Did you/will you buy your 17 year old a car?

[Robertsmithdoesmyhair]

My DD is 17 on Mon. She wants driving lessons and a car to drive to college in! Lots of her (wealthy) friends are now getting them! I've explained that we could afford to buy a car if she could tax and insure it. She doesn't even have a PT job so that's a no then.
Since when did 17 year olds expect their parents to pay for a car? Is this a thing now? It's utter madness! I thought she'd want a new iphone!
Did you get your DC one??

Yes we are buying a car. It will be a third family car and all the children will need to share it in time. DH and I wouldn’t be able to get them insured on our cars and I would like them to have their independence. They will need to put petrol in it, we will cover the rest.

I can’t see a reason why they’d need one at 17 when they don’t need at 16.

DD picked up a 16 hour contract job just before leaving school; she wouldn't have been able to do that at 16, she could at 17. She also couldn't have taken the job if she didn't have transport.

She worked overtime through the summer and she kept the job to support her though college, which she also wouldn't have managed without a car.

It is quite common here for parents to buy their DC's a car when they pass their test.

Driving lessons I consider to be an important skill and I think everyone should help their DC if they can. Buying them a car is a different matter altogether, but lessons I would say absolutely get your DC through their test.

Leased dd a brand new car.

I looked at buying secondhand and by the time I factored in MOTs, possible breakdowns and depreciation the deal I got wasn’t much difference.

Absolutely not. Couldn't afford it tbh and anywag I'm of the old school mindset - ie, you want something, you work for it. I know I'm going to be bawled out for that BTW 😊

My dd is 17 next year and if she goes to uni I won't be buying her a car as she can't take it with her. If she doesn't I will buy her one but she will have to pay to run it.

Why would a 17 year need a car?

Dd works all over and does very odd hours and I like the fact I don’t have to go and pick her up from a tube station at 4am

Wow! I am truly shocked at how many of you have bought them cars! I honestly didn't even consider it. We can't afford to and never even considered budgeting for one. If I add up the costs of his school trips over the past 2 years, then maybe we could have said no to those and saved that money! I feel so naive!

How do you afford the insurance?

Just been through this with DS1, been an expensive time! lessons, theory passed second time, passed practical driving test first time. Giving him my car, paying his first years insurance. He’s still at college and doesn’t have an income. In 9 months time DS2 will also want to learn to drive and it will all start again!

No we made a conscious decision not to because of the number of young people we’ve seen write off their cars or worse. The statistics around teenage drivers are quite shocking, particularly if they give lifts.

We bought them as 21st birthday presents.

DS had £150 for his 27th birthday. He bought 25 driving lesson (he paid rest) he had 23 lessons and passed first time. I bought him a small pinto with 7 months MOT for £250. He insured and taxed it.
He ended up buying a new car 6 months later.

How do you afford the insurance?

DD insurance was £1200, it had to be paid upfront but she paid it anyway.

Get a car that has a lease and insurance deal that you pay monthly for. You won’t own it but she’ll be able to get around in a car that isn’t a banger. This is what I’m prob doing for mine when they are old enough.

I did

Paid for lessons and insured them on mine at 17. Bought cars on graduation when they started work.

Will not be buying cars for my kids when they are 17. Help pay towards lessons if I can afford it.

DD16 is already learning to drive at weekend young driver lessons held in the local park and ride. We live rurally and we we buying her a car as soon as she passes her test.

Was thinking of leasing a new car as you can get deals with the insurance included but now considering buying her a used plug in hybrid so she can charge up for short journeys and reduce fuel costs.

No, I couldn't afford it. He understands that.

My DD is way off the driving age, but I have a savings account specifically for driving lessons/car/insurance.

It's an essential life skill in my eyes and I will help her in any way to learn.

Yes probably, two years away though.

No, but the vast majority of my DS’s friends have their own cars . He shares mine. We did pay for driving lessons as his 17th birthday present but whether you can afford it or not, I don’t think it’s very sensible for a 17/18 year old to have their own car.

I will buy dd a car and give her lessons for her 17th.. it will no doubt be a nice car because we can afford it but nothing extravagant.. my parents did the same for me and I'm grateful

I think we would buy a second family car when the eldest learns to drive. Not quite there yet but sounds like they will need quite a bit of encouragement as they currently have no interest at all in learning.

I don’t think it’s very sensible for a 17/18 year old to have their own car.

Why not?

Loved DD having her own car. An end to the endless lifts.