[1ster]

Here's the "What the Heck" poll of the week.

Suppose you had a son or daughter who was turning 16 this year. Assume he or she is a good student, good kid, and is generally responsible.

What, if anything, would you buy them for their first car?

[BForbes]

I would get them a Honda Civic. The car is miles above everything domestic in its class. No Focus, Cobalt, Caliber, etc. Civic is the way to go!!

[WolfsburgerMitFries]

I don't understand why people buy a car for their kids, ever. That just makes sure the kid doesn't understand the value of money, and reinforces a sense of entitlement.

Let your kid buy whatever they can afford. And if they've pissed away all their money from birthdays and Christmas' of years past, well then I guess they're gonna be pedaling a Schwinn.

You poll is flawed...there's no choice for "let them buy their own car".

Ok, here's my first car. A 1972 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. This is a picture (of a picture) from July 1987...a month before I turned 16. I bought my own car with my own money. It was made of steel, steel, and more steel, perfect for a new driver. It weighed 4750 pounds, had a 7.8L/472 cu in V8, handled very poorly, and braked very poorly. It was a beautiful car though, especially compared to all the early FWD junk on the road in those days. The terrible driving dynamics taught me to pay strict attention to what I was doing while driving, and to think ahead...excellent parallels to real life. I never wrecked it, and it was alot of fun. Too bad the picture does not adequately show how great the condition was. At the same time, the sedan version was used in the movie "license to drive". That's my buddy with the mullett and Polo shirt by the way, nice combination.

[1ster]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgerMitFries

You poll is flawed...there's no choice for "let them buy their own car".

Jeez, there's an option for "I might help them out". You wouldn't even do that?

[WolfsburgerMitFries]

Originally Posted by 1ster

Jeez, there's an option for "I might help them out". You wouldn't even do that?

Teaching them the value of money, and that it doesn't grow on trees is a HUGE help to their financial additude for the rest of their life. An alarming amount of people can't manage themselves financially, because nobody ever bothered (had the dicipline) to teach them. You'll have plenty of opportunity to "Help them out" when new tires are needed, or the transmission breaks.

Ever hear the saying..."Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day, teach a man how to fish and you feed him for his lifetime"? Same principal.

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgerMitFries

I don't understand why people buy a car for their kids, ever. That just makes sure the kid doesn't understand the value of money, and reinforces a sense of entitlement.

Let your kid buy whatever they can afford. And if they've pissed away all their money from birthdays and Christmas' of years past, well then I guess they're gonna be pedaling a Schwinn.

You poll is flawed...there's no choice for "let them buy their own car".

Ok, here's my first car. A 1972 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. This is a picture (of a picture) from July 1987...a month before I turned 16. I bought my own car with my own money. It was made of steel, steel, and more steel. It weighed 4750 pounds, handled very poorly, and breaked very poorly, but it was a beautiful car, especially compared to all the early FWD junk on the road in those days. The terrible driving dynamics taught me to pay strict attention to what I was doing while driving, and to think ahead...excellent parallels to real life. I never wrecked it, and it was alot of fun. Too bad the picture does not adequately show how great the condition was. At the same time, the sedan version was used in the movie "license to drive". That's my buddy with the mullett by the way.

You act as if MAKING someone pay for their own car is the only way to teach them the value of money. It isnt. Times really have changed. Do you know the percentages of kids out their whose parents pay for their first car? I'm going to go out on a leap and say at least 80%. I'm not sure if you have kids but guess what happens if they dont have transportation. They will use whatever you have. You will have to pick them up from school, and take them to the movies, mall,etc. It becomes such a BIG inconvenience. I'm not saying you have to buy them some fancy car. I see it as selfishness to be quite honest if it is well within your means to buy your child transportation. My parents have always wanted to give us things they did not have as children. My parents bought my car and my brothers truck. But guess what, its maintained 100% by us. Yes, the tires, oil changes, insurance, and gasoline, etc. is all on us. If we crash the car or beat it to hell then thats too bad.

I mean if I was all wrapped up in making car payments and such I wouldnt have anytime to think about paying off a townhouse at 22yrs of age. A townhouse which my parents had NOTHING to do with btw. Its all about giving your kids a headstart. School debt is high enough as it is.

[Lips]

Originally Posted by onehots2k

You act as if MAKING someone pay for their own car is the only way to teach them the value of money. It isnt. Times really have changed. Do you know the percentages of kids out their whose parents pay for their first car? I'm going to go out on a leap and say at least 80%. I'm not sure if you have kids but guess what happens if they dont have transportation. They will use whatever you have. You will have to pick them up from school, and take them to the movies, mall,etc. It becomes such a BIG inconvenience. I'm not saying you have to buy them some fancy car. I see it as selfishness to be quite honest if it is well within your means to buy your child transportation. My parents have always wanted to give us things they did not have as children. My parents bought my car and my brothers truck. But guess what, its maintained 100% by us. Yes, the tires, oil changes, insurance, and gasoline, etc. is all on us. If we crash the car or beat it to hell then thats too bad.

I mean if I was all wrapped up in making car payments and such I wouldnt have anytime to think about paying off a townhouse at 22yrs of age. A townhouse which my parents had NOTHING to do with btw. Its all about giving your kids a headstart. School debt is high enough as it is.

Couldn't agree with you more. Unlike your parents, mine did not buy my car but rather cosigned for me so I could lease my first car. I was responsible for the monthly payments. They did help me out with gas and insurance during high school, but I paid for all of it once I got to college. If anything that tought me more about the value of money since I had a car that I was paying for myself. I would not have been able to be in that position had the parents not provided atleast some financial support in the form of gas and insurance payments.

Lips

[~AJ]

A beater.

Many 16 year olds wreck their first ride.

Most of my buddies crashed, rolled, or otherwise ruined their first car. All of them survived, except one.

[Euro Durch Tod]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgerMitFries

Teaching them the value of money, and that it doesn't grow on trees is a HUGE help to their financial additude for the rest of their life. An alarming amount of people can't manage themselves financially, because nobody ever bothered (had the dicipline) to teach them. You'll have plenty of opportunity to "Help them out" when new tires are needed, or the transmission breaks.

Ever hear the saying..."Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day, teach a man how to fish and you feed him for his lifetime"? Same principal.

helping your kid out buyin a new car isnt gonna take away learning the value of money, you just have to be responsible yourself in your helping. Now im not sayin buy them a brand new car but helpin out doesnt always hurt. You dont want your kid gettin stuck wit a pos that always breaks cuz the cant afford anythin good and then have no money cuz they are always fixing it. My parents paid all my dmv fees when i got my first car which i saved 6gs for. A great way of showing the value of money would be matching what your kids save if you have the money to do it, the harder they work the bigger the pay off or as said cosigning a loan and having them make the payments. And depending where you live walking isnt a reasonable option, without a car you would be stuck. My cars which my parents always gave me a grand or so for on top of wut I made allowed me to look for real jobs that require more responsibilty than working at a grocery store around the corner, which teaches more than just the value of money.

bottom line the parents have to be responsible, some kids can take handouts and still realize the value of money and be responsible while others wont.

[BMW135iCA]

I would buy them something new and safe if I could afford to. There is nothing wrong with that, and I would rather see them in somehting safe, than a car with crappy braking, and handling, its their life, and I would want to try and keep it safe. I find people who say no I won't buy them anything were people who parents didn't help them out when they got their first car. I do see what people mean, let them learn the value of money, earn it themselves, but to me safety is first for me if I had kids.

Chris

[Sephiroth]

There is nothing wrong with buying a car for your child, just let them share in the payments, insurance, and gas. Then again, dropping the entire burden on them will force them to focus more on their job than on school. At age 16, IMO, school should be the primary focus. Perhaps better/consistently good school grades = car payment subsidies?

Buy a used car thats good on gas and insurance. Do not go for the typical civic, accord, camry.

[Nixon]

I had my own first car given to me. Datsun B210.

I ran it into a fire hydrant and bent the bumper back to the tire. I pulled the bumper straight with a chain wrapped around a tree and pretended it had never happened. Then I got a ticket for "exhibition of speed" on Valentine's day showing off for a chic. Then I blew out the clutch doing a long set of linked 180's (spin the tail out 180 degrees, reverse, whip the front end around 180 degrees, repeat over and over without coming to a stop.), and that car got sold to a handy-man.

I had my second car given to me too. Ford Mustang.

I was happy to find out what it was like to drive at way over 100 mph, since the B210 topped out at only 96 mph going downhill. I got a second ticket in it, this time for crossing the median. Then I bounced it off of a cement truck that turned left as I was passing it, and slammed it sideways into a telephone pole at 65 mph. In a school zone.

That was my first year of driving.

I don't have kids, but if I did, I would NEVER, EVER, buy any kid of mine a car.

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by Nixon

I had my own first car given to me. Datsun B210.

I ran it into a fire hydrant and bent the bumper back to the tire. I pulled the bumper straight with a chain wrapped around a tree and pretended it had never happened. Then I got a ticket for "exhibition of speed" on Valentine's day showing off for a chic. Then I blew out the clutch doing a long set of linked 180's (spin the tail out 180 degrees, reverse, whip the front end around 180 degrees, repeat over and over without coming to a stop.), and that car got sold to a handy-man.

I had my second car given to me too. Ford Mustang.

I was happy to find out what it was like to drive at way over 100 mph, since the B210 topped out at only 96 mph going downhill. I got a second ticket in it, this time for crossing the median. Then I bounced it off of a cement truck that turned left as I was passing it, and slammed it sideways into a telephone pole at 65 mph. In a school zone.

That was my first year of driving.

I don't have kids, but if I did, I would NEVER, EVER, buy any kid of mine a car.

Yeah, if the kid takes anything after you they might need a lifetime bus pass instead...

[Nixon]

Originally Posted by onehots2k

Yeah, if the kid takes anything after you they might need a lifetime bus pass instead...

You nailed it!

But to be fair to myself, I did eventually mellow out. So just a 10 year bus pass might do! :biggrin:

[Oregon]

Originally Posted by WolfsburgerMitFries

That's my buddy with the mullett and Polo shirt by the way, nice combination.

Yer' buddy, huh? :wink: Sure....... :biggrin:

http://www.mulletsgalore.com/

[BForbes]

[quote=Surname;42503]Yer' buddy, huh? :wink: Sure....... :biggrin:

HAHA...I was thinking the same thing. That is sooo wolfie sitting on the car with the mullet. Business in the front, party in the back!!!

[Khobin~]

No 16 yr old kid should have his/her own car. If you buy it for them they'll never appreciate it, if they buy it themselves that money was better saved for Uni/College. And insurance is waaaaaay too F'in expensive(at least here). At that age it's better to let them borrow Mom/dad's car once in a while.

[colonel1961]

Wow - we're on a BMW site and people apprear to be jealous of kids having their first car provided to them? My folks bought me my first car - a new VW Scirocco. I was so proud they had to force me to drive it in the rain. If I owned that car 1,000 days, I'll bet I was washing it or cleaning it on 300 of those.

It's all about one's attitude towards what one is given.

My folks just gave my eldest her first vehicle - a new Toyota 4Runner SR5. Same thing, she is so proud to have her own vehicle - very grateful, as was I. And she's a damned good kid. It will in no way distort her sense of money in the future, nor did it distort mine.

Rock on, dudes.

col.

:headbang:

[Euro Durch Tod]

Originally Posted by Nixon

I had my own first car given to me. Datsun B210.

I ran it into a fire hydrant and bent the bumper back to the tire. I pulled the bumper straight with a chain wrapped around a tree and pretended it had never happened. Then I got a ticket for "exhibition of speed" on Valentine's day showing off for a chic. Then I blew out the clutch doing a long set of linked 180's (spin the tail out 180 degrees, reverse, whip the front end around 180 degrees, repeat over and over without coming to a stop.), and that car got sold to a handy-man.

I had my second car given to me too. Ford Mustang.

I was happy to find out what it was like to drive at way over 100 mph, since the B210 topped out at only 96 mph going downhill. I got a second ticket in it, this time for crossing the median. Then I bounced it off of a cement truck that turned left as I was passing it, and slammed it sideways into a telephone pole at 65 mph. In a school zone.

That was my first year of driving.

I don't have kids, but if I did, I would NEVER, EVER, buy any kid of mine a car.

This is where the parents come in. After you destroy your first car dont give or allow someone to give your child another better car. Its just stupid. I wrecked my first car after 6 months which I paid 6gs for which was in beautiful wit some nice wheels and stereo. After that it took me 6 months to save up for pos for a lil under 3gs that always had problems. I definately learned my lesson after that.

[Khobin~]

Originally Posted by colonel1961

Wow - we're on a BMW site and people apprear to be jealous of kids having their first car provided to them? My folks bought me my first car - a new VW Scirocco. I was so proud they had to force me to drive it in the rain. If I owned that car 1,000 days, I'll bet I was washing it or cleaning it on 300 of those.

It's all about one's attitude towards what one is given.

My folks just gave my eldest her first vehicle - a new Toyota 4Runner SR5. Same thing, she is so proud to have her own vehicle - very grateful, as was I. And she's a damned good kid. It will in no way distort her sense of money in the future, nor did it distort mine.

Rock on, dudes.

col.

:headbang:

It all comes down to what I experienced when I was younger...I knew multiple kids that got new cars when they turned 16, some wrecked them, some just ran them into the ground, and pracitally none of them gave 2 shits about it because their parent's were more then willing to buy them another one...Granted there were some exceptions to that.

My parent's never bought me shit...I turned 14 and was practially forced to find a part-time job. It sucked, but it taught me a great deal, about life, money, etc.

Just because now I'm looking at buying a BMW doesn't mean that I'm automatically rich, and plan to spoil my kid... I mean I do want to provide him with things to make his life easier then mine was, but at 16 I just can't see myself buying him a car. Sure he might be like you and treat it like gold, but personnaly I think he'd be better off not having it simply handed to him.

[WolfsburgerMitFries]

Originally Posted by Khobin~

but personnaly I think he'd be better off not having it simply handed to him.

Good man.

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by colonel1961

Wow - we're on a BMW site and people apprear to be jealous of kids having their first car provided to them? My folks bought me my first car - a new VW Scirocco. I was so proud they had to force me to drive it in the rain. If I owned that car 1,000 days, I'll bet I was washing it or cleaning it on 300 of those.

It's all about one's attitude towards what one is given.

My folks just gave my eldest her first vehicle - a new Toyota 4Runner SR5. Same thing, she is so proud to have her own vehicle - very grateful, as was I. And she's a damned good kid. It will in no way distort her sense of money in the future, nor did it distort mine.

Rock on, dudes.

col.

:headbang: