No. Used car or mom and dad’s old car until they can pay for their own.

Anonymous wrote:My parents surprised me with a basic, used, very economical sedan for my college graduation in the early 2000s. They also paid for my public in state college tuition. I was so grateful not to have any student loans or a car payment as I was starting out. We should be on track to do the same for our kids.

My mother was given a new sedan as a combo graduation wedding present. I was given a 2 year old sedan that belonged to my parents when I moved to take a job out of state not long after graduation. My sibling received a new compact hatch at graduation. My parents did not spend much on weddings and did not help with down payment money. These were also value-priced vehicles. I am likely to help my children by facilitating their car purchases but given the increase in new car prices, they may also receive one of our well-cared for mass-market family cars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
How do people like this get to be UMC? I guess you can make big money without having much common sense or ability to think for yourself.

I see a lot of UMC 16 and 17 year olds who've done basically nothing in life driving nice 40K-70K+ new cars. While our 22 year old kid just graduated a good college with a good job offer, but we're on the fence whether or not we should buy them a car outright (or pay for a 24 month lease outright). Just curious what other UMC parents in similar situations have done. We could do it without thinking twice but I wasn't sure what's normal and worry if we are "spoiling" an adult kid.

I'm sure we will buy cars for our kids at some point. There are no more great car deals for super cheap like when we started in life. Dh and I bought cars for under 2k with our own money: that does not exist anymore. And it's hard to get a car loan without enough credit history.

A car is 20k used. It doesn't shock me people would buy their kids cars, at all. It's a small expense for someone UMC. People pay 80k/year for college, buy whole homes, pay for a down payment...Having a dependable car is important based on where you live.

Anonymous wrote:
How do people like this get to be UMC? I guess you can make big money without having much common sense or ability to think for yourself.

I see a lot of UMC 16 and 17 year olds who've done basically nothing in life driving nice 40K-70K+ new cars. While our 22 year old kid just graduated a good college with a good job offer, but we're on the fence whether or not we should buy them a car outright (or pay for a 24 month lease outright). Just curious what other UMC parents in similar situations have done. We could do it without thinking twice but I wasn't sure what's normal and worry if we are "spoiling" an adult kid.

Whether they buy a car or not, and how they go about it, has nothing much to do with money with UMC.
We just got a 0% car loan. Ofcourse we took that and didn't buy out the car right away. We considered safety and where we drive.
The kid doesn't want a damn car, so I'm trying to work with that. Money is not problem and neither is how to pay and who pays unless they need to buy a home and car loan would lower the amount they get.
UMC considers everything else first.

My parents surprised me with a basic, used, very economical sedan for my college graduation in the early 2000s. They also paid for my public in state college tuition. I was so grateful not to have any student loans or a car payment as I was starting out. We should be on track to do the same for our kids.

Mine did not. They were willing to sell my brother my dad's car bc he was upgrading. My dad literally looked up the cost in the Kelly book (whatever it's called) and that's what my brother paid. I bought a used car from a dealership.

UMC here. We did not buy our kids cars in high school or college. Gasp. We did pay for them to go to college and I think that's a pretty good deal considering what some kids (and I was one of those) go through to pay for college. After college we gave them used cars that we had driven and we got ourselves new cars (which I think we more than earned ourselves). They were grateful and I am grateful that they were grateful.

You don't have to follow any rules OP. Do what works.

I grew up UMC, and my parents bought me a new car when I finished grad school (PhD). I had been driving the same car from HS before then. I don't think there is any normal.

It was a huge help. I had a decent job, but not a lot of savings from my grad student stipend. I bought a better and safer car than I would have otherwise, and I kept it for 12 years.

I don't care at all what other people do, OP. It's always amazed me why people care so much about what their SES category is "supposed" to be doing. Are you so afraid to be different?

We haven't needed to buy cars for our teens. Oldest is in college, and I suppose in due course we will help all our children with reasonable accommodations and means of transportation. And at some point the trust fund will kick in - to be determined...

How do people like this get to be UMC? I guess you can make big money without having much common sense or ability to think for yourself.

We’re UMC and DC is still in college. They were given an old Toyota (ie older than 2010) for high school. Traded that in for a newer sports car themselves with money earned over summers since age 13. They pay their own gas, insurance and parking at college b/c we considered that an extra unneeded expense. Granted we are completely paying for regular college expenses so they didn’t have to use their money for college.

FFS

The number of absolute idiots who have tons and tons of money...

There is no normal. Do what works for your family.

Assuming you got rid of their high school car and they attended a college where they lived on campus and/or in a city they didn't need a car. Now they've graduated and begin a job in a region that requires a car. Does it go without saying UMC and wealthy parents go car shopping with their college grad kid the summer after they graduate, so they can begin their career with a stable vehicle? UMC parents should pay for the entire car, or only a large down payment... or parents co-sign a lease and pay the up-fronts but the kid will pay the monthly payment? Unsure what is normal.