I got my license at 16 and shared my mom's car until I went to college. I bought my own car when I was a sophomore in college.
My son has his appointment for his license test next month. I bought myself a new (used) car, and he'll be getting my old one. Once he's 18, I'll sign it over to him.
I shared my parents car when I got my license at 16. I bought my own car after saving up - the summer before I was a senior in college. I then gave that car to my younger brother after I got my first real job and bought a better car.
We had no plans of buying DS1 a car when he turned 16. Then our elderly neighbor passed away and she had a low mileage car that only ever went to church and the local grocery store. Her brother sold us that car for $1700. So after telling DS multiple times that "16 year olds don't get their own cars in this house", I had to eat my words because we bought the neighbors car for him. He pays for gas and some maintenance and we split the insurance.
We only had one car when I was in high school and my mom couldn't afford to insure me, so I didn't bother getting my license until I was a sophomore in college. Then I borrowed my mom's car for a few years after my grandfather died and my mom inherited his car. Once I could afford to buy my own car at 22, I gave the old one back and my mom gave it to my stepdad.
I got a car at 15 when I got my permit. We were allowed to drive to and from school/work. I am the oldest of 5 and my mom needed me to be more independent. It was not a great car- 20 years old, from my grandpa. But it was freedom!
We are in the process of buying my 16 year old a car. My husband travels for work and it can be challenging to get him and his 14 year old sister where they need to go all the time. I can't wait for him to be able to drive himself to work.
Our son turns 16 in December and he will be getting our hand me down 2008 prius.
I am already over driving that kid places lol. I am ready for him to be able to get himself around in town.
I am sure there will be restrictions like only in town driving for I don't know how long. But yes he will get a car.
I grew up in a rural location so I had a car when I was 15 on a school permit. It was an old grandma car my parents bought off an estate for $2500. :-) I could easily fit 6 of my friends in it lol.
Got my license at 16 and was given my (deceased) Grandma's car to drive. It was so embarrassing, haha! But a smart decision from my parents. When I graduated HS, parents gave me a brand new nice car as a grad present to take to college. My dad still drive that car now!
I got my own car maybe 9 months later because my sister had graduated college and bought a new car so I got the hand me down my dad had purchased for her. It was an ‘80 mustang hatchback (a year older than me) with an 8 track player.
We will likely purchase a car for our son. I drive a huge SUV and DH had a company car so he can’t/we don’t want him driving drive either of those. L
I was bought a really old but solid Buick when I got my license by my Dad. Our plan is to give our now almost 15 year old my car when he gets his license and then I will get a new car. He will then have to share with his siblings as they get their licenses. We figure it will be cheaper to give him my car than it would be to use mine for a trade and buy him anything newer that would be reasonable.
Post by jillybean222 on Apr 25, 2023 12:48:46 GMT -5
H has a work car that he drives 90% of the time. We have two additional cars (one nicer, one beach/dog car that we both drive). We are either going to trade in the dog/beach car in and get a nicer 2nd car that the 3 drivers will share or we will keep both cars and add a 3rd. Not sure yet. Still playing with both ideas. It mostly depends on insurance cost I guess. I do want my daughter to have a car at her disposal most of the time for work, sports, and social activities but more often than not we have a car sitting in the driveway that nobody is using.
These responses are interesting to me. I didn’t get a car until I was 16 and it was a whole year later than most my friends/class. Almost everyone had one at 15. You can drive to school your sophomore year here.
We’ll probably do 15 for our DD as long as she meets certain requirements- grades, behavior, working and/or sports/activities.
The earliest a teen can get a driver's license in Connecticut is 16y4months (permit at 16) with Drivers Ed only. Otherwise 16y6mo.
So crazy. You can (or at least could) get a learners permit in KS at 14, restricted at 15 (school/work) and full license at 16.
I was 18 when I got my license (back from Europe and starting college). My dad gave me his old explorer (20 years old, 200k+ miles on it) which lasted me for three years until I could buy my own.
We only have one car in our household now and DD is 11yo. I assume when she starts driving that we'll get a second vehicle that will be a family car and she can use it.
I got my license at 16 and a hand me down car that was ALWAYS in the shop. My parents had to come get me from the side of the road often. Once my dad got sick, I just drove is truck for the most part.
When DD turned 16 she got her license. I actually bought her a 2013 Ford Fusion 4 months before her birthday (in 2015) so she could practice. I bought it and she paid insurance, maintenance, and gas. She got hit by someone in an F250 who ran a red light and it totaled her car so I got her a 2015 Dodge Charger which she still drives today. Sing;e mom and I did not want her broke down or unable to get to school or work.
Post by chilerellanos on Apr 26, 2023 9:46:52 GMT -5
I got my license at 16. My parents bought me car (it was a 1989 and it was 1994ish).
I totaled it about two weeks after getting it. My parents took the insurance money and got my mom a new car and I got her bronco II.
My oldest inherited my minivan. When they wrecked it, my grandparents gave them their old buick. That died a year or two later and my dad gave them their old GMC pickup. It just died this summer and they bought a new to them car at the age of 23.
My middle one got her license at 16, and my grandma bought her a pretty nice car that she totaled a few days later. We bought a junker with the insurance money, because clearly she needed to learn to drive before getting another nicer car. My grandma went out and bought her another newer car which I then also made her insure.
My youngest wasn’t interested in getting her license right away. She just got it at 17.
I gave her my 2015 car, and bought myself a 2022 cr-v.
Post by NewGirlNic on Apr 26, 2023 10:36:06 GMT -5
My grandmother was gifted a car from her friend whose husband passed away. He purchased the car brand new and died 6 months later. It sat in her garage for years. This woman didn't drive and didn't have kids to give the car to. So, my grandmother told me I could have it when I turned 16. This was probably when I was about 10 or 12? The car was a 1980 Buick Century. It was quite literally older than I was. But only had like 800 miles on it or something stupid.
I was able to drive it once I had a job and saved enough money for the registration and pay my parents some amount towards insurance (I forget what the amount was) I also had to have $x amount in savings to pay for any needed maintenance or repairs. I think I put it on the road the summer between junior and senior year, after completing drivers ed in summer school (which was also a qualification per my parents to register the car)... so about a year after I turned 16.
I don't know what we'll do for DS. He does want to get his license as soon as he's able. But I think we'll just let him drive our cars for now? We both work from home (H full time, me 3-4 days a week), so it will be easy enough to share 2 cars between the 3 of us.
Post by midwestmama on Apr 26, 2023 10:42:58 GMT -5
Me: I was given a car by my parents. I got my license the day I turned 16. I think my parents were not in full agreement about giving a car each to me and my sister (she's 2 years older than me) when we turned 16, but my dad didn't want my mom to feel like she had to continually give up her car for us to use a car. And he knew my sister would be unable to share, because that word was not in her vocabulary at that time her life (despite my parents' best efforts).
My kids: DH and I plan to contribute money if our kids would like to have their own car. We of course have full say in whether or not they get a car based on how we feel they are 1) safe drivers and 2) able to be responsible for their actions and make good choices with the freedom that having a car brings.
My sister and I got a used car for our 16th birthday that we had to share. We were involved in most of the same activities, had the same friends, worked at the same place etc. so it wasn't too big of a deal. We'd use one of my parents cars occasionally if we needed to. Eventually, they passed down one of their cars to us when they were ready to get a new one so we each had a car. We got my kids a used car when they turned 16. They shared it but eventually we got another vehicle for them because their schedules didn't align enough and they were always using my car. It wasn't a big deal during covid when I was working from home but I'm back at the office now.
I got a car about 7 months after I turned 16. I had to save up enough to pay my insurance for six months. Before that I just drove my moms car when I could.
As for my family...we have triplets so its going to be tricky! lol We have 4 years until they will turn 16. I plan on keeping my SUV and passing it on to them and DH plans to do the same with his truck. DH and me will get new cars then or probably a year or two before that. I think they can make it work with two cars and then eventually we will buy a third used car I'm guessing. I'm more stressed about paying for insurance and the parking situation at our house of 4-5 cars.
I got my license at 15. Where I grew up you could drive during daylight hours at 15. At 16 it turned into a full license. I had a car before my license. My mom drove it sometimes, but she preferred her giant Buick La Sabre. So, as soon as I got my license the car was mine. It died the summer (year later) after I graduated college. I never shared a car with anyone in my family unless one was in the shop. 4 of us, each with our own car although my dad's was a company car. So, really 3. All used and none fancy.
LOL at the notion that my parents would have ever bought or given me a car. Definitely not. It was shared use of the family Astro van for me.
In fact, I was not even allowed to buy a car with my own money until the day I turned 18 (even though I had my license since 16). I had a used car title in hand by 5 p.m. on my birthday.
My parents had a 3rd car that was kept for me, however in order for me to drive it I had to pay gas and insurance for it (fair). That's not to say I could just take the car any time I wanted for anything, but I did drive it to school and drove my brother around for hockey. It was 8 years old and when they paid it off after 5 years they got a new car and kept it so that they'd have a 3rd car for me when I turned 16.
We have 17 mos til DD turns 16. Currently our cars are 7 and 15 years old. Tentatively the plan is that DD will get my car (the 7 yo) with the same stipulations I had - paying gas and insurance. Initially we were going to do it with DH's car, but my car has every safety feature imaginable and I just feel better with them having that. We'll probably be in the market for at least one newer car by then anyway.
My daughter won’t get something brand new, but likely just a year or two old. She does have to pay 10% of the cost up front. She’s been saving for a few years to make that happen. She just turned 15.
My parents didn’t give us anything. Lol. I got my license at 17 because by that age drivers’ ed. was no longer required. I bought my first car my senior year of college.
I have no clue when DD will be able to get her license, but we don’t currently plan to buy her a car. Help maybe, or if we happen to be replacing a car.