Do you owe your teen a car?

My father worked for the auto industry as an engineer his entire life.  Cars were a way of life where we grew up.  He had an old Miata in the garage and he used to tell me it would be mine when I got my license.  I initially was very young and didn’t care but we used to work on it from time to time and I enjoyed helping him and learning how it worked.  I got to help him with basic maintenance and keep it in both good looking and running shape.  When I was about 12 years old, he threw down a boat cushion on the seat and forced me to start driving him around the subdivision.  I was absolutely terrified but I listened to my father’s advice.  He would take me out into the neighborhood and teach me how to drive it and operate the manual transmission.  As I got more competent we would drive through other neighborhoods and take short drives in the rural countryside early on Saturday mornings.  By the time I got my license I was a capable, safe, and a confident driver that he knew would be smart out there on the roads.  When I passed my driver’s test, the car was mine, along with it, its host of idiosyncrasies, but I had a car.  I learned more from that car because I felt I had earned it and I am thankful I had a father that pushed me. I think he knew teaching me himself would allow him to keep his sanity when I was able to drive legally and would be out on my own.  He said to me years after, that he wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t see it in me (that I could handle learning at such a young age) but I’m glad he did.  So no you don’t owe your teen a car but you can use a vehicle as a life lesson, as a carrot to dangle out there.  You can teach kids a lot more than just how to drive but how to be responsible, successful, self-sufficient and safe.  You can’t put a price on a good lesson that your kids will never forget, and more than likely pass down to their kids.  Again, I didn’t have a new car and would never buy my kids a brand new car.  That’s just frivolous.   So now that I am older, I have a 2000 Camaro SS in the garage that one day will get called into action for the same purposes. 

Worked and bought my own car before I had a license. Didn't give my kids any cars. They worked and bought their own plus paid their own expenses. Totally off to buy these kids their car. How will they learn how to provide their own if parents keep buying them everything?

I bought my own 1st vehicle (an old beat-up pickup truck for $300), worked and paid my own way through college.  I did live at home through 1st 3 years of college, but was responsible for all expenses (clothes, insurance, tuition, food, gas, etc). When I got married my last year of college and moved out "on my own", my parents told me to not even think about moving back home anytime in the future if it did not work out.  I never did.  I knew the value of hard work and money, and saving for the future.

Both my kids were provided mom's old 100K+ mile hand-me-down Ford Taurus when they got their licenses.  Both kids worked in high school and college.  Both were responsible for paying for their own insurance, gas and 1/2 of their college tuition (or equivilant amount of scholarships).  Both kids graduated in 4 years with zero debt, and savings to boot in the bank - and jobs.  I gave both kids the down-payment for their 1st homes.  Both are married and doing fine.

I agree - you should not give your kids a totally free ride.  They have to understand the value of earning their way through life.  But I also agree that you have to be there to support your kids, and hopefully they will support you in return if ever needed.  It's a 2-way street.

No. I worked for my first car and other things. If they want a car they can work too.

I have been working since before i even had working papers, haven't had a summer of since the 7th grade when i started working at a camp. I am 23 years old and my parents split the cost of my first new car, i have ALWAYS been grateful for that. There is nothing wrong with getting your child a new car provided you raised him right.

A few years ago my step daughter who was 11 at the time mentioned us getting her a car when she turned 16. I instantly informed her this is not the Disney channel and just because you turn 16 you do not automatically get a car. I told her she needs to start thinking about saving her money and needs to keep her grades up. I bought my first car with a year and a half worth of saving from work, birthday, Christmas and graduation money (oh did I mention i waited until I was 18 to get my liscense because I managed to have friends that drove and walked anywhere else I needed to go- I rarely asked my parents for rides.) My parents never paid for anything for my car unless it was considered a Bday or Christmas gift. I had guy friends that would help me if something was wrong with it too. As for the good grades that helped my insurance stay low.