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Original poster

Did You Buy Your Child A Car?

102 replies

Belindabelle · 20/03/2019 22:06

Just wondering if you bought or helped to buy your child a car when they passed the driving test.

It seems to be the done thing around here. Loads of little Fiats, Micros and Minis appearing for 17/18th Birthday presents.

OP posts:

starfleet · 22/03/2019 20:58

I've taught DS how to check the oil, coolant, top up screen wash and tyre pressure.

I do admit I have never changed a tyre. My last 3 cars didn't have a spare and neither has DS's. He has breakdown cover included with his insurance.

notacooldad · 22/03/2019 21:17

Out of interest, do those of you buying cars for your kids also try and get them to learn basic maintenance?
Mine already knew. DS1 built a kit mini from the age of 13 and sold it for a few thousand profit a couple of years later.
DS2 has always been tinkering with cars.
The both chew my ear off if they think I haven't put winter tyres on, changed my oil recently and. So on!

1Redacted1 · 22/03/2019 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DizziLizzy · 22/03/2019 21:21

@bluddleuddleumdum
Was the £30,000 Audi relevant? Nope!

marialuisa · 22/03/2019 21:30

Bought her a 3 year old mini when she passed her test as to get her insured on my car was silly money and I’m not prepared to give up my car completely. It’s completely normal amongst her friends to have their own cars bought by parents but it’s a pretty rural area. She was unusual in not having her own car before she passed.
DH has shown her coolant, tyre pressure etc.

AuntieDolly · 22/03/2019 21:41

I bought my son a 2 seater Tigra for £1200. This was do he couldn't do 'lifts' and wasn't driving drunk teenagers around in the middle of the night. Small price to pay for peace of mind

Fifthtimelucky · 22/03/2019 23:19

We haven't given the children cars, but we did pay for their driving lessons and they usually have access to a car if they need it (not very often) which we insure.

BackforGood · 22/03/2019 23:33

No.
They have saved up for their own.
I have paid 1/2 the cost of adding them on to my car for the first year after they have paid their tests, then they have worked and saved for their own cars as it is too frustrating for them to share with me

Mmmhmmokdear · 22/03/2019 23:40

My parents didn't get me a car. I had my own Rover Metro that I saved up for!

My ILs bought DH a car, but he was given the choice of get a car and commute to uni (he didn't go far from home) or they pay for his first year uni halls.

LizB62A · 22/03/2019 23:52

I bought a 5 year old car for my son, rather than replacing my 14 year old car !
It gets him mobile, saves a lengthy commute to work on public transport and gives me a teetotal chauffeur

He pays for his own insurance (nearly £2k for the first year !)

Comefromaway · 22/03/2019 23:57

We will be buying a car for dd as soon as she passes her test but our circumstances are slightly different in that last year dh was diagnosed with a condition that means he is no longer allowed to drive. So dd being able to drive will help enormously. We are selling dh’s quasquai as we’d never get her insured on that & buying something smaller.

Wendywoo1000 · 23/03/2019 08:14

My 17 yr old DD has her 1st driving lesson this morning! I will not be buying her a car, she has money in the bank to buy one herself. Probably enough to insure it too but DH will probably help with that. We pay for her lessons as they were her birthday present. She won't need a car for a while yet as we do have a 51 plate mondeo she can learn in once she is confident enough.

Theimpossiblegirl · 23/03/2019 10:55

@AuntieDolly
Well played. DD only passed on Wednesday and people were messaging her for lifts last night. She's not ready for that kind of driving at all. I'm not ready for her to do that kind of driving either.

Didyeeaye · 23/03/2019 11:06

My older sister and I both got a car. She got hers at 17 'to help with driving lessons' and took it out unsupervised and crashed it. I was then bought a car at 23 after driving for 2 years lol My DS has an isa and savings account. His dad and I pay in to the isa and reckon that will cover his deposit for a house. His savings is birthday/ Christmas money from us and extended family so he will have access to that at 18 for lessons and a car (he is only 4 atm)

itbemay · 23/03/2019 11:08

yes, 17th Birthday pressie - she learnt to drive in it for a bit then it was an incentive to pass her test! Having dropped her at work, picked her up and generally been a taxi service for a number of years it was really a gift for myself too!

SilentSister · 23/03/2019 11:12

No. Bought her lessons for her 17th, but she bought her own second hand car in the summer she graduated. Didn't need a car at uni, and used the train inbetween. She used it for 6 months then moved to London, so it is now sitting on our drive as a spare! We are paying the insurance for it too, even though it just sits there looking sad. I take it out now and again to keep it running, and next year younger DD can use it for her lessons (if older DD allows )

Shmithecat2 · 23/03/2019 11:13

My dad bought mine and insured it for me for the first year. Insurance wasn't horrendous back then as it is now though. I'll be buying my DS the biggest, safest car I can afford for him, and paying the insurance. Small, cheap, crappy, underpowered cars are dangerous. If you do buy your childs car, you should get them the SAFEST car you can afford.

MarthasGinYard · 16/10/2019 07:50

'Yes we did. For both of our daughters and paid for their lessons. We are about to start again for DS who turns 17 in May and then will do it again for DS12 when he turns 17.

Above Is an answer to 'have you bought your dc cars thread I was on'

Seems OP has bought the dc and her two adult DD's cars just confused why they not driving themselves to work 🤔

CheeseChipsMayo · 16/10/2019 07:56

Not yet but i will do-only a few years away but figure its the least i can do to enable F.E&pt job to more happily co-exist..nothing super-flash,jusr safe/practical&happy to take a grinding/ punishment.

raspberryk · 16/10/2019 08:07

My parents didn't get me a car. I had my own Rover Metro that I saved up for!
Same, mine was so old! I borrowed the first years insurance from my dad and paid it back.
My ex and his brother got given their first cars and insurance plus helped out with a lot and it hasn't done them any favours. Xh has had various cars off his parents even in his 30's and never looks after them.

I won't be buying my dc cars!

WaxOnFeckOff · 16/10/2019 08:15

Yes, we bought an ex demonstrator citigo for DSs to share. They are only a year apart. However, it was as much to save us time doing school run as anything else. Their school was not easily accessible by public transport. Both DSs passed their test at 17 and a few months.

We didn't go for a banger because we aren't car experts and wanted something safe, reliable and easy to drive. It amazes me that others in our position will happily let their DC ride in cars that probably cost the same as the car seat they used to buy to keep them safe. Fair enough if you know enough about older cars to make a good choice.

Insurance for 17 year old was only £650 and an extra hundred when added on another.

Most of these new cars you see are probably on pcp deals as that seems to be the way with most folk I speak to.

My DSs are very fortunate but not spoiled

WaxOnFeckOff · 16/10/2019 08:20

Also taught them basic maintenance and how to change a tyre. We all have spare tyres. They've seen/helped me change mine a couple of times.

cortex10 · 16/10/2019 08:23

I bought an ex demo small Hyundai for myself just before DS was 17 and passed his test. From then onwards we shared the car which worked well for us. Seven years on I now use public transport for commuting and have transferred it over to him. He's now talking about PXing it for. 'better' car...

MrsJBaptiste · 16/10/2019 08:29

DS isn't 17 for a couple of years but I'm sure he'll take driving lessons the day of his birthday if he can! I've always been adamant that we'd never just buy him his own car but now I think of it, I won't want him driving my car as it's too fast for a learner driver and DH's Zafira is huge so I think he'd struggle with that!

We have money saved from when the boys were little and they each got £1000 of a relative when they died so this should hopefully cover driving lessons and an old banger(ish)

As an aside, for those of you whose kids have passed their tests, did you take them out to practice ypurselves or did you leave it all to professional lessons? I learnt a lot from my parents (to avoid paying for too many lessons) but DH says he can't imagine taking each of the boys out and they'll just learn by booking lessons.

yearinyearout · 16/10/2019 08:31

We did buy them both their first car, but it wasn't straight away when they passed their tests as they didn't need one then. We lived very close to their 6th form college so they walked and were put on my insurance so they could borrow my little car when needed. They both had cars from us when they needed them for work.
In all honesty I can't see the point in spending a fortune on insurance for kids to drive to school and back, unless you live in an area with poor public transport and having a car will really enhance their quality of life (and yours if it saves you ferrying them around)

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