It is fine for parents to buy their teens expensive cars?

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

Found this on another Reddit thread, so it might be true or not - https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/bk5lhm/aita_for_getting_my_son_a_better_car_than_my_exs/ basically, OP bought his son a nice car and his ex-wife - the boy's mother - was angry about it.

I find this somewhat relatable because when I got my license at 18, I was living with my mother, and she always refused to let me drive her car, an old Renault Clio, lest I ruined it. Then my father got me a nice Audi A3 2010 - starting my lifetime love for the brand - and suddenly my mother was too eager to exchange cars, first saying I was too young for it, then outright admitting that it "looked bad" that her son had a better car than her.

That aside, I can understand the genuine concers of giving a teen a powerful and expensive car - they are green drivers and might be reckless and dangerous with such vehicles, and also scratch and bump them quite a lot, wasting money.

Thoughts?

[AmandaYVR]

I agree with her, "it 'looked bad' that her son had a better car than her." She didn't really think clearly about that, it seems. Taking it away from you and driving it herself was also wrong too, though. Two wrongs don't make a right. She doubled down.

No teenager should ever be given a brand new car, in my opinion. Doesn't matter how easily the family can afford it.

But there are two ways I could even refute my own argument (somewhat) - dangling a carrot can teach them the value of making a plan and sticking with it. Maybe their grades go up, or they start really taking chores around the house more seriously. (Though chores should be done regardless, being a member of a family.) And the second thing is that some people are very inspired by beautiful aesthetic design, and great engineering in tools and mechanical things. (Try to convince my husband otherwise. He wants a whole series of professional guitars, when the only person who hears his playing is little 'ol me. But he swears it would "inspire" him.)

Odds are, a kid is going to damage it. And do they really have the money to pay for that, when it happens? Auto insurance costs a small fortune in some locations. Especially for teenagers. The facts are the facts. In fact, adults who get in accidents should also buy used cars. Or they might be hearing that, "This is why we can't have nice things!" It's sort of a principle with many, more than any expenditure limitation.

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

I agree with you that the costs and recklessness of teenagers make a recipe for disaster in most cases. In my case it made me extremely paranoid about my driving and keeping my car top notch.

I think that my mother was sort of right, for the wrong reasons. Nowadays she says that yes, my father got me a cool car, but he still lived in a mansion while I shared a two-rooms apartment with her.

Lol, I understand your husband - it's his passion and he would really enjoy it to have those cool guitars, even if to just look at them on a wall and play them once in a while. I know a guy who does the same with di sets.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Those kinds of parents only enable their kids to be nothing else but spoiled brats.

[NathanDavis]

case by case scenario...

if a teen is a green, reckless and dangerous driver that's because they had careless parenting, that's all

everyone in my family learns to drive as young as 12 to 14... we do not start TO DRIVE, we start to learn and practice so, by the age everyone reaches the legal age to do so, you're already and experienced enough driver, so that is one thing

the other thing is just perspective about money and it is all relative... for many people, that car in the picture you've used might be expensive but for others is just not, it is just a regular drive and not a big deal

personally, next year... I'll be the one teaching my niece how to drive safely, even if she's not going to drive any time soon, but she's going to learn and practice already and I am also going to buy her (used) car, not a brand new one of course but it will be one that she wants and likes, and I almost certain that she will pick one she likes based on the looks lmao and the color... so, it is up to me, to teach her and show here that are a lot more other things that are also important, especially safety and maintenance, and the costs of all that so I know that it will be fine as long as we all, as adults... cover all that

[Anonymous]

I wasn't bought a nice car when I turned 16. My dad had nice trucks, a Mercedes, a mustang, a BMW etc and I had the use of them for school. Any sign of irresponsibility and I lost the privledge. They were really useful for picking up high and middle school chicks who are so shallow. I was getting handjobs and blowjobs just because I was driving a Mercedes or a BMW.

[Pudsmucker]

To answer your question. Is it good to buy a car for your child? I would say yes. But not an expensive car but one they can learn to deal with and you're not out a lot of money trying to get it repaired because they're responsibility of that child. I knew guys that had brand new mustangs when I was going to school. They didn't respect the car very well and treated it poorly. I bought my children when they were growing up. It was a $500 stick shift car they loved it. It taught them responsibility and I wasn't out a lot of money. It's paid for in cash. When they went to college the car was left behind and I got the car to drive to work we had the car for a good 15 years. Very economical.

[OlderAndWiser]

An expensive car has the potential to cause problems for a teen and to not be appreciated, but some teens would do well with such a gift. I would need to know the teen before making this decision.

[jamesgoldman]

Yeah if they are safe and proven drivers but hell one of my friends bought himself a BMW M3 at 17 and in 11 years on the road had never crashed that or any of the other almost 30 cars he's been in control of

[TrueConfection]

Who cares, as long as it's a reliable car and not toooo embarrassing for the kid to drive.

[douride2]

in my opinion it is wrong for parents to buy an expensive car for a teenager.