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

[Anonymous]

Clearly in the circles you are in, there is nothing wrong with this. In my circle, we are not extravagant even in terms of things we can afford.

[Anonymous]

Hi can not imagine a world where I told my parents I wanted a "fully loaded Jeep". They'd laugh in my face. And yes, they did buy me a car at 16. A 10 year old Toyota Camry. I thought that made me incredibly spoiled and I knew the second I did something wrong or got a speeding ticket, that car would be gone. So I was very responsible. But all this was instilled in me waaaaaay before the car showed up. It was also more like an extra car my parents bought for me to use, not a gift to me. I think there's a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter really wants a loaded Jeep for her upcoming birthday, which is about $40,000. She's an all A student, co-captain of her athletic team, elected to student government, volunteers, works part-time after volunteer opportunity offered her a weekend job, dating a sweet boy at St Albans.

You're basically asking does the perfect child deserve a reward. Yes, she does. Sounds like she's going to glide into an Ivy or UVa at worst, which is something every parent here dreams of.

[Anonymous]

I think there's nothing wrong with that as long as the family can afford it without financial hardship and everyone involved understands any expectations that go along with the car (rules, who pays for gas/insurance/maintenance/etc, whether the car will ever transfer to the child's ownership when they reach adulthood and how, etc). Although, honestly, I would suggest having that understanding in place with teens who are allowed to use any family car or are given any car regardless of cost.

I guess in my opinion as long as it works for the individual family and isn't obviously immoral (causing harm to or transgessing the rights of a non-consenting/non-involved individual) then very few things would be just blanket "wrong".

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't. She can save up her own money for her dream car so she really appreciates it. Up to you though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Teens will take better care of things they have to buy themselves. I can absolutely afford to buy my kids cars. But I let them know they would absolutely have to save up and buy their own first cars.

I also would never spend $40k on a new car. I would also never buy a teenager a new car.

+1

I don't think her stats and dating history are relevant, either.

[Anonymous]

A good friend of mine in high school got a new jeep when she turned 16. Great kid, good grades, athletic, etc. Didn't take a year for her to skid off the road into a ditch and flip the car. Thankfully, she was ok (car was totaled). I believe her next car was more modest.

And since that was nearly 30 years ago, I can tell you that she graduated college, got a good job, and then started her own business. Married a nice guy, has a lovely family. While the new Jeep seemed extravagant at the time, it didn't cause her to become some kind of entitled, spoiled jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A good friend of mine in high school got a new jeep when she turned 16. Great kid, good grades, athletic, etc. Didn't take a year for her to skid off the road into a ditch and flip the car. Thankfully, she was ok (car was totaled). I believe her next car was more modest.

And since that was nearly 30 years ago, I can tell you that she graduated college, got a good job, and then started her own business. Married a nice guy, has a lovely family. While the new Jeep seemed extravagant at the time, it didn't cause her to become some kind of entitled, spoiled jerk.

Win

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Teens will take better care of things they have to buy themselves. I can absolutely afford to buy my kids cars. But I let them know they would absolutely have to save up and buy their own first cars.

I also would never spend $40k on a new car. I would also never buy a teenager a new car.

+1

I don't think her stats and dating history are relevant, either.

They prove responsibility. In my house, privileges are tied to how you prove you can handle yourself, so if we could afford it and my teen was as described I would seriously consider getting her the car she wants. We likely couldn't afford that price, but we bought fairly nice cars in our price range for our two college-age daughters when they got their licenses and will likely get a car for our 3 year old when she reaches that milestone as well, provided she has proven her responsibility at the time.

[Anonymous]

1334 here^ "For our THIRTEEN year old, not 3 year old. That's a little too far in advance to know what kind of teen she would be, lol.

[Anonymous]

Get her a used volvo that gets passed to her younger sibking when she goes to college.

If she manages to pay for college through scholarships and graduwtes debt free, offer her the choice between the new loaded jeep or grad school paid for in full.

Hopefully by then she will have learned enough to make a sensible choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get her a used volvo that gets passed to her younger sibking when she goes to college.

If she manages to pay for college through scholarships and graduwtes debt free, offer her the choice between the new loaded jeep or grad school paid for in full.

Hopefully by then she will have learned enough to make a sensible choice.

The new volvos are expensive we just paid 70k for a new one

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

If you can afford it and want to, sure go for it. I think its a bit absurd to say your teen will crash it or not take care of it. I drove our family newest car for the safety features. My parents logic was if I was to crash it, it is the safest of them all. I have never totaled a car. My logic would be to wait and do it for a college graduation present as then they can have it when they get a job, etc. and not worry about a car note. My parents got me a cheap new car my senior year of college and I kept it 10 years. I took very good care of my families cars as a teen and I was usually the one taking it for the oil changes, car washes and other stuff. My mom rarely did that stuff.

[Anonymous]

Not in our world. Our kids each got a car the summer before their junior years of high school. The cars were under $10,000 and at least five years old. That kept insurance costs down. They were thrilled with their cars! Once they graduated from college and bought their own new cars, they were very proud of them. I think buying kids a brand new expensive car in high school robs them of the excitement of working for and purchasing their first new car.

Also, we try really hard to avoid falling into the trap of giving our kids everything they want. Our kids are college and beyond and unfortunately we've seen too many sad life choices in kids who had overindulging parents.