Buying 16 year old a car- help

[cvjw]

Check with your insurance agent for the rates of the different cars.

We made older son drive a hand me down car until he was 18 and then bought him a brand new Mazda 6 grand touring. His insurance premiums were $1200 every 6 months for a million in coverage.

Purchased younger son a brand new toyota rav 4 sport edition with the technology package when he turned 16. His premiums were under $800 every 6 months for the same million in coverage.

I would not have believed that an SUV was cheaper to insure than a sedan, but it was for us. Both vehicles are loaded with safety features, so that isn’t the difference.

We also have an 8 year old Subaru Outback that is awesome. It has 80,000 miles on it and has only needed the gas cap replaced - other than routine maintenance. It is amazing in snow and ice. My husband will always drive a Subaru.

I swear by Honda’s. Just got a new 2019 Honda Pilot elite with all wheel drive.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm also in Mass and my son just got licensed this past September. The comments about FWD and snow tires, while would be OK, wouldn't normally cut it with the winters here, combined with the roads and hills. Can you get around without 4WD or AWD, sure, but I'd personally prefer having 4WD/AWD.

I agree, especially when you are an essential employee, and sometimes having to travel before roads are even plowed. It's always served me very well, and now my DD, also now an essential employee who's working overnights.

TAX GUY, sweet Wrangler!! That's just about the only SUV I like. Love those things. They're extraordinarily roll over prone, so I'd still go with my initial pause about giving a teen an SUV. But the Wrangler is fabulous, I will say that. I've owned pretty much every kind of car over the years, but Wrangler is one I'm still waiting to have. One day I will.

I agree, sweet Wrangler! We've had them, and I agree, even as a Jeep family, we didn't want our newly licensed drivers having a Wrangler for a while for that reason.

 

[SteveH]

...since the car technically wasn’t ours, and the privilege of using it could be removed at any time, we followed the rules...

^^^This 100 times this!
We never had any issues with our kids beyond one getting in a fender bender, they knew it was still our vehicle. We laid our expectations from the start. Gas was on them (mostly), they contributed to routine maintenance items like oil changes, tires, brakes, etc., they were 100% responsible for cleaning it.

 

[mousefan1972]

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and stories. You’ve given me lots to consider. @Klayfish, you didn’t insult my driving. I just meant that becoming proficient in driving in crappy weather takes experience, so in the meantime I’m hoping to put my daughter in as safe a vehicle as I possibly can.

A few other bits of info: we live only a mile from her school. So no long daily commute. She was just hired at Target (yay!) which is about a 15 minute drive away. She’ll work maybe one day a week after school and on weekends. Lastly, she has a summer job at a school for autistic kids. That’s about 30 minutes away. But, she won’t be going there in the winter. And if the weather is truly horrible, she won’t drive. It’s as easy as that.

 

[RamblingMad]

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and stories. You’ve given me lots to consider. @Klayfish, you didn’t insult my driving. I just meant that becoming proficient in driving in crappy weather takes experience, so in the meantime I’m hoping to put my daughter in as safe a vehicle as I possibly can.

A few other bits of info: we live only a mile from her school. So no long daily commute. She was just hired at Target (yay!) which is about a 15 minute drive away. She’ll work maybe one day a week after school and on weekends. Lastly, she has a summer job at a school for autistic kids. That’s about 30 minutes away. But, she won’t be going there in the winter. And if the weather is truly horrible, she won’t drive. It’s as easy as that.

I drove a Jetta around Chicago in the winter, and I survived. Unless you go out and buy a tank, you can only rely on crash tests for safety. And they don’t always match expectations.

 

[sam_gordon]

We're in Kentucky and generally get our share of ice every couple of years. And I grew up in Northern Indiana and have plenty of experience with winter driving. Aside from slowing down, what is special about "ice driving"? If there's no traction, there's no traction. It doesn't matter what car or tires you have. Snow? Sure. But driving on ice is different than driving in snow.

Having been a teenage girl, the mother of teen age girls and now a grand mother of a teenage boy, I would beg you to reconsider buying a car. Insurance costs, gas, multiple repairs because kids have no conception of how far they are from another object...will add up considerably, and based on my experience 16 year olds, boys or girls, have limited maturity to handle a car of their own, especially when they have other kids in the car. When she is old enough to buy a car on her own and pay all expenses she will appreciate it and care for it, much more. The moaning and whining will continue for awhile until you put your foot down,

There is a benefit to the parents to letting their child get a car... no more need to shuttle them around. And they help shuttle younger siblings. DS has his permit. He can get his intermediate license in April. We finish paying off DW's van next December. When that's paid off the plan is to give DS my car (2007 Sonata) and I get a "new to me" car. Even if we didn't get him a car, I would expect insurance costs to go up because he'd be a driver on our cars.

 

[Park Pirate]

As we just went through this, I thought I would add my $0.02. Daughter just got her license. We did end up getting a 3rd car. A used Honda Civic (new enough that it has the standard modern safety features). However it is not 'her car', it is our third car. It may sound like semantics, as she is responsible for it on a daily basis, but I think it helps keep perspective. Our daughter has never given us any reason not to trust her - in fact, she is a far better rule follower than I am! However, the State of Virginia makes it very clear that the license for those under 18 is the parent's. The parents have complete authority to take the license, at which point the driver would be in violation of State law if caught driving. This is explained as the license is given to the parents (not the new driver) in a court room by a judge. I think VA is one of the few states that still does this. VA also has laws stating how many non-related drivers can be in the car when she is driving and restricts driving late at night.

There is a benefit to the parents to letting their child get a car... no more need to shuttle them around. And they help shuttle younger siblings.

Anyway, I fully agree with the quote above. Our daughter having a car is really as much as a freedom for us, as it is her. She has dance class/practices several hours each day after school and occasionally takes equestrian lessons at a local stable. We no longer have to figure out a driving schedule, finding rides, taking off of work early, heading back out at night, etc... She also can occasionally give our younger son rides when we are not available. So far, it has been liberating!

The insurance hit was brutal. The additional car did not hurt so much - it was more just adding her to the policy.

Finally, we live and I have lived in the mountains (I know, they don't seem like mountains to those of you out west!) of PA and VA for about 30 years and believe me we get plenty of ice (more so than snow) on our hilly roads. While 4WD/AWD is great at getting you going or if going up a hill, in terms of safety, I have found that the biggest issue with ice is braking. 4WD/AWD does not help braking. In those cases, I would far prefer a car that has balanced weight that is closer to the ground. Anti-Lock brakes and good tires are essential. And, it will be a while before she is allowed to drive in conditions like that.

One last thing: In terms of the most modern safety features, I was a little unsure. Things like back-up cameras and blind spot indicators are fantastic and I have them on my car. But, I do not know if it is a great thing for new drivers to learn to drive with such cars, as you do not want them to be dependent on them. I could be convinced otherwise. Anyway, the Civic does not have those, although it does have all the air bags, crumble zones, traction control, anti-lock breaks, etc....

 

[RamblingMad]

I had to pay for my car insurance as a kid with money I earned working. It’s definitely expensive, so as a kid I had to decide if it was really worth it.

 

[TAX GUY]

OMG!! Where did you find that? We are north of Boston, north shore- ish. DD's dream car is a Wrangler. I would love to find an affordable one for her that I could hire you and your son to fix up.

I kept looking on FB marketplace and craigslist. Note, there were plenty that we passed on and some that should have gone to the scrap yard. They're out there, you just need to be patient and know what to look for. We found this one from a private sale a little west of us (in Belchertown). If you're budget is in the $12k +/- range, you can definitely find a great Wrangler for her. I would suggest reading up on them so you know the problem area's with them (rusting/rotting frames). Many around here are either mall crawlers or woods rigs. The woods rigs you'll spot right away, because they look like they were just in a demo derby! I'll keep my eyes open (as a car guy, I'm ALWAYS looking anyway) and if something looks decent, I'll message you here.

As for roll over prone, sure. Any vehicle with a shorter wheel base and higher center of gravity will tip/roll over easier than one that isn't. It all has to do with the driver. I also drive a Corvette, which has more power than anyone needs on any street around here. Doesn't mean that's how it gets driven (sometimes it does ). My son's Jeep is slightly lifted (2") with larger tires. It's higher than a stock Jeep of similar style and year. It doesn't mean he'll tip over or roll it. Yes, his chances are greater to do that over a compact sedan or even my previously mentioned Corvette, but it doesn't guarantee he will. I've seen all kinds of accidents from all different kinds of cars, trucks, SUV's and motorcycles. Accidents aren't the result of the type of car...

 

[Lilsia]

When my husband needed a new car in 2015, we went in knowing that we would hand that down to our kids to drive a few years down the road. So this year I got a new car, hubby took mine, and the kids share the his "old" one. We could not afford to buy them a new one(plus we don't think that is a good idea) and we did not want to buy a piece of crap and have it break down and strand my daughters somewhere. The other option was to get a car that was 5-6 years old but we already had 2 of those at home. So it just made sense to step down the cars and get a new one for me.

 

[mousefan1972]

Just wanted to update- we purchased DD a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD. Has 87K miles and some decent options- leather seats, sunroof, Bluetooth, heated seats. She gets her license in 2 weeks. Frankly, I’m petrified. If I could put her in an armored tank, I would. Thanks again to everyone who chimed in!

 

[DVC-Don]

We've been driving Hyundai's since 2010 (Sonata's, Tuscon, Elantra) and they have been very good to us.

 

[MrsPete]

Random thoughts from the mother of 20-somethings:

- When our oldest turned 16, we added a third car to our driveway -- but it was NOT "her car". Rather, it was a third family car (it was old and solid and really only suitable for driving around town, especially because it was not gas-friendly). She was not allowed to "take off and go" any time she pleased. She was allowed to drive to school without asking permission, but anywhere else required an ask. The car later served the same purpose for her younger sibling.

- She did not take the car when she went to college -- too expensive, and just not needed when she lived on campus -- but we did get her a 1-year old car when she was a junior in college. At that point several things came together: She NEEDED a car for nursing clinicals, she was mature enough that we felt she was ready to really care for a car of her own, and (because we waited to buy her a car of her own) we felt that the car would last through her first poverty-stricken years out on her own. Consider that if you buy a 16-year old a 2-3 year old car, that teen will finish college with an 8-9 year old car -- and that may mean she needs to replace the car while she's still in her first year or so of professional work.

- You'll think you're terrified the first time your 16-year old drives away on her own, but you'll really be terrified the first time she drives away with her younger sibling in the car.

- The insurance will kill you. Seriously, when our oldest was added to our insurance policy, it DOUBLED. That is, adding a third car and a 16-year old driver cost DOUBLE what we'd been paying for 2 cars + homeowners' coverage. But if you don't let them drive on their own, they'll never really gain confidence and skill. One of my daughter's friends wasn't allowed to get her license in high school (though she had a permit and drove occasionally); her parents bought her a new-new car for high school graduation and only weeks later sent her down the interstate to college two hours away. I would've been terrified to send such an inexperienced driver out on her own that way.

- We had an SUV once, and we've said we'll never have another one -- just too expensive to keep up. However, I don't live in the land of ice and snow. Before I'd splurge on an SUV for a teen, I'd ask this question: What happens if the teen CAN'T go somewhere in the ice and snow? Is it a crisis or just an inconvenience?

- Yes, as other posters have said, MANY new drivers get themselves into wrecks. I teach high school, and I'd estimate 50% of my students have been in a fender-bender /at least 25% have been in something fairly serious -- and it's all about inexperience and lack of caution. You can't expect your teen driver to be anything except what she is: a teen. You have to push caution in her direction.

- The best thing we did when our oldest turned 16 was to write out a "driving contract" with her. We got the idea (and a draft copy) from a friend at church, and it really worked well for us. Our kids ALWAYS behaved better when we were 100% clear about our expectations, and that's what this was. The contract outlined when she was allowed to take the car, who paid for gas /insurance, specified that she was not allowed to transport passengers unless both we and the passenger's parents knew, what would happen if she had a wreck, etc. We were more strict than the state about driving after dark. We never had a serious problem with either of our kids and driving, and I really think it's because our crystal-clear expectations (and our signatures) were taped to the refrigerator.

- Having said that, what are your expectations for this car? Is this the one and only car you'll ever provide for this child, or do you see yourself paying for (or helping with) another car down the line? If it's wrecked and it's her fault, will you get her another one? What if it's wrecked and it's not her fault? Do you see this car being passed down to a younger sibling, while she gets a newer car for college? I'm not suggesting what the right answers are, but I think YOU should know and be sure before you go any further in this process -- and you should communicate your expectations to the child. Well, yeah, actually, I do think one right answer exists: Whatever you do for this child, you should be prepared to do something equivalent for the younger siblings.

 

[tvguy]

- We had an SUV once, and we've said we'll never have another one -- just too expensive to keep up. However, I don't live in the land of ice and snow. Before I'd splurge on an SUV for a teen, I'd ask this question: What happens if the teen CAN'T go somewhere in the ice and snow? Is it a crisis or just an inconvenience?

Well, the way automakers are going eliminating sedans, the day could come where an SUV is almost your only option. We drove a 1987 Suburban for 31 years and upkeep was no issue. Gas was at 9 mpg but it got my kids through school field trips. Little League and Soccer tournaments. We will have had my wife's Mountaineer for 20 years next month, no upkeep issues with it either. We bought our "retirement" car 18 months ago, a Ford Flex, too new yet to have any issues. We don't have snow here (okay, a dusting once every 5 years or so). As a homeowner I need something I can haul stuff in from time to time. And it is nice to have the seating the SUV offers (9 in the Suburban we got rid of, 7 in the Flex that replaced it).

 

[marcyleecorgan]

A small giggle for your USA winter driving and ice... as I prepare to drive home through a snowstorm...
SUVs are dangerous and they roll far too easily. I learned to drive in them and wouldn't wish that on anybody.
Subaru have pricey parts

 

[mjkacmom]

Random thoughts from the mother of 20-somethings:

- When our oldest turned 16, we added a third car to our driveway -- but it was NOT "her car". Rather, it was a third family car (it was old and solid and really only suitable for driving around town, especially because it was not gas-friendly). She was not allowed to "take off and go" any time she pleased. She was allowed to drive to school without asking permission, but anywhere else required an ask. The car later served the same purpose for her younger sibling.

- She did not take the car when she went to college -- too expensive, and just not needed when she lived on campus -- but we did get her a 1-year old car when she was a junior in college. At that point several things came together: She NEEDED a car for nursing clinicals, she was mature enough that we felt she was ready to really care for a car of her own, and (because we waited to buy her a car of her own) we felt that the car would last through her first poverty-stricken years out on her own. Consider that if you buy a 16-year old a 2-3 year old car, that teen will finish college with an 8-9 year old car -- and that may mean she needs to replace the car while she's still in her first year or so of professional work.

- You'll think you're terrified the first time your 16-year old drives away on her own, but you'll really be terrified the first time she drives away with her younger sibling in the car.

- The insurance will kill you. Seriously, when our oldest was added to our insurance policy, it DOUBLED. That is, adding a third car and a 16-year old driver cost DOUBLE what we'd been paying for 2 cars + homeowners' coverage. But if you don't let them drive on their own, they'll never really gain confidence and skill. One of my daughter's friends wasn't allowed to get her license in high school (though she had a permit and drove occasionally); her parents bought her a new-new car for high school graduation and only weeks later sent her down the interstate to college two hours away. I would've been terrified to send such an inexperienced driver out on her own that way.

- We had an SUV once, and we've said we'll never have another one -- just too expensive to keep up. However, I don't live in the land of ice and snow. Before I'd splurge on an SUV for a teen, I'd ask this question: What happens if the teen CAN'T go somewhere in the ice and snow? Is it a crisis or just an inconvenience?

- Yes, as other posters have said, MANY new drivers get themselves into wrecks. I teach high school, and I'd estimate 50% of my students have been in a fender-bender /at least 25% have been in something fairly serious -- and it's all about inexperience and lack of caution. You can't expect your teen driver to be anything except what she is: a teen. You have to push caution in her direction.

- The best thing we did when our oldest turned 16 was to write out a "driving contract" with her. We got the idea (and a draft copy) from a friend at church, and it really worked well for us. Our kids ALWAYS behaved better when we were 100% clear about our expectations, and that's what this was. The contract outlined when she was allowed to take the car, who paid for gas /insurance, specified that she was not allowed to transport passengers unless both we and the passenger's parents knew, what would happen if she had a wreck, etc. We were more strict than the state about driving after dark. We never had a serious problem with either of our kids and driving, and I really think it's because our crystal-clear expectations (and our signatures) were taped to the refrigerator.

- Having said that, what are your expectations for this car? Is this the one and only car you'll ever provide for this child, or do you see yourself paying for (or helping with) another car down the line? If it's wrecked and it's her fault, will you get her another one? What if it's wrecked and it's not her fault? Do you see this car being passed down to a younger sibling, while she gets a newer car for college? I'm not suggesting what the right answers are, but I think YOU should know and be sure before you go any further in this process -- and you should communicate your expectations to the child. Well, yeah, actually, I do think one right answer exists: Whatever you do for this child, you should be prepared to do something equivalent for the younger siblings.

Lol we buy our teen drivers 13 year old cars with the expectation that they will trash them. Ds21 gave up his 20 year old car this summer, DH handed down his 14 year old vehicle and inherited my 13 year old minivan. Bought a 2007 for the 17 year olds to share. Dd23 is on her third, a 2007. Worst case scenario is they get totalled (we don’t pay for collision on them, yet still pay $9000 a year for insurance on 7 drivers, 5 vehicles), best scenario is that we get 20 or so years out of them.

 

[RUDisney]

I agree with Klayfish. A sedan is a better choice than an SUV for a new driver. I also agree that FWD with good tires is fine for the northeast almost all of the time. I think many people have a false sense of security with 4WD or AWD and think they can drive on anything, but these don't have any advantage when there is ice on the road. In fact, I have noticed more than a few people driving too fast a storm end up off the road when they hit ice. Sure 4WD/AWD helps when the snow gets a bit deep but frankly I avoid driving until the roads are relatively clear. I never would have allowed my DD to drive in those conditions as a new driver. It takes time for anyone to learn to drive safely in those conditions.

My DS learned that 4WD didn't work on ice when he took his 2003 Sequoia off the road, into a ditch. There was some front panel damage, but at least he and GF weren't hurt. We told him not to take her to her house. Her parents were having them for dinner. I knew that the roads weren't good, but he didn't listen and said he could handle it. His GF could easily have stayed the night at our house. I'm sure her parents would have understood about them not driving. He's parroting me, but doesn't realize it since he KNOWS this is true now.

He expected a brand new Range Rover when he turned 16. I was driving a Sonata with an R-title. Yeah, I'm going to buy you a care that is that much newer and nicer than mine. lol He got my Sonata and I got a new Camry. He didn't get his license until he turned 18 because he told me that the law that said he could only drive with one friend in the car at a time was stupid. So, we fixed that and he couldn't get his license. It gave him that much more time to practice with us in the car.

Our DD didn't want to drive until DS got sick and she was home during the day with him. She realized that she should be able to drive in case he had to go to the ER. She would be able to get him there faster than by us coming home to pick him up. She never had to take him, but it was good that she finally got her license. We got her a 2006 BMW X5 SUV when she was a senior in college. She lived a mile from campus and was going to walk back and forth to school. Not an issue except that it was through corn fields and highly unlit areas. We bought her the car within the month and took it to her. She has that in Philadelphia with her now that she is getting her masters.

I'd never buy a kid a new car as their first car. I agree that sedans are better than SUVs for a kid, but we found the SUVs for really good prices when they got them. I'm glad that they both learned on sedans and then got the SUVs. I'm also glad that they were both older when they started to drive on their own.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

- She did not take the car when she went to college -- too expensive, and just not needed when she lived on campus -- but we did get her a 1-year old car when she was a junior in college. At that point several things came together: She NEEDED a car for nursing clinicals, she was mature enough that we felt she was ready to really care for a car of her own, and (because we waited to buy her a car of her own) we felt that the car would last through her first poverty-stricken years out on her own. Consider that if you buy a 16-year old a 2-3 year old car, that teen will finish college with an 8-9 year old car -- and that may mean she needs to replace the car while she's still in her first year or so of professional work.

I'm kinda laughing at the idea of describing someone who is 21 (roughly) and a junior in college is deemed by her parents that's she's finally mature enough for a vehicle.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'd never buy a kid a new car as their first car.

My mother-in-law insisted on buying two of her kids brand new cars (well one was leased) only because she viewed it as "they are safer" than older cars despite the fact that her son (whom I'm married to) had a slightly older car as his first car.

In part yes vehicles each year tend to have more and more safety features but she just blindly associated year of car to equal safety of car.

 

[piccolopat]

I'm kinda laughing at the idea of describing someone who is 21 (roughly) and a junior in college is deemed by her parents that's she's finally mature enough for a vehicle.

Maturity doesn't suddenly get turned on when someone becomes a legal adult. Many college kids are far from what most people would consider to be mature. Evidence of this is the out of control partying and other bad behavior that some engage in. In this case, since the parents were providing their DD with a car, it is perfectly fine that they made the determination that she was ready before they made this kind of investment.