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Should you buy your teen their first car?

For a gift, it can sure take away a lot, writes Dilvin Yasa.

As far as requests from teenagers go, it was pretty tame I suppose, but it’s one that’s sparked a lot of debate in our household over the past couple of months: “Mum, will you buy me a car as soon as I get my driver’s licence?”.

I could see why my daughter might have thought a response in the affirmative was even a remote possibility. She had, after all, witnessed plenty of family friends purchasing their own (older) teens brand-new cars from which to slap P-plates on. Why would I think any differently, right?

Call me crazy, but I’ve actually always felt sorry for kids whose first car is a luxury vehicle purchased entirely from the bank of mum and dad. What about the thrill of attaining something you’ve saved really hard for?

What about all the useful skills you learn from having to drive around a used car? Studies show humans are happiest when we’re striving for something, so what could our kids possibly have to work towards when their first car is given to them with a big red bow?

My parents purchased my first car – a 1982 Toyota Corolla that looked as though it had been dumped, as opposed to parked, outside our home – for $2000 when I was 17. I had it for two days before they realised they couldn’t actually afford it and the Corolla went back to wherever it came from.

Traumatic? Absolutely, but I made do by driving mum’s decade-old Nissan Vanette; a vehicle so battered that I soon learnt all about car maintenance. So much so that by the time I had my full licence, I knew how to change tyres, perfect the art of the push start, and get to know all the roadside-assist guys at the NRMA so often did this thing break down.

More than that, I was filled with a burning desire to earn enough money to buy my own car. The kind that started the minute you turned the key in the ignition (and preferably had air-conditioning), and one that couldn’t be taken away the minute I closed my eyes.

Finance experts love the topic of whether parents should ever buy their teens a car, with most of them resolute that kids should make their own way to on-the-road freedom for their own good.

Some – including some of our most prominent talking heads – insist buying teens a brand-new car will not only leave them ill-adjusted for the real world, but that we as parents would also be taking away a fantastic opportunity to learn essential life-long money management skills.

At face value, I agree, but when I think about all the long hours I spent in the middle of the night waiting for roadside assistance, I feel a little green around the gills. I want my girls to have money management skills and appreciation for everything they have, but I also want them to be safe.

So after a few weeks of rolling dialogue, we’ve agreed on a system where we will match our teen dollar-for-dollar to put towards a (roadworthy) second-hand car. This means she still has a goal to save towards, but that she won’t walk away from her endeavours with a car that falls apart on the M4.

What’s the best way of choosing a second-hand car for your teen?

At absolute minimum, be sure to:

  • Have the car checked over for safety and reliability by a mechanic.
  • Select a car that has six airbags (preferably).
  • Read reviews from other owners to determine how well the car performs.
  • And above all, resist the temptation to buy a car only to take it back a couple of days later. Believe me, that kind of thing sticks with you for a lifetime.

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