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

[Clark]

My parents bought me a 2004 1.2 Clio for my 18th birthday four years ago for £2500 but I had to pay the insurance myself.

I will admit that because I hadn't bought I didn't take as much care as I did for my subsequent cars. I don't think buying children a car is a bad thing but buying them a brand new or expensive car really isn't a good idea as it doesn't teach people about valuing things.

 

[ImaRobot]

I will admit that because I hadn't bought I didn't take as much care as I did for my subsequent cars. I don't think buying children a car is a bad thing but buying them a brand new or expensive car really isn't a good idea as it doesn't teach people about valuing things.

That's not necessarily true, atleast it wasnt in my case. Before graduating highschool I would just use my moms other car, which was a 93 Mazda Mx-6. Even though it wasnt even mine I sure did wash it, keep up maintenence, and make sure every tid bit was clean.

When I graduated High School my Mom Co-Signed for me on an 07 Civic Si. She put the down payment, and I took over the monthly payments. That offer only started once I got my first job though, she wouldn't do it other wise, and I was all for it. I made damn sure that there was nothing ever wrong with it, cleaned out and dusted/wiped the interior clean one or two times a week, washed it once a week, and always made sure it was in top condition. I never did insinuate that I got it on my own, though. Infact, when asked I would just straight out say my parents helped me get it.

needless to say, A year and a half later, I got T-boned by someone that ran a red light. Ended up with no car, gf in the hospital, and lost my job because I choose to stay home with my gf because she couldnt walk for some months after that.

 

[Joel]

Hard to say about OP's situation in particular because he isn't going to tell us if he's actually spoiled and brags about his parents' money. From what he's said it seems like his friends are just jealous but all we can do is speculate.

There's nothing inherently wrong with parents paying or helping you pay for your car. It isn't "fair" in the sense that not everyone's parents can afford it, but that's life. Your parents have worked and exchanged their labour for money, and they're free to do with it what they like. I'm very fortunate, my mom bought a new car when I was 16, so they decided to just keep her older car around (2003 Corolla) for me to drive because it was paid off and the running costs are low. I'm really thankful for the car, for one it's great to be able to have a car in the first place, and the car itself is very reliable, good on gas, and well maintained so I don't have to spend my limited money on maintaining a beater.

In a lot of North America it isn't possible to get around with public transit, where I live I would be limited to working in a few restaurants in my home town because those are the only work places I can get to without a car. Before I could drive everything from hanging out with friends to working or playing school sports was contingent on someone's parents driving you as there is absolutely no public transit and I live in a rural area that's too spread out to practically bike most places. For my parents a big part was that it gave me more freedom, and also freed up more time for them. Since I had a car, they didn't have to stay up until 12:30AM to pick me up from work, or drive me to hockey games at 10:30 on a Tuesday night.

As long as you're grateful for it and respectful there isn't an issue IMO. Some kids are more entitled than others but usually by the time you're 16 that mindset is already there and won't just appear if you get a car as a gift.

 

[GranTurismo916]

http://ca.autoblog.com/2014/07/11/worst-valet-crash-wreck-lamborghini/

She said "Guh-lard-oh."

Anyway, on topic: I have no idea how it's spoiled to get a car from your parents as long as they don't but you an AMG Mercedes or something.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

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?

There is nothing at all wrong with getting a car for free from your parents. Just because some random children are jealous means nothing. Kids are kids and kids will laugh and random stupid stuff like this. Ignore them and move along.

 

[Siren]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it at all. In most cases where I lived its actually better if your parents gift or help you buy a car because in the job market today its really hard for a young person to make enough money to support themselves and still save to buy a car. In my case I've only been working 2 years now and granted I make enough money to support myself and live on my own, it was still hard for me to save a couple hundred dollars a month because I was basically living paycheck to paycheck and I live far from where I work so public transport was expensive. My mom knew I liked SUV's so she bought me a used 2013 Kia sorento for about 17k last year and ever since then I've able to save much more money towards my next car and still put money in my moms pocket.

 

[mustangGT90210]

There's nothing wrong with parents giving a kid a car. In the area I'm in, it's pretty common. Everything is so far spread apart, once the kid hits 16 and has a sport or something to play, if the parents are working it puts a big strain on.

The big difference is whether the kid is given an AMG Merc or a 10 year old civic

And then in my case, I bought my first truck for $200. I loved that truck, took care of it (minus the probably 2,000 miles of mud bogging) and maintained it well until the oil pump, of all things, died. I feel like the kids that buy their vehicles do take far better car of them than those that have a car given to them for sure.

Being a mechanic now, I've seen it a lot. It just makes me happy to see people take care of their ****, whether they bought it or it was given to them. Because honestly that's the hardest part of vehicle ownership

 

[Kent]

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?

Make fun of them for being poor or for having parents that don't love them.
/thread.

Btw, I paid for my 2011 WRX STI when it was new, only have 3k left to pay on it and I've never once made fun of anyone about their car (other than W&N). You might want some new friends.

 

[Danoff]

It's a missed opportunity.

Parents should give their children the money and have them buy the car - that way they can learn to do the research, shop, bargain, the whole thing. Optimally the money isn't even earmarked for a car, it's just money - the kid can spend it as they like, but they'll like to spend it on a car (there is little more important for someone that age). In addition to creating a more healthy relationship with money and a better understanding of the process and expense of buying and maintaining a car, by having the kid buy the car you also help them create a healthier relationship with the car itself. Human beings are notoriously bad at valuing something that they didn't pay for.

Also if you give your kid money, and they buy a car with it, they don't have to tell their friends that their parents bought them the car.

 

[Coxis]

In my case my mom didn't buy me my first car, but rather passed me down her old one. A 1991 Buick Century. Oh, how I loved that thing. It was already a 13 year old car when it was formally given to me just in time for college.

Who cares what your snarky little friends say? If your parents were nice enough to buy you a car be grateful to them, repay the favor in the future and don't give a rat's ass about what anybody else thinks.

 

[Zenith]

It's a missed opportunity.

Parents should give their children the money and have them buy the car - that way they can learn to do the research, shop, bargain, the whole thing. Optimally the money isn't even earmarked for a car, it's just money - the kid can spend it as they like, but they'll like to spend it on a car (there is little more important for someone that age). In addition to creating a more healthy relationship with money and a better understanding of the process and expense of buying and maintaining a car, by having the kid buy the car you also help them create a healthier relationship with the car itself. Human beings are notoriously bad at valuing something that they didn't pay for.

Also if you give your kid money, and they buy a car with it, they don't have to tell their friends that their parents bought them the car.

This is great and all, but... But...

Have you seen the "Help me pick my first car" threads around here?

"Hey guys my mom gave me $xxxx to spend on a new car. I was thinking I would pick up this totalled FD RX-7 then get it running in three weeks for about $700 then spend the rest on a turbo mod, what do you think? I plan to use this to daily drive, drag race, drift, autocross, open track, and make sweet love to the prom queen."

Cue a dozen experienced drivers chime in on how idiotic this idea is with a smattering of teenage members talking about how just because 98% of sports car=first car owners end up either in pile of twisted metal next to a tree or assorted engine parts in their garage, doesn't mean this endeavor won't work.

Then the thread ends with the OP getting a hand-me-down Camcord.

 

[Bopop4]

It's a missed opportunity.

Parents should give their children the money and have them buy the car - that way they can learn to do the research, shop, bargain, the whole thing.

That's what happened with me, only problem was it took me a few months to finally make a decision on what to get.

This is great and all, but... But...

Have you seen the "Help me pick my first car" threads around here?

"Hey guys my mom gave me $xxxx to spend on a new car. I was thinking I would pick up this totalled FD RX-7 then get it running in three weeks for about $700 then spend the rest on a turbo mod, what do you think?

Hey, my demands were pretty reasonable.

 

[Danoff]

This is great and all, but... But...

Have you seen the "Help me pick my first car" threads around here?

"Hey guys my mom gave me $xxxx to spend on a new car. I was thinking I would pick up this totalled FD RX-7 then get it running in three weeks for about $700 then spend the rest on a turbo mod, what do you think? I plan to use this to daily drive, drag race, drift, autocross, open track, and make sweet love to the prom queen."

Cue a dozen experienced drivers chime in on how idiotic this idea is with a smattering of teenage members talking about how just because 98% of sports car=first car owners end up either in pile of twisted metal next to a tree or assorted engine parts in their garage, doesn't mean this endeavor won't work.

Then the thread ends with the OP getting a hand-me-down Camcord.

Yup that's a concern. It's another parenting step to try to help your kids make sensible decisions with their lives.

 

[Dagger311]

Yup that's a concern. It's another parenting step to try to help your kids make sensible decisions with their lives.

Mom (and the rising gas prices) was the person who talked me out of my 78-81 Camaro plan. I was brainwashed at the thought of a first car everyone would think was cool, and I was willing to throw safety and practicality out the window to have it.

I came around though. When it's time, I'll be joining the early-to-mid 2000's fwd family sedan crowd. The camaro is a second car.

And a Harley .

 

[Exorcet]

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.

This can't be found elsewhere? Is it even important? I find it hard to believe that everyone would go around thinking that cars just grow out of the ground every now and then unless they happened to buy their own.

Not much changed for me between living with parents and then going out and getting a job, except with the latter I could finally know how much money was coming in. When I tried to ask about it while living at home so I would have some idea of what my impact on financials was, no one would tell me. You don't need to buy anything to learn the value of money as long as you know how to do math.

 

[ildd]

My car was my mom's until May 2010, when she got a new Ford Fusion. Total downgrade, and my car was driven maybe 1000 miles until I got my license in March of 2012.
I guess they just didn't want to sell it because they knew I'd need my own car in a couple years. Works for me.

All my friends had 2006+ trucks that were either lifted, had a new sound system, rims/tires, or a combination. They still gave me **** for driving a small Mercedes and being spoiled even though it was an $8,000 car at the time.

 

[XS]

I grew up in a very blue-collar part of town, to put it nicely. I also was very fortunate to have parents that were financially able to buy me a car. However, for fear of reprisal from my less fortunate friends, I asked if they could buy the car for me, and I'll pay them back - which I did. I feel like I valued my experience more by getting a job and paying my parents back, at least more than other kids I knew back then who weren't expected to contribute at all.

 

[TheBigMan045]

That is the same situation i'm going through at the moment, with no funds to buy a new car (old one died on me, engines sweet but the rest isn't) The old man came through and paid for a car we both could agree on, (1999 Altezza with the 3sge and 6 speed) and yes I do have to pay him back, while having to pay off another car loan from the bank

 

[hawkeye122]

My first car was a 1994 Geo Tracker, it was neither practical nor safe (lol wut airbags). Did people give me **** for that? Nooooo.

Do we give our friend with the modded 2006 Mustang GT California (carbon hood, loud exhaust) garbage for it being given to him? ("Dude I mow my parents lawn like once a week though")
Yes. We do.

 

[WrxScooby]

Haters Gon Hate.

As long as you dont walk around boasting about all this stuff you got, I dont see the problem.
What gets me are the kids that get these cars from their parents and 1 act like they are now Mr. Cargod and know all or 2 they act like they bought the cars themselves and want to tell you all about it. I tend to get bent out of shape when a kid shows up with his fancy car that his folks got them and then walk around at meets and act like they are the only reason anyone should be there, that is until you question them about the car and they don have a clue.

I think car guys tend to get upset at folks who get their cars that way because they had to grind/struggle or whatever to get theirs, with the mindset that only the people that work hard for their cars can appreciate them. Which couldn't be further from the truth.

 

[Harry6784]

Haters Gon Hate.

As long as you dont walk around boasting about all this stuff you got, I dont see the problem.
What gets me are the kids that get these cars from their parents and 1 act like they are now Mr. Cargod and know all or 2 they act like they bought the cars themselves and want to tell you all about it. I tend to get bent out of shape when a kid shows up with his fancy car that his folks got them and then walk around at meets and act like they are the only reason anyone should be there, that is until you question them about the car and they don have a clue.

I think car guys tend to get upset at folks who get their cars that way because they had to grind/struggle or whatever to get theirs, with the mindset that only the people that work hard for their cars can appreciate them. Which couldn't be further from the truth.

Had a rich kid at my high school who drove a 2013 Mustang GT500 all blacked out. He always parked at the far end of the parking lot in the middle of the lane taking up two spaces. Always bragged about it and revved at anything that came by, minivans, schoolbuses, dump trucks....

Haven't heard from him since I graduated, wouldn't be surprised if he buried it in a ditch.