Buying for 16 year old son... decisions...

I have always wanted the opportunity to do this:
Seriously though, I’d get something reasonable and easy to maintain. Not knowing your son, but if they decide to keep the car or can’t maintain what you get, having something reliable will be a benefit.

silvermanor wrote

16 year olds having their parents buy cars for them seems to be common these days. Sad.

If the car purchased is one that requires participation by the young owner to keep it on the road and road worthy (i.e. an older, high mileage car/truck) so the youngin' has skin in the game to keep his/her ride functional, then it can be a good experience. If the participation involves DIY maintenance and repairs, even better.

Though, not all parents possess such skills to pass along to their kids.

Go w Camry or Accord... reliable, low maintanence, not too fast, safe, efficient and likely lower insurance.

c1pher wrote

I have always wanted the opportunity to do this:

Seriously though, I’d get something reasonable and easy to maintain. Not knowing your son, but if they decide to keep the car or can’t maintain what you get, having something reliable will be a benefit.

What a great movie scene with "Kevin Dunn & Bernie Mac," priceless! Thanks for the memories...

pbonsalb wrote

Great engine, but any BMW with an N52 is 15-20 years old needs work or will be needing work. I have a2012 X3 with N52 that I gave to a niece 3 years ago and just did a complete front and rear suspension replacement because it would not align - frozen or corroded parts. Big job, but my garage is about equal to a small automotive shop…. If you are in a no rust area, that definitely helps. 3 years later for the next niece, I bought a 2020 X3. Cost a lot more but will not need as much work as soon and I like blind spot detection.

The 2011 & 12 X3s with the N52 are such great vehicles! Best of all worlds!
I sort of want to downsize our E70 35i to get one so I can have an all N52 fleet.

Different approach, but bought my kids brand new Mazdas (3 sedan AWD/turbo and CX-30) for high school, college and then they keep it afterwards (and transfer ownership).

MJBO wrote

Dunno, to me giving a kid a car, especially a “nice” one, doesn’t sound like a way to make them work harder or appreciate hard work, since it’s just a hand out.

My parents (my dad in particular) encouraged me and helped with opportunities to earn my way. Both my sister and I bought our first cars with money we earned while working around our studies.

Started with a 1994 Holden Barina (Opel Corsa in EU). Not flash, not fast, but was my ticket to freedom and the first step on my auto journey.

It made me want to work hard to have better, and I did.

Probably should have quantified, its not a hand out. He brought 5 to the table, we matched 5, and he is paying off 5. His had a job since he was 15 and not happy he has registration to pay next month. I said wait till you put new tyres on it.

I want him to 3rd party insure it, that way his car is gone if his silly but others are covered. Wife wants to 50% comprehensive so his got something if its not his fault. We have yet to decide as his on Ls at the moment. Insurance will write it off in the blink of an eye. There are no parts around for most part.

Three Stents wrote

a "boring" car is perfect for a teenager

This. Sure, life is too short for boring cars but your kid needs something to learn on and hopefully not develop bad habits with or exacerbate any temptation to do dumb things. They have their whole life ahead of them to do the un-boring thing.

My kids had a Golf as their first car. Bought it cheap at the beginning of covid when no one was buying cars.
Was looking for a Civic or Corolla, Golf just popped up on my search list out of nowhere
It was automatic, very basic, and extremely practical. But surprisingly not boring at all.

Turned out it helped my kids to become "car guys" It was crashed of course much later and insurance gave us back practically the same money we payed for the car.

But then when my son was looking for his own car, he was surprised that he really disliked Prius or even Civic hybrid and he couldn't understand how anyone can drive them
Ended up buying an ND Miata (but Golf R, CTR, and BRZ were also on his list). Funny thing that he was saying he needed a car just to go from point A to point B before he went out and tried out those cars

Something with aftermarket support to putz around with if you want them interested in modding cars. Civic, golf, etc.

Manual transmission if you want them to stay off their phones. - there's still a couple entry level manuals left

Small car if you don't want them driving their friends around all the time - added distractions

Don't sweat horsepower, they can get into a similar amount of trouble with 90 or 300hp, it just might take a second longer.

Colemme wrote

What a great movie scene with "Kevin Dunn & Bernie Mac," priceless! Thanks for the memories...

I loved Bernie Mac, hilarious guy. Gone before his time IMO.

Everyone has to parent the way they see fit, but I've always believed a few things about a kid's first car (assuming you're providing one):

1) Kids shouldn't start at the top. It gives them a false sense of reality, breeds entitlement, and is unearned. I'd never put my kid in a luxury car – they should strive for that, if they want it.

2) I'd never put my kid, especially a boy, in a fast or quick car. I absolutely know what I would've done with a fast car at 16, and I assure you it wouldn't have been anything good or smart. I would never want to spend the rest of my life living with the decision to put one of them in a 400hp monster if something tragic were to happen. Hell, it's terrifying enough watching them drive off in a 120hp car...

3) They're very likely to screw up the car one way or the other, and I'd rather they do it to a cheap car than an expensive one.

4) Insurance rates for teen drivers, especially boys, are horrifying. Putting them in an expensive car only amplifies that horror.

5) Safety is the absolute first priority. I wouldn't put my kid in an absolute bomb that has god knows what kind of safety problems, nor a 30 year old car that lacks modern safety systems and standards. This will also relate to #4, since safer cars are less expensive to insure.

6) I absolutely, positively would not tolerate any kid complaining about a car being provided to them. If they don't like what is generously being given to them they're welcome to buy one of their own. Have fun. I'm absolutely flabbergasted when someone tells me that they can't get car x for their kid because "they won't drive that". Great – here's a 10-speed instead. Start pedaling.

My kids started with a 2014 Honda Civic and 2021 Ford Escape (that I bought from my brother who was serendipitously selling right when we needed it). Both good, safe cars, but certainly not luxurious or super powerful.

jaffles wrote

Probably should have quantified, its not a hand out. He brought 5 to the table, we matched 5, and he is paying off 5. His had a job since he was 15 and not happy he has registration to pay next month. I said wait till you put new tyres on it.

I want him to 3rd party insure it, that way his car is gone if his silly but others are covered. Wife wants to 50% comprehensive so his got something if its not his fault. We have yet to decide as his on Ls at the moment. Insurance will write it off in the blink of an eye. There are no parts around for most part.

If you go this route, be sure to let your insurance company know – there's usually some sort of form you need to file with them explicitly stating that your kid is not insured on your cars. So far as I know, every insurance company requires you to list every driver in the household regardless of whether you're insuring them or not, and without that formal declaration will assume that all drivers will have access to all cars and underwrite the policy as such. Be aware that if you do this, they absolutely, positively will not cover any accidents that happen if your kid ends up driving one of your cars for whatever reason. So be very, very sure he'll never drive one of yours under any circumstances. If they do, it's a great way to go bankrupt.

Also: a separate policy for only him is probably going to be much more expensive than the cost to add him to yours. It might make more sense to have him pay you for his portion.

Edit: you wrote "tyres," so I'm assuming you're not in the US. So this might not apply to you.

StradaRedlands wrote

The 2011 & 12 X3s with the N52 are such great vehicles! Best of all worlds!
I sort of want to downsize our E70 35i to get one so I can have an all N52 fleet.

The drivetrains are good and I considered one, but IMO the pre lci F25 interior quality is pretty atrocious.

StradaRedlands wrote

The 2011 & 12 X3s with the N52 are such great vehicles! Best of all worlds!

I don't know about the love for X3's - always found them to be cheap and nasty as loaners.
I do appreciate the aspirated engine simplicity of N52, but everything else around it is plastic-fantastic and over-due for total replacement at 10+ year mark: cooling system, radiator and hoses, t-stat housing/ water pump, power steering system, valve cover gasket, oil filter housing, and all other oil leaks galore.

Leucosticte wrote

The drivetrains are good and I considered one, but IMO the pre lci F25 interior quality is pretty atrocious.

That's the hard bit for me - all the X3 loaners I ever had made me want to get out of them as quickly as possible.
E83 -> F25 -> G01 - the interiors seam to be getting only cheaper and crappier with each generation!?

jaffles wrote

I want him to 3rd party insure it, that way his car is gone if his silly but others are covered.

That will be prohibitively expensive.
$6-10K/year level for stand-alone teen driver policies.

All you guys focusing on the price of the car are missing the insurance elephant in the room.
After all the states passed mandatory insurance coverage laws, that racket has gotten way out of control!
$5K+$5K co-pay with kid contributing to the purchase of the car is not a bad idea, but no teen summer-job budget can cover the standalone insurance bill these days.
And if you are subsidizing the insurance to the tune of ~$3-6K/year, then why compromise over the quality, reliability and safety of the car itself?


YMMV,
a

We bought our oldest a 2013 RX350 when she got her license. She wrecked it three times, although only two were her fault and blew out 5 tires hitting curbs. Took a couple years for her to become a better driver. Now, she has a newer X3 for college and a better appreciation for cars. When the younger kids start driving, they will get older vehicles.

Ours all had a Honda as their first car. Used... basic... I'd suggest finding a manual transmission car for two reasons. First, the kid needs two hands to drive - which keeps them off their phone. Second - None of their crazy friends can drive it. Plus you will pay less for a manual car due to nobody wanting them anymore. We then signed over the cars to them at college graduation. They are in their mid to late 20's and still drive the Hondas. 211k on one, 195k on another and they are rock solid.

I agree that most kids will damage their first car. My oldest hit a light pole and put a nice dent in the trunk and bumper. My youngest totaled her first car. Luckily no injuries in either case. They shared an older Mazda 6.

I'm in a completely different camp. Can't say I agree with much of the above.

It really depends on the kid. If cars are of no significance to them and it's just a mode of transport, then anything safe and reliable will do. It would also render this entire thread moot.

But what if the kid is truly passionate about cars. The type of kid who could recite every car logo around the same time they started to speak. Aligned with the car kids through grade-school and pursued car interests anytime outside of school or sports. Could magazine race with the best of them and could immediately rattle off every single stat imaginable on any car worth knowing about.

For that kid, their first car has to be special. Your first car lays the foundation or your life's automotive experience going forward. It has to be something you can fall in love with, if you haven't been planning on it for years already.

My kid is still figuring out walking, but when the time comes and if she really, really wants a specific car, I'll fully support her. Ideally she'll want a sports car with a manual trans, like both mom and dad's first cars. Or she could be into different types of cars. Or she could not care one bit about cars whatsoever, which is cool too. In that case, I'd probably get her an X3 or Q5 or Model Y, something along those lines.

My 11 year-old nephew on the other hand, whom I described above, has already been planning for his first car for quite some time, which I've committed to buying for him. Down to the exact trim and spec, along with its future state of mods it will have.

I've been in his position because that was also me, and I know the feeling of finally getting that car and the joy that comes with it. We don't deny him that joy.

That was me as well. I knew car facts like other kids knew baseball facts. But I did not have parents like most in this thread. I also got into 5 accidents between 16 and 22. And two from 22 to 61.

afadeev wrote

That's the hard bit for me - all the X3 loaners I ever had made me want to get out of them as quickly as possible.
E83 -> F25 -> G01 - the interiors seam to be getting only cheaper and crappier with each generation!?

I disagree with this one, the LCI G01 loaner my parents got felt much higher quality inside than the LCI F25 they have and seemed like the sweet spot for X3s as far as interiors go.

100% Accord etc. Boringly reliable and will last may years if mildly taken care of (even neglected usually) and can get them into adulthood if that is the desire. Then your job is done.

Then, when and if they turn into a "car guy" - they can buy their own first "cool" car and it will mean even more to them because they "earned" it. I knew a few guys in high school who got cooler cars when they were 16 and none of them took care of them or respected them because they had zero sacrifice for them.

I liked cars, but my dad got me a Toyota Celica. Decent looking car, 2 doors and a manual. SHOULD have kept it till adulthood, but I wanted something cooler. Saved up and bought a 69 Dodge Charger with a 383 and put 4:10 gears in it. Did I learn some lessons? Yell yes. Like how to install gears, intakes, carbs, shifters, etc. But also how that $10 in gas money that used to last me a week now lasted me a night. Those tires that are fun to smoke off?? They are expensive! So are speeding tickets and C&I tickets.....and insurance. All of which came out of MY pocket the moment I bought MY own car.

Love them enough to allow them to learn all these important life lessons early where the repercussions of some small bad decisions are small and not life changing yet.