Should You Buy Your Teenager Their First Vehicle?

Having a teenager or two at home can be both an enjoyable thing and a daunting task at times.

That said there is likely going to come a day when your teen will want to drive.

With that in mind, should you end up buying your teenager their first vehicle?

Focus on Safety if Looking for a Vehicle

In the event you drive ahead with buying a new vehicle or used one for your teen, here are a few things to think about:

1. Are they ready to drive? – Of course a likely question to run through your head would be is your teen at the point where driving makes sense? Along with being legally able to drive, you want to look at your teen’s maturity level. Can they handle the important responsibilities that go with having driving privileges? If they seem not ready for it, you do not want them to rush into it. Your teen does not have the driving experience so many adults have. As a result, help them get some of that experience before running out and buying them their own vehicle.
2. What vehicle to buy them? – Once you have established that your teen is ready for all that goes with driving, do you need to buy them a vehicle? Depending on your vehicle needs, you may want to buy one for them. That is one or even two vehicles in the family may not be enough for everyone’s transportation needs. If your teen has a part-time job and needs transportation, you may decide a vehicle is good. It then comes down to buying them the right make and model. While your teen may love the idea of getting a new vehicle, you may be leaning towards buying them a used one. If you do lean in that direction, take extra time to research what is out there. The goal of course is not only finding something affordable, but a vehicle that they will be as safe as possible in. If you think it will be a used car or truck, take extra time to research what is available. One option when looking at used autos is to go online and do a vehicle title search. That would be a search of a used auto you spot for sale. You could learn some valuable details on the vehicle. While you’d like to think you can trust someone selling a used car or truck, this is not always the case. Do your homework on what is out there so you end up with the best set of wheels for your teen.
3. Taking care of the vehicle – Many parents do not expect their teen to pay outright for a vehicle. Having said that a fair number of parents will expect their kids to contribute to the vehicle care. That said make sure your teen is responsible when it comes to caring for the auto you buy them. Contributing to buying gas and other reasonable requests should be agreed upon. You also expect them to abide by all rules of the road. This would be so they are safer and there is less wear and tear on the vehicle over time.

In buying your teen a vehicle, are you driven to make this happen?