grades, involvement, awesome kid — and growing up I always wished I could have been that rich kid driving a nice car to high school.

Instilling good values I see

[Anonymous]

The specific choice of a jeep is widely discouraged. Buying an expensive car for a teen who is decades away from affording it themselves does not impress. It doesn't impress anyone.

Having said that, parents can have a preference for whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of wealthy folks raise spoiled kids that ace their college courses and get great careers. You all are so jealous. Stop with your old wives tales.

I am the post above of "my only gripe" and I don't think you are wrong, but they STILL can't usually sustain their acquired lifestyle in their 20s with their own jobs, and will have a let down. My DH and his friends are tech nerds and they were the best paid people right out of school (actually most still are in that range now) in our circle and could swing this level of consumerism (well DH had BIG loans but the rest could) but the vast majority of 20 year olds aren't necessarily making tech salaries. So they either have that let down of lifestyle (which isn't necessarily the end of the world for them but why bother?) OR mom and dad pay for "fun" stuff for their kids until 30. which sorry, makes you a loser.

There is never a 'let down' period. Rich people aren't like you. Rich kids drive to their $50k a year job in a new car worth more than their salary, live in a $2500/m apt, take exotic vacations, and still shop at Barneys. I had a friend from college that saved every dollar he earned in his 20s because his parents paid for everything.

Um right, which means he lives off his parents in his 20s, which sorry, is kind of loser-ville. Rich or not. I know an exec at Amazon who is the only person in his family to ever hold a job, ever. All his siblings are still on the dole in their 40s, he ran far away from that shit. Was eye opening because I assumed I would have loved to have everything paid for in my life, but it does hold you back, you never are really an adult!

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would buy it. But if they broke up I would take it back.

[Anonymous]

My parents were wealthy but only bought me very basic things. I think that was a great approach - I learned I could survive on a minimum, work for more if I wanted, and did not need them at all financially once I graduated. It was up to me whether I wanted to pursue high paying careers or lower paying / more interesting ones and I had a good sense of what each lifestyle would be like and I had a good control over my money and ability to manage it when I graduated.

Give kids what they need, not what they want. Let them learn how much of a WANT something is and what it means to work for it.

[Anonymous]

Tell her to get a job! Buy her own car or get her a used car. $40K for a teenager's first car? Are you high?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's your call, OP.

But I will say this: Jeeps are not that safe and not that reliable. IDK if that's a wise choice for a first car.

Putting aside the cost (which IME is ridiculous for a teen) this is not a safe car. The kid who lived across the street from me when I was growing up was given one for his birthday, wrecked it and was killed.

My kids will get used, reliable-- but for a teen driver in this area, most of all safe.

By that logic, why buy your kid a car at all. Make them wait till they are done with school and use yours. Then, they can buy their own.

Can you read? My actual logic would be not to buy a new driver a car that is such an enormous safety (rollover) risk-- and to value safety and reliability in a teenager's car above bling and giving them a "cool" car. Because I had a friend who was an athlete, with great grades and dating a nice girl-- who had an amazing future in front of him. Until he DIED when his new jeep was in a rollover accident. Did you read that part?

[Anonymous]

I do think there is something to be said for the kid with the coolest car being more likely to get into accidents- they are generally driving a lot more people and more often. We loaded a ton into old station wagons but would never, ever just drive to go cruising!

[Anonymous]

And people wonder how affluenza kids get their start.

I'm incredibly grateful that my parents stuck me with a hand me down Honda Civic. Great car, but 10 years old, and had been driven by my 2 older siblings.

Grateful just to have had a car, but also grateful that they didn't spoil us (even though they could have afforded to).

There's a lot to be said about teaching kids how to drive. Not just giving them an expensive car with all the newest safety this and that. Most of protecting yourself on the road comes down to skills and accountability. Less opportunity for distractions in a "humble" car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeep Wrangler is the dream car of every teen.

and 33 year old me

[Anonymous]

OP, buy something for $20K(used Jeep) and save the other $20K for her raining day fund!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of dirt poor DCPS families with flunky kids wearing $200 Air Jordan sneakers to school. The OP's daughter is a top 1% student; buy her whatever you can afford.

Getting straight As does not necessarily make one a "top 1%" student & attending DCPS does not make a kid inherently less smart or worthy of nice things than a kid at a "top" school.