Is giving a teen a car a privilege or so common that it’s not?

[Anonymous]

My DS got his license in November. We “gave” him my old car (2012 CRV) and I got a new one for myself. Quotations around gave because really it’s ours and he is just allowed to use it. This — or buying a 7-10 year old used sedan — seems to be a pretty common path in our MC bordering on UMC area. But public transportation is very limited, walking to practice etc. just isn’t realistic, and I think it’s more for the parents than the kids than anything. It’s nice not having to cart kids around. *shrug*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents made around $100k and bought both my brother and I brand new cars before college. Not great cars, but $22k each. It was definitely the norm in our neighborhood, but this was not in the DC area.

I also live in a neighborhood NOVA now where my guess is that most families make around $200k, and it does seem to be the norm that the 16-18 year old is getting a modest car (maybe $20k). Most families only have 1 or 2 kids max, though

[Anonymous]

Don’t give your kid a car until they can show you how to change the oil and show they can keep up with the maintenance schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t give your kid a car until they can show you how to change the oil and show they can keep up with the maintenance schedule.

I don't know how to change the oil but Jiffy Lube does.


-a 44 yr old

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t give your kid a car until they can show you how to change the oil and show they can keep up with the maintenance schedule.

I don't know how to change the oil but Jiffy Lube does.


-a 44 yr old

Actually, Jiffy Lube very frequently does not know how to do it or intentionally does it wrong. I broke down on the side of the road because they didn't install the oil filter properly and my friend had a faux oil change where they claimed they changed it and didn't! I now only trust the dealer certified service. That said, it's silly to expect a teenager to change oil. It's like $30 or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

If they were rich, they wouldn't be buying older, used cars.

Define older and used. For one person it is a $20k car 3 years off lease. To, me it is a 15-20 year old car.

I’m the PP with five. Their cars were around 3500. And thankfully, we didn’t have to buy them all at once. We are not rich. Two Hyundai Elantras. A Ford Ficus. And a Jeep. The Jeep was the most expensive. My DH got a new one and handed down his ten year old Wrangler. Insurance is dramatically lower if you choose an older car, take drivers ed, and have good grades. Adding teen drivers through USAA was much less expensive than I anticipated. Also, we told the kids that if they ever got a ticket, they had to pay for their own insurance. None of them ever did..until they were out of college.

Also, I cannot think of a single college kid without a car. And I know a lot of college kids.

[Anonymous]

"Give a car" not common at all. Offer a car they can drive, as long as it's convenient for the family, common.

[Anonymous]

My 2 in college, recently graduated college, never had a car in college.

[Anonymous]

Many colleges do not allow cars for underclassmen due to lack of parking. None of my college friends and dorm mates had cars. I brought one to school as a junior and senior after working for 2 summers to buy a used one. Most college kids don't need cars unless they are commuting.

[Anonymous]

The MC vs UMC car buying reminds me of a Saved by the Bell episode from 1992. Zack and gang were working summer gigs at the beach resort. Zack spots a beater 1966 Mustang convertible for sale owned by his boss. He wants to buy it with money earned from the summer towel boy/waiter job. Funny because Zack had filthy rich parents--traveling exec waspy dad, Zack walked around with a $3,000 mobile brick phone--and he was buying his own beater car for probably less than his cell phone cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t give your kid a car until they can show you how to change the oil and show they can keep up with the maintenance schedule.

I don't know how to change the oil but Jiffy Lube does.


-a 44 yr old

+1, my husband could but its not worth his time for the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not rich by dcum standards. All five of our kids got cars the summer before their junior years in high school. We bought them inexpensive, older used cars. It made my life easier for sure! Why would I choose to haul around my teens when they can drive themselves. It’s also a big step in maturity and independence. My kids drove to school every day their junior and senior years. I would not want to send an inexperienced driver off to college.

If you bought cars, helped pay for insurance and gas for FIVE, FIVE kids, yes, you are rich.

If they were rich, they wouldn't be buying older, used cars.

Define older and used. For one person it is a $20k car 3 years off lease. To, me it is a 15-20 year old car.

I’m the PP with five. Their cars were around 3500. And thankfully, we didn’t have to buy them all at once. We are not rich. Two Hyundai Elantras. A Ford Ficus. And a Jeep. The Jeep was the most expensive. My DH got a new one and handed down his ten year old Wrangler. Insurance is dramatically lower if you choose an older car, take drivers ed, and have good grades. Adding teen drivers through USAA was much less expensive than I anticipated. Also, we told the kids that if they ever got a ticket, they had to pay for their own insurance. None of them ever did..until they were out of college.

Also, I cannot think of a single college kid without a car. And I know a lot of college kids.

You are far from middle class and USAA isn't that cheap anymore. I know very few college kids with cars. A new wrangler is $35-55K. If you are able to do 5 cars, plus insurance plus 5 4 year colleges stop downplaying you aren't rich.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Los Angeles and I won't let my DD uber, so I bought myself the (used) convertible I have been waiting for, and we let her use my 2007 Toyota Highlander. We made it very clear that the Highlander was not "her" car, but the family car that we were allowing her to use.

I wonder when PPs are saying they "gave" their kid a car, if they mean "allowing them to drive one of their cars" vs. actually buying a car for them and putting it in their name.

[Anonymous]

Dh grew up lower class and I grew up upper class. We both got cars at 16. He had to work and pay some and buy all his gas. I got my dream car (a manual Jeep as loaded as possible).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The MC vs UMC car buying reminds me of a Saved by the Bell episode from 1992. Zack and gang were working summer gigs at the beach resort. Zack spots a beater 1966 Mustang convertible for sale owned by his boss. He wants to buy it with money earned from the summer towel boy/waiter job. Funny because Zack had filthy rich parents--traveling exec waspy dad, Zack walked around with a $3,000 mobile brick phone--and he was buying his own beater car for probably less than his cell phone cost.

Lots of us with loaded parents never got anything. My ex’s dad made around 600k (we got his fafsa) and never paid a dime to college. No cars, no allowances, nothing. Told his kids to get loans and to be hungry. It didn’t work because my ex had to drop out because he couldn’t get enough loans without a co-signer. He lived with me for free.