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).

If you feel that they aren't teaching her good values, then what do you plan to do about it?
Sounds like you are very upset at having to work for it at that age but again that's nothing to do with them.

My teenage Dnieces and DNephews all had new cars bought by my wealthy siblings, all bar one nephew, who insisted on saving for his own. All are now grown people, with jobs and houses and all bar one remain financially dependent on their parents to pay for upgraded cars, deposits, mortgage payments when they have exceeded their overdrafts etc. Obvs the exception was the nephew who bought his own car. I have no idea why he is different to the other free-loaders but it certainly taught me a lesson about giving DC so much that they don't see the need to be independent.

I am sure many other posters will disagree though.

Eh, it was you Bamboo who criticised the OP for daring to express her view on this.

Sorry but I disagree, I've 4dc and plan to buy them all new cars they might not be brand spanking new but not more than a year or so old. They probably won't be anything fancy but it's my choice to do that for them. For my 18th (20 yrs ago) I was given a car by my parents it was a couple of years old but was a nice car.

Was DamnBamboo rude? Yes
Was the OP rude and judgmental? Yes.

Suck it up princess?

If someone said that to my face I would find it hard not to hit them. What a pathetic thing to say.

YANBU OP.

Parents coming under pressure because another kid has something theirs doesn't.
Really?

How about a 'no, we can't afford it' or 'no, I don't want to spend that kind of money on you'

I had one when I was 17. Amazing

Love it

Am being called rude and someone has accused me of sniffing glue and someone else has said they'd hit me! You couldn't make shit this up!

Nothing pathetic about calling the OP on her very judgemental and jealous attitude towards this.

And FWIW, my parents have never bought me a car.

Will I buy my children cars when they are old enough? Maybe!

Of course I wouldn't say anything to her parents. I'm not worried about it?? It's their money that they will lose if she writes it off I'm not bitter either. I could afford to buy my DD a brand new car. But as a matter of principal, I wouldn't. Once she passes her test, I would be happy to help her buy something second hand and reliable. Brand new for a 17 year old, just seems (to me anyway), awfully over the top.

And why is there always someone who has to wade in to threads swearing and being aggressive? Weird. Cheer up.

Maybe they are doing one of those three year pay monthly deals and have agreed that she do X amount of chores/babysitting in return for the monthly repayment?

So it's okay for you to be rude to the OP Bamboo, but anyone who calls you on it is talking 'shit'.

Hmm.

If the Parents want to buy her a brand spanking new car, that's their business, I don't see an issue with it.

Your comment about their house was uncalled for.

Suck it up Princess, what a fucking stupid thing to write .

If I had a 17 year old dd I would rather she had a reliable newish car than some old banger with unknown history.

If I had the money I would buy my dc new cars after doing a year in a 10 year old plus car.

Buying a one series for a new driver is just asking for it to be wrote off! A driver with no experience controlling a back wheel drive powerful car is going to struggle.

MN is made of people judging other peoples life decisions, I'm not sure why the op is getting such a hard time for it.

Yawn!

Life is not fair! You had to buy your own car OP. So did I. So what?

Some may think that your buying your daughter a used car is OTT. Where do you draw the line.

BrandNewAndImproved

Not all new drivers have so many accidents. Neither myself nor DH had any bumps or scrapes so soon after passing our tests. Most people I know didn't!

This is nothing new. DH's parents bought him and his brother a really cheap run around after passing their tests. At least 2 or 3 other friends had cars of various ages/costs bought for them. And these were not really well off families.

You see lots of sixth formers driving their own cars when you pass almost every secondary school. Heck, most secondary schools even have sixth form parking areas!

Not long after I passed my driving test I had the opportunity to buy a new car with a 0% interest car loan.
I decided against it and bought a second hand one instead because I felt like I would appreciate a new car more once I'd had some driving experience behind me. I think part of the driving experience is having a crap car to begin with.

I also agree with the general principle that kids should earn something like that.

OP doesn't come across too judgey to me. But MN these days is full of people waiting to pounce on someone for having an opinion - clearly bypassing the irony of judging someone for being judgey.

No Daisy.

Everyone is allowed their opinions, myself included! That's the point.

We don't have to disagree but I find it hilarious that I'm apparently rude, in the context of some of the responses.

I think there's a happy medium though honking. Personally I think it's a lot to spend on a 17 year old who can't even drive yet. As a learner you tend to be very hard on a car and having an expensive fancy model is a bit of a waste.
Even leaving aside the argument that teenagers should be taught to save up for luxuries like that, and not just have them handed to them.

Well, having spent a couple of decades teaching 16 - 19 year olds I can pass a comment or two.

The kids who were given cars, with all or most expenses paid, were generally far less careful with them. Latterly, when new laws, black boxes etc came in, these were the kids who would brazenly flout them and expect the bank of mum and dad to bail them out. They were more likely to drink and drive, carry 7 or 8 passengers, speed and generally act like pillocks.

The most obvious difference between them and the kids who contributed was the number of small scratches and dents in their cars... it was very easy to tell who paid for their own cars.

Well of course it's ridiculous - she could take several years to pass her test for a start. By which time the car won't be lovely and new.

you have a one woman vendetta dbamboo

I think it is also appalling to lavish so much money on 17 year olds. They wont appreciate it. you mark my words.

It's not just about bumps and scrapes hula. You can be heavy on the clutch, etc while you're learning.

Yeh, I wouldn't get her a banger. My car is 9 years old and anything but. It is lovely and actually still looks new, inside and out.