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).

I don't have a problem with it - I just wouldn't do it as I expect them to work for big purchases, or at the very least, put a substantial contribution towards it. We could afford it - I just wouldn't.

My parents stopped m grandfather buying my siblings and I new cars. Instead we got older models.

My sister's one still kicks about at my Dad's for us to use when we are home (he lives somewhere with difficult public transport and having a car available to borrow when you are visiting makes a huge difference - but yes i knuw I'm spoilt).

My sister's car is now 15 years old.

Last year I had my first ever accident (I've been driving for 20years). If my Dad hadn't persuaded me to take his new and expensive car that day I would be dead as it was a multicar pile up and all the safety features in his car saved me. My sister's car doesn't even have air bags!

For safety reasons I think young drivers need small cars with little engines and good safety ratings.....

Leelu of course it is genuine AIBU.
She took the time to post it!
The answers are also genuine too!
I can't imagine giving any head space to what another person buys their kids, discussing it my own kids and then posting to ask for opinions. But there you go. Same way, a lot of people wouldn't bother responding to a thread. That's kind of the whole point. She has her say, and others have theirs.

What is so predictable (hence the yawn) are the comments made about anyone who appears to have money. And what is hilarious (probably not the best use of phrase but there you go) are people who go 'oi, calm down' and then proceed to nitpick! Don't bully the OP, but whilst you're her.

Good job I can't be bullied.

And I'm perfectly sane thanks!

Do people still buy 'old bangers'?

As I said, there are many choices in between 'brand new' and 'old banger'.

My parents bought me a new car when I passed my test at 17 and I was always careful. I didn't want to die in a car crash so,of course I drove carefully!

Plus they then changed the car regularly for me, every couple of years a new or nearly new one. I think I was in my 30s before I bought my own car.

So what?

Also lots of the car manufacturers used to bundle free insurance - this is why lots of my peers got brand new cars as it was cheaper overall than buying a second hand car then insuring it

'What is so predictable (hence the yawn) are the comments made about anyone who appears to have money.'

I thought the comments were about peoples' spending choices rather than their bank balance?

If they can afford it why not?

Oh no, they should deprive their kids of nice things to pussyfoot around others.... I don't think so, it's their money and their child...they can do what they like.

You sound very bitter.

YANBU OP, it is OTT for a 17 year old regardless of resources and it's not the message I'd want to send a child of mine about working, saving, planning, gratification etc.

Suck it up princess!

Bamboo have you heard yourself?

OP - I know you said you should assume someone with a big house has more money than someone with a small house - but you can't always assume someone with the same sized house as you has the same income and expenses - for example, it was only when DH started working for a bank (he's not in a banking function so had been working a few years before he moved to working for a bank) and saw what job titles were at which pay grades, that he realised that his parents were actually a lot better off than many of his friend's parents growing up. It's just PIL bought a house that suited their needs, then didn't bother 'trading up' when FIL got promoted a few years later as many other people would have done.

FIL spent the bulk of his career earning at a very high level, yet they stayed in the same house in a street where their near neighbours were teachers and middle management, DH said he had noticed they had fancier cars and holidays than friends, but hadn't quite grasped how much more money there was coming in as PIL weren't into living a 'big' lifestyle.

On the other hand, if they do have the same sort of income as you, they might not have the same outgoings, if they'd paid off their mortgage early (many of my DB's friends are mortgage free by mid-40s, some by buying early, others by inheritances clearing mortgages), they have that extra each month which can make something like this seem far more affordable.

Should add my DS didn't want a car when he was 17. Hasn't yet started to learn. He has an IOU 1 car post it note instead.

ANBU OP, it is OTT for a 17 year old regardless of resources and it's not the message I'd want to send a child of mine about working, saving, planning, gratification etc.

Do you really think that youngsters who are given a help by their parents aren't aware of, or don't experience, any of the things you've listed there?

For example, one of mine is working full time whilst studying for a long distance masters over 2 years instead of 3 whilst renovating a house her and her husband have just bought. They're 26 years old, she's a teacher, he's a new Dr.

Too many 'whilsts' above.

I actually agree with you OP. I think it's daft to buy a 17 year old a brand new car (and no manufacturer would offer free insurance to a 17 year old who hasn't passed their test yet!).

I dunno, with a few exceptions (disability, family need, or similar) it is spoiling them. Anecdotally, everyone I know who was bought a brand new car at 17/18 is very spoilt and they act it too.

But I know there will be plenty of DC who aren't spoilt and grew up to still be grateful people and stand on their own two feet.

But if people have loads of money and aren't sacrificing anything to buy them, and their DC won't ever need to support themselves, then why not. It's just a present like any other. Some buy a watch, some buy a car, it's all relative.

Do people still buy 'old bangers'? Yes, they do. Mine is nearly 20 now and flies through its MOT every year with nothing to do, barring the normal maintenance. It's almost free motoring for me now and I'd fancy my chances in an accident my car more than a brand new super mini, quite honestly. Mine's a tank and I love it.

And no, assumptions shouldn't be made about where a person lives or the car they drive. DP and I live in a teeny tiny house and both drive really old cars, so you wouldn't know our financial status. If we wanted to, we could buy a house with land and brand new cars, but we choose not to. I think most people would be surprised if not shocked if they knew and not understand why we live where we do.

One of my very good friends bought a small, brand new car for her DS1's 18th birthday & will be doing the same for her DS2 next year.

She is a LP after her DH died a few years ago and, having done careful research, decided it would be the most cost effective & safe way of getting them a car at all. The insurance quotes were working out cheaper than for an older car (which makes no sense to me but there you go!) and there will be negligible maintenance costs on a brand new car for the first 3 years whilst covered by a warranty.

She chose a basic 1L model, so not much chance of huge speeds! Road tax was also something minimal like £20 per year. She also feels safer knowing they are driving about in a mechanically sound car, which a newer car is likely to be compared with an "old banger".

There is no way we can afford new cars for our DCs, but for those who can, why not?

oh and my uncle bought all 3 of his DCs new cars when they passed their tests, but then all 3 went to uni in the city they lived just outside and stayed at home rather than go into halls, 3 years of hall fees would easily cost more than the car. He drove a powerful company car, which he'd said before, his company wouldn't allow an under 21 year old to drive, and my Aunt drove an automatic, the cousins wanted to learn to drive in manual cars.

None have ever had a crash, all 3 still have their cars (youngest is mid-20s).

Some people view a car as a luxury item, others as a nessessary form of transport than in some areas make life a lot easier. If you are going to buy a car and tax/insure it, then new cars often work out as better deals.

I probably won't be buying the DCs new cars for their 17th because we probably won't be able to afford it. Other people can and I can see why it's a sensible gift.

Old cars are a false economy imo. As someone else said, a brand new aygo or similar, possibly on interest free, free insurance for a year, no RT or servicing etc is probably a good way to go. I bought my first car for 7k in a similar deal and DH is still driving it as a runaround 15y later! Very low costs in that time and never gone wrong.

I have 3dc and fully intend to buy them a new small car, if I can, for them to share and learn in.

Thank you SirChenjin :)

And yes Mitzy - there's a huge gulf between brand new and old banger. I'd rather help them out with their house deposit but then I've never really understood why people buy something that's going to lose 10% of its value the moment you drive it off the forecourt.

I enjoy spending my hard earned money on my child. She wants for nothing.

However, she is not spoiled.

Spoiled is a failure by parents to instill manners, teach gratitude and empathy. Spoiled is not a direct result of buying your child "stuff".

Having an opinion on how your friends and neighbours spent their money is just so unsprezz. Yuck.

I agree with you OP. Yes it is more financially convenient to give a DC a new car in terms of MOT and servicing costs etc, and is fine if they understand the value of the gift, but many don't and some end up taking that kind of expense for granted. If you can afford to spoil DC and don't want them to work for things and see the value of them then go ahead but IMO giving a first time driver such an expensive gift is going to end in tears either when they knock into something and dent it because they've only just passed or when you realise they've become a brat.

However I agree that being jealous of others who receive nice gifts and appreciate them is just as ugly if not worse than being spoilt and unappreciative.

Lynda - various reasons, like - because you can buy it with good deals meaning that compared to taking out a car loan separately, it ends up you are better off each month and the car costs you less overall. Because you want to be able to certain you won't have car costs like MOT and repairs for the first few years (if you are buying a car as a gift to someone with a low income like a student, then this would be an important factor).

None of your business. My sister and BiL bought both their children brand new cars for their 16th birthdays, not 'economy cars' either. BiL (owned a large car dealership) also helped us find 'affordable' cars (i.e. safe and reliable, but destined for auction rather than resale at the dealership) for our sons' high school graduations (at 18) as gifts from our mother.

All 4 of our children grew up to be lovely, generous well adjusted adults who know the value of money. Being generous or giving expensive gifts doesn't make a child 'spoilt' or 'not understanding the value of money' in and of themselves. It's whether or not the parents taught their children gratitude for what they have been given, regardless of its value.

Old cars being false economy is absolutely true in most cases. However, if you can buy a car for £650, run it for 4 years and spent absolutely nothing on it, apart from MOT and normal wear and tear maintenance, then it really isn't false economy. This is my car. And my previous car and that one only died because I lent it to someone who subsequently wrote it off. Kindly posted the pictures on facebook, too. Tosser.

meh - I imagine we'll buy newish cars for our 3 when they pass - ex has got his step daughters one - he can afford it so it's not an issue

surely it's 'handing it to them on a plate' regardless of age if you buy them a car - or any kind of gift - I tend not to poke my snoz into other peoples business that mush