Should new teen drivers pay for their first car?

I have a job and money in the bank saving up for a car. I am also paying for my insurance. SO many kids have their parents buy their car for them. I think they should work for it. One girl at my school has a brand new Mercedes SUV. What do you think? Did your parents buy your first car?

Public Comments

1. I think parents should biy your first car. But it should be used and cheap! And kids should pay for their insurance!
2. I have had to pay for every car I ever owned. I think it is good for them.
3. i say parents. most def.
4. It depends...if you get a rusty old banger for your birthday, thats fine. But I don't get people who buy their kids really expensive cars. It's OK for parents to go half and half on a cheap car.S.
5. i think the kid should have to pay for their first car, i know when i drive (6 more months!), i will have to pay for my first car. i think we need to learn what it's going to be like in the real world. it makes me think somebody is spoiled when their parents buy them everything. they are never going to learn to live on their own. i wouldn't think the same if a parent helped a kid. that would be fine. but, having a brand new car as your first car is dumb. it's almost a guarantee you're going to do something to it. so there goes $20,000 out the door. things are also getting more expensive. i know my grandfather helped my mom out with her insurance. i don't expect that from my parents, though. i WANT to be able to do this by myself to kind of prove to myself that i am responsible and don't need my parents for everything.
6. I guess it depends on the parents. My mom bought my first car ($3500 in 1996) and my Dad covered my first 6 months of insurance. After that I was on my own for repairs, gas, insurance, the works. My husband's parents would buy the kid the car they wanted, then after they were responsible with it for a year, let it go into the kid's name and take over the payments. I don't think a kid needs a brand new car, and I sure don't plan to get my kids one. I figure a used car is just fine, especially if the ding it up or wreck it. I had friend parents that would go in with them and do 50/50 too. I never totalled my car and its still with me today.
7. Yes, it causes a great bond with you and your fist car especially if you pay for most of it by yourself, if your parents help you with the down payment and let you make all the payments by yourself you know that car is yours, you take better care of it and are more careful when driving. I know a kid at my school, he has had 3 vehicles in the last year totalled two of them, that shows a lack of respect. He has not payed for any of them. In two years I have had my same car, worked on it, kept gas in it and make the monthly payment, and the insurance (my parents payed the down payment for me). I am a senior in highschool and work 30 hours a week at Sonic and I'm passing everything, if I can do that anyone can.
8. i think they should buy there own car! not make mummy and daddy buy it.
9. I'm of 2 minds on that. My first car at 16, I bought for 1200 bucks, paid the insurance and so on. BUT... a slightly newer car that cost a little more would have broken down less, been a little safer, and so on. If I had a teenager, I'd offer to match them dollar for dollar, to get them a car that wouldn't drop the transmission all over the freeway some afternoon or suddenly decide to triple the oil pressure and explode every seal in the engine. (That's how my first and second cars committed suicide..._
10. If you want a car you should work and buy it yourself, that's the joy of becoming an adult.
11. I think a new driver should have to pay for their own car and insurance, as long as it doesn't cut into college savings. That's my problem, I'm 18, still with no car because I want to go to college and my parents don't want to pay for that either. I think drivers should wait until they are older to get those fancy cars, then it actually means something because they had to work to get it.
12. parents should buy the first car.
13. It was back in the days in my teenage years. My parents bought my brothers and I our first car. I got a Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo. It was the top production line limited sports car before Vipers were made. It was just under $80,000 canadian dollars. I got pictures to prove it. When you have an expensive car (head turner/neck breaker/ all eyes on you) people will know who bought the car. I don't see a problem with parents buying a car for their teenage kids. If they deserve it and can afford gas and insurance with their own job...why not.
14. i think that the people whos parents buy them a car dont appreciate it ... the same with paying for their driving lessons...i knew someone very like this and they ended up getting banned thru drink drviing! whereas people who save for it appreciate it a lot more and wouldnt be as likely to do something so stupid and immature.
15. i have to pay for my own luckly my moms co worker is willing to sell me his old car really really cheap becuase it need work and ill see if one my dads friends can fix it for me cheap
16. I think people need to start minding their OWN business if someone's parents brought them a car. Who cares? If you're paying for your own car then good job.
17. Even better question IF you have a car as a teen WHO should pay for gas at nearly four bucks a gallon? A car is great IF you can afford it. think lots of people (adults included will be biking around soon.)
18. With my first car that I got when I was 17, I paid for the car, maintaining it, and gas. The only thing my mom payed for was insurance. She wanted me to learn driving responsibilty, but she knew I couldn't afford on my job to pay for the car and insure it, so she agreed to help me on that. I plan to help my children like this too. They have some money set aside, some for a car, and some for college, the two main biggies.
19. yeah i think they should
20. first car no as long as its used but any car after that yes and the parents should pick their childs first car
21. My mom gave me my first car - it was an old one of hers. But my son (17) did buy his first car - $300 from Craigslist - and does pay for the insurance coverage. I believe that kids are given too much these days and that they appreciate items more when they are earned.
22. Nope had to buy my first (and every) car all by myself AND pay for the insurance too! I know of lots of poeple that had their first car bought for them too,... Teaches you to respect it and take care if it if you bought it with all your own money
23. I think they pay for it because i think they appreciate it more. Dont buy it for them.
24. my parents are buying me a car but i am paying for gas and half the insurance
25. Yes they should. When someone else buys them a car they don't appreciate it as much as they would for ones they bought themselves. When my mother got a car from her parents she got into an accident and didn't really care for the car as much. When she bought a new car herself she kept really good care of it.
26. i think the teen should pay for it, otherwise they will never learn the true value of a dollar. they always expect things to be handed to them
27. I had to pay for my car..i still have to pass my road test..so once i pass its gonna be on the road and i have to pay for insurance and everything...i think its crazy when parents buy their kids BRAND new cars..If my parents offered to pay a cheap good working car i would pay half and they can pay the other half if they want and i'll pay insurance..
28. i'd love it if my parents bought me a car. i get amazing grades, and not to brag, but i honestly think i deserve it. of course, i don't want some really expensive car. if anything, i'd like to get rid of one of our old cars, and trade it for a nice honda or something. then i'd share it with my mom. that'd be lovely. i'm turning 16 the end of may, so we'll see. then again, i already have a truck. my dad took the money out of my college fund, so he said he's going to give me the truck. i do love the truck and all, but i wish it wasn't a gas guzzler. that's why i'm looking for a nice car [30 mpg+] to share with my mom, and we'll keep the truck for certain things. also, if they buy me the car,i'm planning on saving up, and paying half of the original cost. also, i'm assuming the car would be used, no one in my family has a new car. that's a bit long, so i'm going to summarize it. i don't think parents should get their kids extremely expensive cars. a nice, afforable, car would be fine though, if the kid is pretty responsible, and maybe make them pay for the gas.
29. My first car was a Chevrolet Cobalt and I paid for it 100%. I think if a teen is old enough for a car their old enough to pay for it and start showing responsiblilty. Or the parents can buy it and the teen pay them monthly and should they fail they loose it for that month.