Buying teens new cars

[Lippitymoo]

I’ve been with my partner for 3 years. He has twin 16 year olds (mum isn’t around at all she upped and left them all). Ae don’t live together but are very serious, just won’t live in while our children are at home (I have a 15 year old).
His kids birthdays are in a few months. He’s told me he is planning to buy them both a brand new Hyundai i10. He says he just wants to get new as he hopes it will last them until they are financially independent and beyond that way. He also said he wants to be able to get the bigger engine for the sake of motorways and get them an automatic, so getting new will save the faff of finding something situ the requirements that they both like.
AIBU to think this is totally ridiculous?

I was 37 when I passed my driving test. I got a brand new car. I was just as inexperienced at driving as a 17 year old who'd just passed their test would be and yet no one batted an eyelid at my new car.

My sons 13 this year. He'll be getting a brand new car when he passes his driving test, should he wish to drive. We'll also be giving him the deposit for a home when the time comes.

Both of these come on the condition that he is working or with regards to the car (should he chose to drive as soon as he's 17!) in full time education. Nothing ridiculous about giving to your kids if you are able to.

So how do you expect them to get around independently? They live rurally. One of the things you accept as parents who choose to live rurally is that old teens will need to be ferried about a LOT or they will need a car.

YABU
His money, his choices. He clearly can easily afford to do this. What qualifies you to be so judgemental?!!!

Same car few years older would be a wiser option really. Xx

I don't see a problem with it. If I could afford it I would've bought my DD a new car. As long as he can afford it it wouldn't bother me, if it's gonna cause him financial hardship then I wouldn't be down with it.

Catapultaway, a new car isn't necessarily safer than a sturdy, older reliable car.

It's a nice gesture but with such a big purchase, I'd tell my Dc so they can choose the car they'd like! And they might like different cars.

I'd also buy second hand for better value, and I'd think about insurance costs. Has he checked how much they will be to insure?

An automatic isn't a great idea. A manual is more practical.

But he sounds very generous, and as if his heart is in the right place.

I guess lots of divided opinions on this . Eldest DS is 19. Passed his test last week. We paid for a chunk of his lessons, he funded the rest. He’s on a gap year so working full time at the moment. We weren’t financially in a position to buy him a car but his grandparents gave all the GC some money a few months ago from some inheritance they had. DS is using his money to buy a car and insure it. Funnily enough he’s bought a Hyundai i10 but it’s a few years old.
I probably would have bought them a car if I could but don’t think I’d have bought new.

personally I think it’s better to get a cheaper car to start off with and then they can work their way upwards if they want to do so.

No I don’t think buying a new car for a teen that’s just passed is reasonable- they’re really bad value anyway regardless of your age or if you’ve just passed.

And as for bigger engine for a newly passed teen? Look at insurance per year- it’ll be crippling.

Who will pay for the lessons and the insurance?

Unless he’s using shared finances between you two for it, which it reads like he’s not, it’s really none of your concern.

You parent your way and he parents his way and neither of you are involved with each other’s kids nor live together and are not a blended family. You’re welcome to see it as ridiculous but it is his money and he is welcome to do what he wants the same way as you are.

If I could easily afford to buy my teens lovely new cars I would have done it.

Unfortunately the only option was old cheap ones with the small amount of money they and I were able to scrape together, and they've been nothing but trouble.

Also, if I found my 'partner' outlining my personal situation and slagging off my parenting decisions on a forum like this, I'd dump him.

Anyone buying a brand new car is silly imo! A few years old makes more sense and a smaller engine is better for a 17 year old!

I agree. Much more sensible to buy one used car for them to share, that itself plus driving lessons would still be generous. We could absolutely have afforded to buy DD a new expensive car but did the sensible thing of buying a used small car (as ours not suitable to learn in) as a family car that she could use. If she doesn't come home after uni and a car makes sense then she can use her child trust fund to buy one, or we might help her out to buy one then, but makes no sense to do it when they start off!

Regardless of if he can afford it or not, I think it send out the wrong message. What’s next, buy the children a house each? Even if I was on a massive six or seven figure salary I wouldn’t do that.

There’s nothing wrong with driving something a few years old with low mileage.

As has been said, it’s not really your decision, but I think to voice how unreasonable it is, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because it is.

I had a small engine, Fiat uno as a first car. Safe but cheap
My dad said if I drove it for a year with no speeding tickets, no crashes, no parking tickets, basically nothing then we would look at changing it
Probably the best thing as I drove incredibly safely! Then I got another car but that's a whole other story

did i read they'll still have 300 grand each?
I don't think a new little car costing 20 grand is much of an issue, if that's the case!!

It does sound very extravagant.

The average insurance for a teen is now £3K - that's without adding a big engine. I think it's quite irresponsible to give young men fast cars..... there's a reason why the insurance is astronomical.

I’m with you OP, ridiculous sounds like the right assessment

"I parent my way, he parents his"

Then it's none of your concern. His money, his kids, his business.

Im surprised that so many posters are comparing brand new v old banger....theres literally a whole range of cars in between...if you buy brand new will you replace in 2 years in case its unreliable ...in which case why would a 2 year old car not be ok?

Of course its up to the individual, and people buying second hand cars rely on a certain amount of people buying new but theres some very black and white thinking here eg if its not brand new its liable to break down or be unreliable!

I have a small engined newish car. My insurers did not want to quote to add a newly passed teen as a learner driver to my policy. They recommended some specialist insurers who would. It was still more cost effective to buy a small second hand car and insure a newly qualified driver in their own name. Sadly. It’s not always a case of parents being extravagant. Most of our friends have done the same.

So you just answered your own question. He’s parenting his way.

And use cars don't necessarily break down. We've just replaced a 12 year old card that we've had from nearly.new. Mechanically sound but showing the signs of aging you'd expect from doing over 100k in the good old British weather.