Boys first vehicle…..

[Ice-kub]

Make him pay for some of it. He'd probably be less inclined to beat it when dads not around if he has a financial interest in it.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Been a while since you were 16 hasnt it?

 

[Sabot]

I heard 2 rich guys debating this on a podcast once. One guy bought his kids beaters to not spoil them. The other guy bought newer cars because of the bandwidth of having to break flow to fix a car and worrying about your kid on the side of the road. Our kids got decent Toyotas for first 2 years of driving and then all 3 got lightly used newish cars.

 

[ODB]

I let my daughter drive my 02 Tundra. No cameras, no anti-lock brakes, with canopy, kinda big for a 15yo. She drove it for 4 years until I sold it, then she bought my wife’s old Highlander which she still drives.

Letting her learn in an older, less complicated truck has made a huge difference in her skill as a driver.

And she’s already looking forward to going back to truck in the future.

 

[K9kodi]

To me these new vehicles are on auto pilot. There’s something to be said for learning how to drive vs going from point a to point b.

I don’t think buying a new car for a kid is gonna make them spoiled, conversely I don’t think buying an old truck for a kid will keep them from being spoiled.

Their personality and behavior should be mostly shaped by that point anyhow.

I’d say buy practical and reliable and something that won’t cause a heart attack when damaged.

 

[LostArra]

I'm curious what job a 15 yr old has that allows them to pay for a driveable vehicle, insurance and fuel at 16.

(My youngest is 40 so I've been out of the kid job loop for a while)

 

[Steve300xcw]

I'm curious what job a 15 yr old has that allows them to pay for a driveable vehicle, insurance and fuel at 16.

(My youngest is 40 so I've been out of the kid job loop for a while)

Did you never have a summer job, or something after school? Never run an animal through the fair?


You can get a driveable rig for 5k. It wont be fancy but who cares? Cheap liablility insurance. That'll get the kid rolling.

 

[go_deep]

I'm curious what job a 15 yr old has that allows them to pay for a driveable vehicle, insurance and fuel at 16.

(My youngest is 40 so I've been out of the kid job loop for a while)

My son started mowing lawns at 12, he had about $9k in his savings account when he got his license. He got a $1,700 Jeep Cherokee at that time. 2 years later and a lot more working, he just sold it for $3,500, and bought a 2011 crew cab frontier cash, and still has about the same amount on his savings after that.

Teach them how to manage money and respect it.

 

[KurtR]

Kids still driving the 02 2500 chevy i gave him when he was 16. He is about to graduate tech school with a really good job. He said he is keeping that truck and the way he figures it if he has to replace engine or tranny its still cheaper than a new pick up payment. He is way more responsible than me at 20 with his money

 

[Steve300xcw]

He said he is keeping that truck and the way he figures it if he has to replace engine or tranny its still cheaper than a new pick up payment.

He's not wrong. Lotta guys doing that these days.

 

[LostArra]

Did you never have a summer job, or something after school? Never run an animal through the fair?


You can get a driveable rig for 5k. It wont be fancy but who cares? Cheap liablility insurance. That'll get the kid rolling.

Summer job yes. $1.65/hr Min wage was $1.50 so I was flush with cash. My car cost $615 and fuel was under $0.20 gal.

After school No. Sports practice which was a better investment at the time. Paid for 4 years of college.

All of my kids worked when they could but the cost of a "cheap" vehicle and insurance has risen much faster than child labor wages. Not every kid has the opportunity to even get to a job before they can drive or be a lawn mowing Warren Buffet at 12. I actually dragged a lawnmower behind my bike one summer but it does limit your prospective job area.

My point was a beater vehicle, insurance and fuel will start at around $7k. That's a nice summer job for a 15 yo.

 

[omicron1792]

My boys play sports year round and make straight A’s. That is their job right now and I’m happy to buy them a reliable car when the time comes for it.