kid's first car

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gary s

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well after tossing around some vehicles i finally settled on a 08 toyota camry LE for my son as a first car.

33K / 4CYL and plenty of air bags including drivers knee for safety. i have been using it the past few weeks and its getting 28mpg city/hwy.

not like my first (73 vette) but it will do for now and he is happy.



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Eddie, my son put a set of Enkie's on his car a week later... Can't find a pic but it made the car look 100 times better...
 
I continue to be surprised how nice kids' first cars are compared to when I was a kid.



Mine was a 1971 Impala 4-door that I bought in 1976. It was rusted out in the rear quarters and rockers. It had 54,000 miles on it and leaked and burned oil. I loved it because it was mine. But, it was a POS, in retrospect.
 
For my oldest daughter (Now 44 years old) I purchased a 1976 Pontiac Astor as her first car(4 cylinder, 4 speed) ...Later we cosigned for her Ford EXP, and a few years later, with her newly established credit, she bought a 1985 Ford Tempo and paid it off in 18 months. All were good cars for their times.



For my youngest daughter (...soon to be 40 years old) I bought a 1983 VW Rabbit. Later I bought her a 1988 Toyota Terrcel which she kept until she got married.



About a month ago I purchased my grandkids (Twins, a boy and girl) a 2002 Toyota Echo, for getting back and forth to school for their senior year...it gets about 38 MPG, has all the air bags and safety gear, so even thought it is small and cheap, it is a great car for under $3K while most are over $4K, and they are not allowed to drive on the freeways...yet. It has a few dings and dents, but what kid has not dinged and dented their first car especially if it was free...:grin:



...Rich





For my youngest daugher
 
Nice car.... i still am amazed how many parents give their kids cars....i had to work, pay, insure and maintain my own....



Todd Z
 
Todd Z,

I hear you! Nobody ever bought me a car. I had to work and save my money to pay for every car I ever owned....No free lunches in my family..:grin:



All the cars I purchased for my kids and grandkids were fairly inexpensive used cars, but I have been amazed at the number of young HS kids who are driving brand new cars now????? I don't believe in spoiling kids and buying anything they want. I don't think they appreciate or take care of things as much when they don't have a financial interest at stake.



...Rich
 
i purchased it but he is paying me back. believe me no one paid for my first car (73 vette) and he is very good about paying me back.

as far as wheels i swapped out a set of stock rims for the wheel covers. i also put on the rear stock spoiler. i don't want to tint the windows as he is going to be a new driver.

he is also paid for title, regi and is paying insurance. he works real hard and is determined to pay it off soon. :driving:
 
Bob C,

Yep. and everywhere I went was uphill both ways in knee deep snow, even in the summer. But then again, I was never one to complain. :grin:



...Rich
 
Todd Z, you presume too much. :)



I was waiting for someone to pounce on the "I purchased my kid a car" thread.



Gary S, good job.



I too think that a kid should pay for their own car, and pay their own insurance.



And, those parents that say things like: "Well, my kids 'job' is to get good grades, so I bought him (or her) a car and paid for it so that he (she) doesn't have to work and can focus on school..." I think are doing their kids (but they are THEIR KIDS) a disservice.



Life is tough. Working hard, at a job, at school, in college, etc, and "paying as you go" is a good life lesson to learn, and better learned younger, not later.



TJR
 
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TJR,



I wasn't JUMPING on any thing, Simply saying Nice car and making the statement that i made then adding my own experiance..



Todd Z
 
TJR,



I wasn't JUMPING on any thing, Simply saying Nice car and making the statement that i made then adding my own experiance..



Todd Z
 
TJR,

I agree with your assesment about kids needing to buy their own car and insurance. But I also agree with Todd, and I don't think you should have pounced on him....everyone's situation is different.



In my case it was cheaper for me to buy a cheap car, pay cash and make my daughter the primary driver and let her pay for the manditory liability insurance on that car. Without a cheap car for my kids to drive, I would be faced with Insurance premiums on my newer cars that were at a rate no longer affordable for me or my kids.



If you buy a cheaper car, pay cash or don't finance, you don't need full coverage. Collision Insurance for any teenager is very expensive and if they don't have a car that they are listed as the primary driver on, the insurance companies will put them on the most expensive insured car you own, and that really hurts the wallet! ....ouch!



I bought my grandkids an older used car because my daughter could not afford to buy a car and or pay the insurance if she had to add the kids to her new Honda's insurance policy. She is actually trying to get the kids on her ex-husbands policy (he is the kid's father).



So sometimes it's cheaper to just buy the kids a cheap car then deal with the insurance rates for teenage drivers.



...Rich











 
I had to buy my first car. My Dad procured the loan. I had a written agreement with him. I paid the note and the difference of the insurance cost. If I sliped the car became his.



I was suprised of what he signed for. That is when I bought the '63 Galaxie with the 406cui, tri-power carbed, 4speed. I was 18. Up till then I used his work car. Or Moms' car.



If a parent has the throw down $$. Thats their bussiness. I believe a purchase as major as a car. Taught me a good lesson in starting life on my own. There were a few in my neighbor hood in the '60s that bought their kids cars. I would say 80% of them didnt respect it. Too many stories of disrespect and lack of care. For their actions.



That Galaxie would be a rare car today. Sold it when I went to 'Nam.
 
thx tjr.



everyone assumes i am buying it for him.

if you go down to your local high school you will see alot of cars nicer then an 08 camry that the parents purchased for them as you mentioned.

he is happy and i am happy it is a safe reliable vehicle for a first driver. down the line if he wants to get something else that will be HIS choice.
 

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