To think that it's ridiculous, to buy a 17 year old a brand new car?

[ILiveAtTheBeach]

That's exactly what my DD's best friends parents have done. A brand spanking new car, for her 17th birthday. A 65 plate. She can't even drive yet (obvs). She is still at school, so I guess when she does pass, that all costs associated with the car (fuel/insurance/road tax) will be paid for by the parents??!!

Thank goodness, my DD also thinks it's crazy. But I'm sure some parents in the friendship group, will now feel slightly pressured to buy their kids a car.

I mean, I could maybe understand getting your kids a car for say £1-2k, but I think even that would be extremely generous.

I had to buy my own first car and pay for all costs that went with that. It was old and cheap. And I was working FT.

They are not particularly well off (if their house is anything to go buy).

Lyra - DS1 doesn't have anywhere to park it close to his halls and can now walk to uni. He also changed jobs. Just something to bear in mind - what they plan to do at 17 and what they actually do/what works for them in the following years don't necessarily tie up.

Not quite sure the suck it up princess comment was relevant or someone having a bad day.
TBH most kids near us get a new car at 17. Some get a banger. Many friends buy new because they don't have cash spare but will buy on finance often 0% plus incentives etc for new drivers. Bangers are cheap and obviously crashing them is less of a worry but as many posters have said they could be hazards. We bought DD a car for about £4K to learn in and keep. She learned in it but as she then went to uni in a major city she had zero need for it so she sold it. She can use mine when she is home. It's all about what works for you as a family. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. Best thing is don't compare yourselves.

I would help mine buy a car at 17, if that's what they needed or wanted. I'd expect them to work/ save up to make a contribution that felt significant to them (whatever that meant for them at the time) and while I wouldn't advise them to buy brand new for the same reasons as I wouldn't /haven't bought new cars myself, although it wouldn't be a banger either. Nothing flashy - just a safe, tidy, relatively new runaround. I'm not judging anyone who does anything different for their children - whether that's buying them a porsche or a banger. Up to them and each to their own.

Nice comment about the house btw, op.

I would never consider buying a new (out of the showroom new) car for myself, so definitely wouldn't buy one for the dc!

But I would certainly be happy to spend an 'average' amount on a car for them at 17, depending on our finances - say £5k tops probably. About the same as my car is worth.

For others, who aren't 'against' buying new cars and have enough money - I can see why they would.

YABU op.

I can understand why people do it. I had an old banger (shared with my sister) when I passed my test at 17. It broke down a lot and luckily I only had minor accidents in it as it would have fallen apart in a proper crash. I have worked in jobs where I have sadly seen too many young drivers and their passengers killed in road accidents and frankly it terrifies me that kids are driving older cars which don't stand a chance of surviving impact.

I'm sure you can get a perfume made for you with leather notes Sansoora. Each manufacturer uses a slightly different scent so you may need to specify whether you want Eau de Merc or Eau d'Audi

My parents bought me a new car at 17, I had a Saturday job at the age of 14 and apart from maternity leave there has not been a day in the last twenty odd years that I have not had a job. I don't have an overdraft, credit cards or any form of debt, I must have missed the memo about not knowing the value of money.
OP unless the parents are using your money to buy their kid a new car it's really none of your business

My parents bought me a brand new car for my 17th birthday much to my amazement because they didn't usually splash out on big gifts.

They bought it because they didn't want me driving their car, they wanted me to pass my test and become independent as soon as possible (we lived in the middle of nowhere and they had to drive me everywhere) and they wanted me to be able to go out with my friends on a weekend. They got a new car because it was cheaper to insure (in fact they got the first year's insurance for free when they bought it) and they didn't want to run the risk of me breaking down in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. Also, a fact that has only just occurred to me, they realised that if I was driving I wouldn't be getting drunk and up to no good!

I was not spoilt as a child. I have always been careful with money. I had the car for six years until I had saved up enough money to buy myself a car and then I passed it onto my younger sister. There wasn't a scratch on it. They didn't contribute to my wedding or my house deposit and nor did I want or expect them to.

I'm sure some 17 year olds who are given brand new cars are spoilt, don't know the value of money and go on to be dependent on their parents for a long time. I'm sure there are also some 17 year olds who aren't given brand new cars for whom the same applies!

I doubt very much I'll be in a position to do the same thing for my DD unfortunately but I won't be judging her friends' parents when they do.

For those of you who would buy your DCs a car - would you tax, MOT, service and fill it up with petrol too, or would you expect your adult children to take that on?

If I could afford it I would like my children to have new reliable cars rather than old bangers. It doesn't make them spoilt if they appreciate its. And if you can afford it, I don't see a problem.

A new car doesn't need an mot for 3 years and lots of them come with free services for a certain amount of time too

I know they do - but after then? And petrol/tax?

If they were at school/uni then yes I would pay it

No contribution via their p/t job?

If I was buying a car for a 17 year old I would expect to pay for tax, insurance etc. They would be expected to put petrol in it.

Do you know how much a Saturday job pays?
My parents did it for me and as long as I can I will do it for my child

So far, I have bought DCs relatively new but not straight from dealer cars or motorbikes. Would buy new if came with enough incentives like free insurance etc, or if I needed finance, but my main priority is safety and reliability. Having had a DC rammed from behind on a motorway by an idiot driver (walked away but car was a write off) I am glad I bought them something with modern safety features.

Yes I do Nancy - I have an 18 year old who attends university and has a part time job. He's worked for 2 years now, and he's expected to fund things he wants. If we had bought him a car (which we wouldn't) he would absolutely be expected to pay for the petrol at least.

Hit return too soon - from his weekend and holiday job.

We paid tax/insurance/petrol. My lot worked in McDonalds on zero hour contracts so no, I wouldn't expect them to contribute to something that was a gift. We also paid for all driving lessons and tests. In my view a driving licence and car gave our children freedom to get in and out of the farm we chose to live on.

My son also works at McDonalds on a zero hours contract.

No generally I pay tax and insurance but they pay for petrol (though I may fill up the petrol tank if a DC has driven a couple of hours to come home for a visit

Well that's up to you, it's not what I would do

Indeed

We will definitely buy the Dc's a car and it might be new if it works out more cost effective to do so. We will tax and insure it and pay for petrol until they start their first job just as my parents did for me