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).

My mom didn't have spare cash for my car, she saved up in order to help me. My dad had always wanted to buy it for me when the time came, only he never got the chance. Wasn't anything extravagant by any means, but it's thanks to my mom doing that that I was able to work and keep my independence. Not to mention a big help to her with caring for my disabled sister.
Not everybody who has a car bought for them are spoilt or entitled or have no idea what the real world is like.
It certainly isn't a ridiculous thing to do. It is a choice some people make based on their circumstances.

My foster parents bought a brand new car for my 17th. It saw me through 6th form, medical school and my houseman yrs... I sold it 12 years layer with 150,000 miles on the clock. I loved that golf and took all over Europe.

It was such a brilliant investment we did it for both our DSDs they still have theirs in amazing condition.

... I still miss my little golf...

I think anyone buying a brand new car is throwing their money down the drain but meh, if they can afford it so what?

Oh and for the record DamnBamboo, "suck it up princess" isn't "apparently rude". It is incredibly rude and totally unnecessary and I struggle to see in what context it would be appropriate apart from on Nethuns.

It's not that a new car is cheaper than a second hand car directly. However with some of the deals around a new car that comes with insurance, tax and servicing can be cheaper than a decent second hand car, plus insurance, plus tax, plus servicing...

Some of the ones DH has been looking at (his nephew asked for his help when he was car hunting recently - he's not that organised!) were around £99-159 a month (or full price equivalent) and insuring a young driver can be more than that alone!

I wouldnt buy a brand new car unless I was a lottery winner with money to burn, you lose thousands the second you take the keys, so based on that YANBU.

However. How they spend their money is entirely up to them and while I might think they are being bloody stupid financially and I would probably do an online quote to find out what the insurance is (come on, who wouldnt?!), its their money to do with as they wish so based on that, YABU.

My lottery win promise to DD is to buy her a brand new powder blue convertible Fiat 500, her dream car. I will have a Aston Martin Vantage Roadster :)

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 wink

Well, as it happens I have a new car to collect this week and Im going to ask about it.

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?

All the while the kids are in full time study the car is kept on the road by us but they did put petrol in it when home (they did uni abroad) and the money for that came out of their pocket money. And there really wouldn't be much needed by way of upkeep for years anyway as cars here don't need an MOT for a very long time and free servicing is usually done as part of the warranty which can extend to about 6 years. Parts would be paid for but thats it and the cost of spare parts on a car up till then is minimal. One established at work they'd take the upkeep on themselves but we wouldn't be straining at the bit to make them take it on. We'd generally just let the months roll round and come the time of renewing the insurance and re-registration they did it. Another new car was usually bought for them just before they get married because we liked knowing they'd left our home to go on to their new life all sorted - it was there's to look after from day 1.

Life is hard enough without making it any harder on your kids just for the sake of teaching them character building life lessons that, lets face it, should have been part of their upbringing from years before they were old to enough to drive.

HTH

Ermm....them not having cars, or having to pay for their own cars, is not making their lives harder than they already were. They didnt have cars...they still dont have cars. People cope.

Yes but why buy it before she's even started lessons?

Maybe she's going to do the lessons in it.

Maybe there was a special offer on and the time to buy the car was exactly right price wise.

We bought all our DC new cars and whilst they are obviously very fortuanate they are not 'spoilt' DC. They are all really hardworking and responsible. They just happen to have new cars.

New cars are safe (VERY important), reliable, cheap to insure and run, and easy to buy.

I don't know much about cars so it's safer for me to buy a new car rather than a second hand one even though I know it would probably be better value to buy a nearly new car.

We can afford it and it makes sense to us.

Or before she's even decided where to go to uni, whether she wants to travel, where she's going to work and so on.

Because buying a car does not have to be linked to any of the things you've mentioned.

We bought or gave all six of our children used cars when they learned to drive at 16yrs. thinks maybe this comment needs to go on the why do people find you detestable thread

Ermm....them not having cars, or having to pay for their own cars, is not making their lives harder than they already were. They didnt have cars...they still dont have cars. People cope. hmm

Yes. But thats not the point that was being made.

their's not there's

I cringe at anyone who would criticise someone for buying a new car for their child and bolster the case by saying they're not well-off, judging by their house.

People have different spending priorities. They might have a lot of money, they might have gotten a great deal on the car. Who knows.

thinks maybe this comment needs to go on the why do people find you detestable thread

Nah, having it here and replying to those who think their way of parenting is the only way because their kids, the ones who haven't been given a car at 17 or so, are the only ones who'll grow up as nice, hardworking, responsible adults is far better - till its time to go and do something else.

Have a nice day everyone.

I'm amused this is still going, and have just re read the OP. So, we are criticising someone for buying a new car but also judging their wealth by the house they live in. That's just sunk in, sorry skim read last night. But I live in an average looking house but it has a very high spec interior. I also have a nice car. Isn't this all a little but mean. I could have a fancier looking house so people would have a different opinion of me but I prefer having my average looking one done out really nicely. Gosh MN is confusing at times.

Ackvavit you've done it all wrong. Sorry.

It's quite amusing that people think you must have a brand new car otherwise it's unsafe. Keep buying them and we can get the second hand ones cheaper!

Oh and my clapped out 15 year old Fiesta runs just fine! Particularly as I care a hell of a lot more about my safety than your child's.

Thanks Sarah

Merrymarigold Why is it ridiculous to buy a car for someone who can't yet drive? If they are 17 they will be about to start learning. We bought both our DD's cars for their 17th as me and DH both drive automatics so they would have had no car to practice in. We insured their cars for us as well as them so we could go out with them when they were learning.

They didn't share a car is DD1 is 5 yeas older than DD2 and had taken her car away by the time DD2 was learning.

Amongst my friends and my DD's friends it seems t be very normal to get a car around age 17 when starting to drive. It is a fairly rural area with few buses. They need cars if they want to be independent. DD1 is about to move to a London and is going to sell her car as she won't need it any more. It is about need rather than greed.

In 2006, when I passed my driving test, Vauxhall were doing a deal where they paid the deposit, and monthly payments were interest free. They included a year's tax and I didn't have to mot my car for 3 years. It worked out far cheaper in the long run than funding a second hand run around.

New cars are probably safer too for the younger new driver. There's no worry about the history of the vehicle.

So in short, yabu and possibly just slightly pissed you can't afford to do the same for your own dc. That doesn't mean dd's friend's family are wrong though.

I read the first few pages and the last so have not technically RTFT. However this subject came up several times with my DD last year when she and all her schoolfriends turned 17. Many of them were bought new cars (the cool mint Fiat was the favourite by far) for their 17th birthdays and it was DD who thought it was excessive - I couldn't care less what other people choose to spend their own money on. A year on, DD is very grateful as many of her friends are able to give her lifts and I am appreciative for the same reason. DD has no interest in learning to drive, so win/win in my view.

Hunter - because a brand new car on finance with deals is often cheaper than buying a 4-5 year old second hand car with a car loan. (Particularly if insurance and tax is thrown in as part of the deal). So in order to be comparing to a cheaper car, you are looking at comparing against a 10 year old car, which might run fine, but is more likely to have a lower safety rating and more likely to have costly repairs/MOT.

(Lobster - could you put your DD on your insurance and encourage her to learn to drive now while at home and have your car to learn on? It's a very useful life skill. Realistically, if she can borrow your car - even if you just add her to the insurance for 3 months while she learns, this is the cheapest way she'll ever be able to learn. Once she's left home, she's looking at paying for hours of lessons to learn - amongst the adults I know who left home not being able to drive, only 1 learnt as an adult in mid-20s, and he was earning stupid money so could pay for 3 lessons a week without blinking at the cost....)

I thought my grandmother had overindulged me when she bought me an ancient Metro for my 21st! Which was written off within six weeks (not my fault I must add).

I do see what you mean, OP, but I suppose they can spend their money however they like. They'd probably be happiest knowing that the car's has no dodgy history and is unlikely to develop faults - if it does it will be fixed for free.

I'm rather jealous though, I doubt I will ever be able to buy a new car .