Teenager getting car. Got any advice.

[Soccermomm]

So DS is car shopping. I am looking for any helpful hints, driving rules or anything you got.

Thank you

[SnuggleBuggles]

We never bought our kid a new car and had no plans to get him one. Just worked out that grandma retired and didn't want hers anymore. My insurance agent said that we should come up with our short list and ask her how much each would cost to insure as there really wasn't a rhyme or reason.
This week someone asked about how kids pay for gas (payment method). Look back for that helpful thread.
Note that many universities don't allow freshmen to have cars on campus so realize that the car will spend at least a year not being used much so if you don't really need it, you might want to just wait. It'll cost you $$ just sitting there. I know some people don't really care about that but it is something to consider.

[belovedgandp]

DS1 has now bought two cars. We were looking for the under $4k variety assuming the first one would get wrecked and we were only carrying liability insurance.

Best bet is working connections you have. When you are buying a car for $1,900 you know you are buying issues. Just nice to feel like a friend would tell you all the issues. That's what happened for DS1's first car. He had just turned 15. We were going to split the cost of a car, but he paid for the car at under $2k and we put about that into the car - tires, windshield, etc. It was great and he drove a ton for 18 months and then had a fluky accident in some weird congestion where he rear ended someone. Airbag went off so no way we're paying to put that car back on the road. So salvaged it.

Since DH is working from home going to two cars wasn't a big deal last year. We just kept our eyes and ear open and then after three months heard about a friend's niece unloading a car. This time a $3k one so we split purchase cost again. DS1 has been driving it for over four months now.

We definitely bought just thinking driving to and from high school. DS2 is three years younger. Hope is this car makes it another almost 18 months so DS1 can sell to DS2 after he graduates from high school. He'll most likely not have a car his freshman year of college and then we'll look into something slightly nicer after his freshman year.

[erosenst]

Make sure they have money at all times - ideally a credit card and cash. Dd has emergency cash in her glove box and a credit card in her name. Have rules on when they can be used. Have a copy of insurance in the car and on their phone.

Make sure they know how to pump gas, where the defrosters are, and how to use everything “normal” (windshield wipers, brights, etc) in the new car. Have a phone charging cord that stays in the car.

We have a strict no texting while driving rule. Even at stop lights and stop signs. If you need to text pull off the road.

As you can tell I’m all about the safety and emergency planning. Good luck!


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[Soccermomm]

DS is buying the car.

What sort of rules do you have for it ? Like be home by certain time. No one else can drive it. No texting while driving. Etc

[SnuggleBuggles]

DS is buying the car.

What sort of rules do you have for it ? Like be home by certain time. No one else can drive it. No texting while driving. Etc

His license likely has a curfew on it so follow that. Those other ones should be a given whether his car or yours. :) Has he been driving?


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[StantonHyde]

Consumer Reports has a good car contract for teens. Make sure you clarify consequences as well. My big one is—do not drive the car if you have been drinking. Call me. I will come get you. We will discuss it the next day.

No calls or texts while driving. For DD it’s going to be constantly wanting to change the music that plays through her phone!!!

Fortunately DS drives like somebody’s grandma. DD has more confidence which can be good and bad

[SnuggleBuggles]

Consumer Reports has a good car contract for teens. Make sure you clarify consequences as well. My big one is—do not drive the car if you have been drinking. Call me. I will come get you. We will discuss it the next day.

Yep. No questions asked and I’ll happily get him.


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[smilequeen]

We bought an extra car for DS1 to drive, so it is OUR car. In that case, he is aware that we can take it away at any time and we decide how and when he can use it. We did research on safety features and had what was a reasonable budget for a newer model used car for our family.

I think rules probably depend on the kid. How old is he? How long has he been driving? How responsible has he shown to be? etc. My oldest is a newer driver (turned 16 in late November), but has been a responsible kid, and was very very good learning to drive. Confident, fast learner, careful. I had him take private lessons with a police officer and he raved about how well DS was driving and how fast he learned. That affected how I felt about setting up ground rules. I use the driving addition to the Life360 app on my phone. He knows that it will be monitored for at minimum 6 months, more likely a year. So I watch his speed, phone usage, etc. and haven't had any issues yet. He would have a curfew if he was doing any typical socializing, but...Covid. He goes to sports and school and that's it for now. Hockey games were sometimes very late (10 PM on weekends) so I had to be flexible then. He drives himself to school, but I expect him to also drive his 8th grade brother (same school) and they have to be decent to each other or I can start driving them again.

We got a credit card for him for gas and incidentals. He grabs a smoothie after his personal training sessions and sometimes after practices, so he uses that.

We also have the rule that we will always pick him up, no questions asked...and being responsible enough to call will factor into the discussion of why the next day. I never want him to be afraid to call us.

[JBaxter]

DS is buying the car.

What sort of rules do you have for it ? Like be home by certain time. No one else can drive it. No texting while driving. Etc

Our state has a curfew so legally he has to be home before midnight Texting and driving is also illegal so thats a given. His atm card is with him so he had access to money I follow him on Life360 app it tells me how fast he has gone and where he is. He still calls or texts when he gets places.

[mom2binsd]

Get life 360 app on your phone, the free version is fine, a friend who has 3 teen drivers said the paid version isn't any better. I don't constantly track DD, but it gives accurate location, shows speed and even a tracing of the days driving.

Like I these have said, all the usual rules, limit how many passengers, and know how all the features of the car work. Have a plan if there is a flat tire, an accident, running out of gas. Keep the car clean, pay attention to tire pressure, when oil need cna changing.

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[niccig]

DS just got his license. My car is nearly 14 years older, so when I buy a new car, I’ll pass mine down to him. It’ll still be our car. I may have him drive the newer car more often though as it’ll have the braking sensor feature. On LA freeways, traffic goes from 65mph to zero so that feature will be safer for a new driver. He’s got 2.5 years to college and we’ll see where he is if he needs a car or not.

As for rules, it should be the same as if it was your car. I like what others have mentioned


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[SnuggleBuggles]

Buy AAA. Yes, your insurance might have roadside service but some might charge an up front fee. I agree that they should have emergency cash on hand for this type of emergency but it's far less stressful to have AAA for flats, jump, run out of gas, need a tow...
Dh needed a middle of the night tow way back when and they wanted $200 cash up front.
Good point about knowing the warning lights. We lost it when ds1 was describing what he thought was the oil light, since we know how quickly that can add up to $$$.. It was just the tire light.

[roobee]

We met with our insurance agent and he said plan on paying double the insurance cost for your lowest priced vehicle. There's also a significant insurance discount for good grades.

We bought a 2008 Pontiac Vibe (same as a Toyota Matrix) for $3500 last year and the cost to insure it for me and DH is currently only $25 a month. We'll see how that changes when DD starts driving. I think it gets like 35mpg too. It's a nice little car.

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[elbenn]

We bought an extra car for DS1 to drive, so it is OUR car. In that case, he is aware that we can take it away at any time and we decide how and when he can use it. We did research on safety features and had what was a reasonable budget for a newer model used car for our family.


What car did you choose? I remember a thread where you discussed how you might give him an old Mercedes SUV, but I guess you decided against that?

[elbenn]

I haven't seen anyone mention it, but does anyone get a AAA membership for your teen drivers? Is AAA worth it?

ETA: Never mind. I see Snugglesbuggles posted about it. I guess I just read the first page of this thread.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I haven't seen anyone mention it, but does anyone get a AAA membership for your teen drivers? Is AAA worth it?

ETA: Never mind. I see Snugglesbuggles posted about it. I guess I just read the first page of this thread.

My grandfather was a huge believer in AAA. Then my mom beat the importance of it into my head. I’ve been a member since I got my first car and so glad I have it. It’s come in handy, for sure!


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[gymnbomb]

I haven't seen anyone mention it, but does anyone get a AAA membership for your teen drivers? Is AAA worth it?

ETA: Never mind. I see Snugglesbuggles posted about it. I guess I just read the first page of this thread.

I think some type of reliable roadside assistance program is worth it. We don't have AAA but we've always had roadside assistance through our auto insurance (USAA) and they are great! I've used it twice for flat tires and once to get my husband's car unlocked and jumped (he wasn't even on my insurance yet) when we returned from our honeymoon.

[belovedgandp]

DS is buying the car.

What sort of rules do you have for it ? Like be home by certain time. No one else can drive it. No texting while driving. Etc

We've basically split the purchase of the two vehicles with DS1. I still titled in my name, so it is technically my car. I don't think he could legally own the vehicle at 15. Not sure how old you have to be to title in your own name, but I've continued to title the "kid" vehicle as me or DH.

DS1 knows the vehicle and right to drive it is ultimately ours. So far he's been respectful of our rules. When he still had restrictions on his license for hours he could be on the road and number of passengers we made sure he followed those.

Now that his license is restriction free our basic rules are no phone/texting, passengers must wear seatbelts, and letting us know where he is when.

With all this, I will endorse Life360. Just the free version was enough for the paranoia checks when weather was bad to make sure he got where he was supposed to be.

I've always had AAA and was easily able to add him to the account.

He does have jumper cables and knows how to use them. Even jumped a friend's car this past summer.

The reality is removing all driving would ultimately punish me more than him. First phase would be school and back only.

[smilequeen]

What car did you choose? I remember a thread where you discussed how you might give him an old Mercedes SUV, but I guess you decided against that?

We ended up with an Audi Q5. A much better sized car for him. Even my son thought the Mercedes was too big after driving it (older GL, what is now the GLS), so DH sold that one when he chose a new car for himself.

[AnnieW625]

Consumer Reports has a good car contract for teens. Make sure you clarify consequences as well. My big one is—do not drive the car if you have been drinking. Call me. I will come get you. We will discuss it the next day.

No calls or texts while driving. For DD it’s going to be constantly wanting to change the music that plays through her phone!!!

Fortunately DS drives like somebody’s grandma. DD has more confidence which can be good and bad

This will be my rule as well. We will be going through this next year as DD1 will be 16.

Car wise I think you can get a decent used car still for less than $7,000. I would stick to Subaru, Nissan, Honda, or Toyota for cars/wagons/SUVs, and would consider Ford or Chevy and maybe Ram/Dodge for a truck as well; Nissan also makes great trucks. DH thinks every college student should have a small pick up truck as it makes moving easier and you can only take one other person with you. I paid $4500 for my first car in 1998 (1990 Corolla) and the I would’ve continued to drive it until I had DD1 in 2006 had it not been totaled in an accident in 2001.

Another fan of AAA, been a member for 26 years.

Also fwiw we plan on having DD1 use one of our cars (2006 Honda Pilot, or 2017 Subaru Outback). We might also consider buying my sister’s 2012 Nissan Altima (if she decides she needs a new car; it currently has 150k or so miles) or buying DH’s grandma’s Chevy Cruze (late 2000s model....if she ever gets to the point where she isn’t leaving the house .... she is 100 and still lives at home so Dh’s uncle still drives her around or has passed away) as it has low miles and will get you very easily from A-B.

ETA: all of the brands I listed above have some sort of compact truck in a decent used price range; Ram might be the only exception as I think they discontinued the Dakota years ago. The mid 2000s Ford 150s and Chevy Silverados would be on the larger size, but are still smaller than the current counterparts. A Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon would fit that compact to mid size truck bill.
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[SnuggleBuggles]

I think some type of reliable roadside assistance program is worth it. We don't have AAA but we've always had roadside assistance through our auto insurance (USAA) and they are great! I've used it twice for flat tires and once to get my husband's car unlocked and jumped (he wasn't even on my insurance yet) when we returned from our honeymoon.
Like I said upthread, it's important to note if you will need to have $ on hand to pay for roadside service. AAA doesn't require that. Some insurance companies do. Not usually a big deal for an adult but definitely a challenge for some teens. :)

[gymnbomb]

Like I said upthread, it's important to note if you will need to have $ on hand to pay for roadside service. AAA doesn't require that. Some insurance companies do. Not usually a big deal for an adult but definitely a challenge for some teens. :)

Definitely. We do not have to pay anything out of pocket for ours, and they provide excellent service. But it is worth finding out if you have it as a free or cheap option.


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[dogmom]

Safety wise I wouldn’t get a vehicle over 15 years since the airbags may not work and closer you get to under 10 the better. Likewise older SUV and trucks may not be the way to go with with younger drivers. The older models are easier to roll. Trucks and larger SUVs have fixed frames vs crumple zones. So although they to a great job of plowing into smaller vehicles in a crash they fair worse in one car collisions vs fixed object. (So going off the road into a tree.) Since the fixed framed vehicles don’t crumple they don’t absorb the forces as much and more gets transmitted to the humans. Most of the accidents I see with younger drivers are one car situations when someone was driving too fast on a road and went off it and either rolled or hit a tree. Those of the ones with serious injuries. Also, high vehicles with higher bumpers are much more likely to be involved in car vs pedestrian fatalities. So I try to think about my kid accidentally killing someone besides himself. I think a lot of the feeling of SUV and such being safer is illusionary from sitting up high. I just think sedans are better for young drivers.


I’m not going to tell people whether to get or not get AAA, but I refused to use them decades ago when I found out they lobbied against airbags. It was sort of the last straw after the anti-environmental stuff they do. I found out I really don’t need them and managed fine without them and definitely saved money even if I occasionally pay for a tow. (There was also a really sad case of some woman here that waited over 3 hrs for a AAA tow and finally let someone help her and was killed by him. I also can’t get that out of my head.) I figure if he’s got cell service he can call us and we will figure it out. If he doesn’t have cell service he can’t call AAA either.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I’m not going to tell people whether to get or not get AAA, but I refused to use them decades ago when I found out they lobbied against airbags. It was sort of the last straw after the anti-environmental stuff they do. I found out I really don’t need them and managed fine without them and definitely saved money even if I occasionally pay for a tow. (There was also a really sad case of some woman here that waited over 3 hrs for a AAA tow and finally let someone help her and was killed by him. I also can’t get that out of my head.) I figure if he’s got cell service he can call us and we will figure it out. If he doesn’t have cell service he can’t call AAA either.

Interesting but the only things I can find date back to 2000 or earlier. I would be more interested in more current practices.

All towing companies triage tows based on who is involved (kids, elderly...), where you are located (if you are somewhere safe you can bet they are going to bump you down the queue). injuries, overall profitability of coming to help.

[erosenst]

Funny timing - DH just added DD to our AAA account. I think it's probably overkill - but when I break it down to $4 a month for peace of mind? I didn't say anything and now she has it. Glad to see so many here who think it's good protection :)

[dogmom]

Interesting but the only things I can find date back to 2000 or earlier. I would be more interested in more current practices.

All towing companies triage tows based on who is involved (kids, elderly...), where you are located (if you are somewhere safe you can bet they are going to bump you down the queue). injuries, overall profitability of coming to help.

Oh, they are still doing it. I’m trying to be respectful of this no to being a political forum. If you Google the are still part of an overall lobbying effort, like opposing electric car rebates. I don’t even understand why, which makes me think they are in bed with the wrong people. In general I think AAA had a lot to offer back when I was young, but they just don’t have as many perks. I mean who needs a personalize map or the AAA guidebook now? I’m not sure about other areas, but since AAA has contracts with companies they get paid a flat rate. I’ve talked to drivers, the get too keep more of the money if I call them directly. If it travelled a lot out of state or such I guess it would be different. I think there are plenty of reasons to belong, it’s just my personal experience has been better without them. I also work in the city. When I was having some electrical issues with my RAV4 I managed 2 jumps and one tire change in the subway parking garage three different times from Taxi drivers waiting outside the station for a total of what a year of AAA costs. Met some lovely people.

[niccig]

Like I said upthread, it's important to note if you will need to have $ on hand to pay for roadside service. AAA doesn't require that. Some insurance companies do. Not usually a big deal for an adult but definitely a challenge for some teens. :)

I never have money on hand. We have AAA and it’s peace of mind for me to know I can call and usually they are there in 20-30 mins. Growing up our cars always broke down and we were stranded in middle of nowhere. Less of an issue now with cellphones but I like knowing help is nearby. In LA the AAA got to me quicker than DH could with traffic.


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[StantonHyde]

I have broken down twice in my life. Once in town-a friend got me and I arranged a tow later. Another time on a road trip and I had great tow service. Plus the places we travel often don’t have AAA any where near. More like the county search and rescue! So I don’t feel the need to have it

[niccig]

I have broken down twice in my life. Once in town-a friend got me and I arranged a tow later. Another time on a road trip and I had great tow service. Plus the places we travel often don’t have AAA any where near. More like the county search and rescue! So I don’t feel the need to have it

Dead battery several times - generally at home but once at my school, it was late and I was last person in parking lot. We’ve also had the cars towed 2x after rear ended and another time when it didn’t start because rats chewed the wiring harness. And a couple of flat tires - I can change those but prefer not to on side of highway


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[mom2binsd]

We have State Farm Insurance, and it includes amazing roadside service, when my car died (the front axel and tie rod broke when I was merging onto the interstate) I called my agent and she had a tow truck out in few minutes. If it's after hours we just call a tow truck and give them our State Farm info, have told DD how to do this (includes flat tire/battery jump/towing).

DD is currently driving a 1997 Buick Century, yes, it doesn't have all the safety features, but it's a solid car and she absolutely can't go very fast in it, it's a grandma car (even is the Grandma gold color). It was a hand me down from my x In laws, as we can't afford a car for her at this time, but we feel she is safe in it, and only drives to school/sports practice and work, all which are within a 5 mile radius, as we live in a small town.

Check with your insurance company what you have coverage for.