Driving a Car Provided to You by Your Parents...

Grandea GTR

Grandea GTR

5,065
United States
Fort Worth
That_sneaky_azN
So apparently you really are considered something if you drive a car that your parents brought.

One of my friends (a Subaru enthusiast) got a 1998 Legacy GT with 138,xxx miles that his parents brought recently, and when our car enthusiast (dunno if I can really call them that) friends asked how he got it, he replied with "My parents gave it to me."

Cue laughter from them.

One of them straight off the bat says "you're too priveleged for your own good, bro." And another saying "You should've brought your own car."

Then the nitpicking escalated to where they begin talking about how he and I (previously drove a Camry LE '02 that my parents brought) are spoiled children and should learn to buy for our own stuff, which, we usually do alot, aside from the parent-brought cars.

What are your thoughts on having a car provided to you by your parents?
 
Sounds like they don't know what they're talking about.

As long as you don't go bragging about how you worked so hard for your car then it doesn't matter.

Better to have parents buy/help you out with a more expensive car than you buying a rusted out Sunbird because it was all you could afford.
 
I don't mind if someone's parents buy them a car. I'll be jealous, but nothing more.

The only time it bothers me is they're ungrateful or when they pretend like they worked for it. Or when the car is ludicrously expensive for a first car, which I don't think is to common. There was one girl at my high-school who got an automatic FR-S for her first car.
 
They are jealous that they had to buy their own cars.

I fit into both camps; my dad paid for half my truck while I used money made mowing lawns to pay for the other half. All of my friends were given cars to drive; I don't see how there is anything wrong with that.
 
i've only had my license for about 2 months and i drive my parents' BMW E93 simply because they won't allow me to buy/drive anything old or non-euro for now for safety reasons... if i really did buy something with my own money it'd be something rather crappy and i'd probably have to hide it from them LOL. within my social circle at least it's considered fairly normal to be driving parents' cars or the like until making enough money on your own to buy something decent.
 
I'm personally against parents gifting their children cars, especially expensive ones. Buying your own car instills you with a sense of financial independence shows you how hard you have to work to deserve your own transportation.
 
Like most of the other people in this thread, I don't mind as long as you don't pretend you worked for it or something along those lines.

I'm working with my dad for the family company this summer where he is paying me money which I plan on saving for a car. People always say "Oh, well your just 'helping' your parents or doing chores, not real work" so if I do get a car I pay for they still might think I'm spoiled in a sense. (even though I wouldn't call helping to install septic systems for other people a chore you do around the house).
 
My parents' bought a '98 Ford Escort for me and my sister to share when we where in high school.

Mainly because I couldn't really afford one, and my sister didn't have a job. So us affording a decent car wasn't an option.

Sweet deal, didn't have to pay for maintenance, gas or insurance. Between the 2 of us we beat the hell out of that thing, so much fun. :lol:

Sold it to one of my dad's clients. Last I heard it was still on the road.
 
My parents bought a 1999 Infiniti G20t for me to use for two reasons; learn how to drive stick and transportation to college. I like it, grateful too. It's got 200k miles on it but works really well. I wish I could do more with it, but I don't have $$$ and my parent will not, for whatever reason, let me have a part time job.

Personally I agree with the notion that teens should save up and buy their own cars. Shows maturity and a level of financial responsibility, plus you choose what car you want rather than having your parents buy or give you one without your input.
 
What's to laugh about getting a 16 year old Subaru with 138,000 miles on the odo? It's obvious his parents just wanted him to have something. Highly doubt he or the laughing hyenas would buy anything better or worse on their own.
 
Apparently someone's parents planning ahead to buy their child their first car is hilarious. I have no idea why good financial planning is so funny but some people have an odd sense of humour.

I do start to have issues with people who have raised an ungrateful teenager who they then buy a brand new car for, though. It teaches them that they don't need to work hard to get whatever they want and that's never a good personality trait.
 
What if your parents buy a car that has no specific purpose but for emergencies, ready to be used by anybody in the house when they might need. I'm just a kid when this happens and by the time I get to learn how to drive in this car, the car is already 10 years old.

This car is fine but it's worth no more than $ 2,000 so selling it would be stupid seeing as it outperforms any of the not so little and all of the sudden super expensive hatchbacks that would be equivalent to what this car was back when it was new.

Basically, this car is old but the new stuff is garbage (I live in Mexico), so why not? Even though the car can't be used 1 day of the week by law because it is older than 10 years there's public transport for a reason.
 
I don't see the problem, as long as they don't buy you this:
ferrari-f12-berlinetta-5.jpg

But how awesome would it be if they could buy you that! :P
 
My van was given to me by my dad


If anyone knows whats been going on in my life lately they'd know that is a pretty gugantic investment on his end.
 
I made a contract with my parents stating that I had to graduate high school with at least a 3.0 GPA for them to buy me a car. Ended up with a 92 Camaro RS 5 speed that was $2500. Helped me drive to my first part time job at the Jaguar repair shop where I was able to save money for my second car, the 93 Corvette.
 
Technically, I did buy my first vehicle. $100 to my grandfather for his '83 GMC 1/2 ton, that didn't run. Never did get to fix it, so I gave it to my cousin as he is down there constantly. "Split" the next with my sister, '82 Chevy 3/4 ton for $1500 IIRC, paid her back, kept it for while but it was a heap and a heavy drinker. Currently drive a '97 F-250 with a 7.3 Powerstroke, have for ages, but I've never gotten any stink for it. One highly possible reason is that I didn't "get" it. Dad started getting company trucks, Casper just sat there. It was better than mine in every way, especially when mine would say "LOL No!". I claim that I drive it, but it is still his, and it is as the title is still in my parents name, I am merely the primary driver and take care of it.

As for the jack-offs, if they give you crap about THIS, you'd probably be better off without them.
 
Depends what car, If its a jacked up, brand new Chevy or a sports car then you are just spoiled. In your friends case with getting a older car that he'll actually be thankful for is different and doesn't make him spoiled. Just my two cents.
 
I was given my mom's car, feel it is a sensible move, a car I've been driving for a while and know everything about.

And yes it is crap.
 
I was given a car by my mom 5 years ago an I'm still driving it. I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of.
 
My Blazer was essentially a gift. They put me on a payment plan for it, but waived it when the first motor went so long as I promised to not drive it without fixing it. Since statistically speaking, you're going to crash the thing anyway, I'd say it's much better for your parents to be helping you out over it.
 
In the end, how a parent decides to use his/her money is their business. With that said...

I see no problem with cars being bought for kids by the parents. There are numerous locations and situations, and I feel especially in America, where it is the most practical for a teenager to be driving on his or her own, and there are other times where even with public transportation, it's just significantly more convenient to have and drive a car. Plus, it's not necessarily cheap or easy to buy, own, maintain and insure a car, so for a teenager to get help, I think there's nothing wrong with that.

My attitude about it is partly impacted by the teenager's attitude. I especially don't have a problem with it if the kid is humble and grateful, if the kid goes prancing around saying how his or her parent owes them a car and gets in a huge fit if they don't get one, let alone not getting the exact one they want, then yeah, that kid is a spoiled brat and deserves to have a rude awakening that life isn't handed to them on a silver platter.

But I digress..
 
I personally want to buy my car with my own money. That way I feel how hard it is to get something I want, and that sacrifices have to be made in order to get it. I feel it'll also make me treasure it more and not treat it like dirt or as a tool.
 
I dont see anything wrong with it at all as long as we are thankful that our parents give us a car and not bragging as if its from our own hard work. Me ? I'd be jealous if one of my friends got a car from his parents, whatever car it is. I'd congratulate him.

Right now i'd probably be happy if my dad give his 2002 CR-V to me. Sure its not my dream car but it has four tires and an engine that runs. Its reliable too and only has 150.000 km and its been in my house for 12 years so i feel like the car is a family so yeah i'd be really thankful.
 
Like said before, there are different situations and locations.

I'm not old enough to drive yet, but when I am, I'll most likely get my grandmother's one year old Citroën C1. Why? She will probably be unable to drive at her age, and we can't just afford a new car. This is not something I would be ashamed of, I don't see why I would be.
 

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