My parents bought me a new car at 16 and a nicer, new car again when I was 19 - I didn't get pregnant at 17, finished college (2 degrees), had one fender bender, and never acted like a spoiled brat (my parents would not have tolerated that behavior). I don't think buying ones child a car signals the end of the world as we know it.

My child is only 8 now, but I have every intention of buying him a car when he's 16 (or gets his license if he's older than 16).

We gave him a hand me down 2006 Nissan Xterra. We bought 3 years ago so he could learn to drive on it. It was mine until last year when we bought an Armada and eventually when he got his license we gave the Xterra to him.

I bought my 16 year old a SmarTrip card. I also pay for any bike repairs, and buy him new sneakers anytime he needs them.

I didn't own a car until I was married. I paid for it myself, and shared it with dh. That's when ds will get a car-- when he buys one himself.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/16541352

26" Schwinn Meridian Adult Tricycle in Cherry, Blue, Silver, or Mint Green

Dating myself here... '81 Toyota Celica GT (used) manual trans, no A/C.

My first car was a 4 year old Nissan Maxima. Great car, super safe, super reliable. I liked it so much my first car I bought was a Nissan Altima. Altima would be a great starter too!

None!

My first car, with 4 cylinders and rwd, was a blast to drive in the winter ...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents were not wealthy (HHI $100k), but saved and bought me a BMW Z3 for my 16th birthday. It was the first year they came out. We had to wait a year for it to arrive.
I was appreciative. It was awesome. I drove it 16 years and nearly 200k miles.

If you have the means to do it, get your child a fun car while they will enjoy it. This same car now that I can afford it myself would not be fun or practical with a 5 year old. I plan to return the favor if my child is responsible.

Yeah. That isn't exactly destitute. Most people (excluding the insanity here) don't make that much.

HHI of 100k in 1995 is comparable to 155K today.

Also not that the Z3 started at under 30K....today's Z4 starts close to 48K....

Anonymous wrote:My parents were not wealthy (HHI $100k), but saved and bought me a BMW Z3 for my 16th birthday. It was the first year they came out. We had to wait a year for it to arrive.
I was appreciative. It was awesome. I drove it 16 years and nearly 200k miles.

If you have the means to do it, get your child a fun car while they will enjoy it. This same car now that I can afford it myself would not be fun or practical with a 5 year old. I plan to return the favor if my child is responsible.

Yeah. That isn't exactly destitute. Most people (excluding the insanity here) don't make that much.

1992 GMC Sierra pickup

I'm about to buy a one-year-old Avalon for me. My son can have it when he turns 16. Old grandma styled huge car, super safe, not cool. Perfect.

A BMW. Bike, metro, walk.

I know, you've heard it before, probably from your own parents. But now that I'm a parent, I agree with PPs that the world doesn't need more entitled teens behind the wheels of shiny new cars.

I'll also share my own anecdote. My friend's parents gave her a car at 15 1/2 (yes, before she could legally drive it) so she could eventually drive herself to our private school. She met a guy, met him secretly, got pregnant at age 17, and it took ten years for her to finish college. Another dumb anecdote? Maybe. Or if you do get a car, get one without a back seat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking to stay under 30k ish.

Everything wrong with this country summarized in one dcum post.

This is ridicules. Not sure if OP was a troll or not, but if they aren't, who cares if they can afford to spend this much on a car for their kid?

Because giving them new stuff is one common way to ensure they are the self-absorbed, entitled posters on here who sneer at giving socks for christmas. Who wants a world populated by them?