Buying First Car for Your Teenager: 8 Things Families Need to Know

Where did the time go? One minute you were changing your child’s diapers and now your child is a teenager and is old enough to drive.

Buying a car for your teenager is an exciting journey that you’ll never forget! This is an important milestone and it’s a family adventure that is sure to be a lot of fun. However, there are lots of practicalities you need to think about before you purchase a vehicle in order to ensure you get the right car for your teen.

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Don’t rush to buy them their own car without first having a family discussion and setting a few rules. Parents will have to assess the responsibility of their teens and decide if they are mature enough to own their first car. Then comes the research. You’ll have to take into consideration features like safety ratings, gas mileage, and price.

To help you and your teen get started, here are a few tips for how to buy teen’s first car.

Deciding Who’s Paying for What

You may want to pay for the cost of the whole car yourself. Alternatively, you may want to share the cost with your teenager.

By doing the latter, you can provide your teen with a sense of responsibility and make the ownership of the car more gratifying. Of course, sharing the expense can also help you to spread the financial burden.

But simply choose the cost option that makes the most sense for you as a family.

Unless you’re planning on surprising your teen with a car, involve him or her in the conversation about who’s footing the bill. Also, make sure you agree on who will pay for all the associated costs, such as gas, maintenance, and insurance.

Should You Take Out a Loan

When it comes to your teen’s first car, taking out a loan can be an option worth considering. However, before making this important decision, both teen and parent should sit down and discuss the loan terms of the loan, interest rates, and what monthly car payment can be realistically afforded. This is especially important if the teen will be responsible for making the monthly payments.

Create a Car Budget

Next, work out a realistic budget for the car. Research online to get an idea of what type of car your teen is interested in and then determine how much you can realistically afford. This will help determine if your teen will be buying a used or a new car.

In addition to the cost of the car itself, make sure you factor in all other associated costs like registration fees and taxes, insurance, and any necessary repairs that may need to be made before driving the car.

Also, consider how much money you want your teen to spend on gas each month and factor that into the budget.

Considering Different Insurance Coverage Options

Whether you or your teenager is paying for the car insurance, it’s important that you carefully look at the different types of coverage that are available to ensure your teen has adequate insurance coverage.

Accidents are more common among new and young drivers, so it could be worth taking out additional coverage so that your son or daughter is fully protected.

You should also compare different insurance companies to find the best quote by using an online car insurance guide. For instance, it’s quick and easy to compare multiple insurers at MarketWatch.

Determining Whether You Should Buy a New or Used Car

One of the most important questions you need to discuss as a family before you start looking for potential vehicles to buy is: are you going to purchase a new or used car?

There are pros and cons to both options. And the financial factor will undoubtedly play a large part in your decision.

But besides the cost, you should consider which option would best suit your teen’s needs, how many years your kid is likely to drive the car, and how much it will cost to upkeep a used or new car.

You can certainly find used cars that are reliable and they will certainly be more affordable than new cars, but new cars typically need less maintenance over time and they also contain technologies and safety features that aren’t available in older models.

Thinking About How the Car Will Be Used

Regardless of whether you buy a used or new car, you’ll want to spend a great deal of time as a family thinking about what type of car would be most suitable for your teen.

To do that, begin by thinking about how the car will be used.

Will it just be used locally? How many miles will your teen typically do each month? Are other members of the family going to be driving the car as well? Is a lot of space required for transporting luggage or passengers? Will a dog be traveling in the car?

Once you know the answers to those types of questions, you will be able to decide whether you want to buy a sedan, an SUV, or a minivan, for instance.

Make sure you purchase a car that is the right model and size and has the right performance and safety features for your specific situation.

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Taking Safety into Consideration

We have already mentioned that it’s important to look for a car that has the right safety features and that newer cars will often have the latest and best safety technologies. So, pay attention to the specific safety features of any car that you’re considering buying.

You may want a car that has advanced safety features like automatic emergency braking, electronic stability control, and blind spot warning systems that can back up inexperienced drivers and keep them safer on the road.

Other safety features to consider include strong obstacle avoidance performance, forward collision warning, and limited acceleration.

Going on Test Drives

Armed with the answers to the above considerations, you’ll be in a good position to start searching for the right car for your teenager.

The last part of your car-purchasing family adventure involves your teen taking potential cars out for test drives.

At the end of the day, nothing on paper can tell drivers how they feel behind the wheel of specific cars. So, it’s crucial your teen never skips the test drive. You may even want to go for a test drive yourself so that you can offer a second opinion.

At dealerships, you can usually just turn up and take vehicles out for test drives. But if you’re buying from a private seller, you’ll need to make an appointment and check if it’s okay to take the car for a spin.

Also, when buying a used car from a private seller, it’s important that you find out information like how many miles the car has traveled, how long it’s been since maintenance was performed, and whether the car has ever been in a road accident.

Before taking the car out for a test drive, it’s a good idea to use a route planner ahead of time to find a route that includes a variety of different roads and driving conditions. For instance, look for a route that involves curved roads, inclined roads, and roads with different kinds of traction.

Your teen will then be able to easily see how the car performs in different environments and conditions. Also, make sure your kid puts the car through its paces. It’s important that he or she does things like accelerate and then brake hard to see how good the car really is.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, you want to provide your teen with a car that is safe and reliable, so it’s important to consider all of the above factors when purchasing a vehicle. Take your time in choosing the right car for your needs and don’t be afraid to take vehicles out for test drives. With careful consideration and patience, you’ll be able to find the perfect car for your teen. Good luck!

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