Your teenager probably has plans about what kind of car they want to drive, but since you’re the parent, you need to make the actual decision concerning which kind of vehicle you’ll be buying for your son or daughter. When you’re choosing a vehicle for a teenager, you might have different concerns than you’d have when buying a car for yourself. Teenagers are still building good driving habits. Besides that, they might only be in the vehicle for a couple of years, so you might not want to spend as much on it. If you want some more ideas on what you should be looking for when you’re buying your teenager’s first vehicle, here are three factors to consider.
Cost
If you’re concerned about how much to pay for your child’s first car, your feelings are valid. Your son or daughter might want to buy something different in a few years, and there are several other reasons you might decide that spending less on your child’s car than you would on your own is a good idea. First of all, teenagers are inexperienced drivers, so they’re more likely to get into fender benders or even full-fledged accidents. You might also decide that you would prefer to save money on insurance. Teenagers’ insurance rates are higher than those for adults with good driving records. When you combine youthful age with a valuable car, premiums become considerably more expensive, so you should check out the cost of insuring a vehicle before you buy it.
Safety
Unfortunately, there is a good chance your teen will get in an accident at some point. That’s why you should make finding a safe design one of the primary factors that you consider when purchasing a vehicle. For instance, you should look for a vehicle that is somewhat heavy, but you don’t want to put your child in one with a higher risk of rollover. You should also avoid giving your child a vehicle with a lot of horsepower. Power and speed are temptations to a new driver.
Reliability
Sure, your teen has you to rely on if the car breaks down, but do you really want to pick them up from the burger joint at 11 p.m. because the car won’t start? Have a mechanic thoroughly check the vehicle before you buy it, and think about what will need to be replaced in the next couple of years. You can even keep an eye on the parts so that you can replace them before your teenager is stranded somewhere around town.
When you’re looking for a vehicle for your teenager, there isn’t an exact formula, but there are many lists of the best cars for teenagers. In fact, Consumer Reports also puts out a buying guide every year to help parents navigate the murky waters of purchasing cars for their teens. But by at least looking for the three above things, you’ll be sure to find a good car that will be perfect for your teenager.
If you enjoyed this article, check out this other article on how not to get in a wreck when you have young kids in the car!
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