December 19th, 2020 | Updated on June 30th, 2022
It can be a real challenge to satisfy your price tag requirements and your child’s “cool ride” and “show off to friends” concerns. That’s why we would like to give you some essential tips to help you and your teen with purchasing the perfect vehicle.
1. Get your teen involved.
Making your child participate in a decision-making process will bring at least two advantages:
- You will know exactly what his or her preferences are, which means the car you buy will completely satisfy the wishes.
- Choosing a car, considering the financial conditions will help them to understand responsibility.
2. Consider Buying A Used Car.
First of all, you should understand that framing the budget may help your child learn to appreciate things and not take them for granted.
Choose a dealership that offers good vehicle services, easy financing, and cars that are in good condition. For example, you may check Rolls Auto Sales.
3. Safety
Now let’s mention what you should actually pay attention to when choosing the very first car for a teenager.
We will definitely put safety as a priority on this list. As a parent, you always want to know that besides being happy your child is also safe behind the wheel.
Any car you look at should meet minimum requirements of safety, such as functioning airbags, size and weight of the car, and power locks.
4. Cost Efficiency
Looking at how many miles to the gallon a car will get is even more important than choosing by the cost of the vehicle.
A more efficient car will help you teenager save a lot of money on gas. Usually, the fuel efficient car will have a government fuel economy rating of 25 miles per gallon combined city and highway driving.
If you buy a cheaper but less cost-efficient car now, your teen will pay this difference later.
5. Visibility
You are buying the very first car for your child which means he is just starting his driving experience.
At the very beginning, it can be a real struggle to have a clear view of the road. Depending on your child, certain cars may have better visibility than others.
To get the most appropriate option be sure to take a test drive before purchasing a car. That way you can know if they can clearly see out of all the windows and find the blind spots easily.
If they can’t see in one direction or their vision is blocked for some reason, it’s not the best car for them.
6. Style
Talking about the style, we need to say that every person is completely unique with their specific preferences.
That’s why let your teen chose the style by oneself, don’t push, and don’t give your advice if it’s not asked.
It’s really important for them to get what they really want. Although it may seem not the most crucial factor for you, it definitely makes a difference for a teenager.
7. Inspect The Car Carefully
You should pay attention to four ingredients when choosing a decent car: interior, exterior, under the hood: Engine related components, under the vehicle. One very important tip here is to bring your friend or a professional mechanic with you.
And even If a salesperson tells you that an independent inspection is not necessary because the dealership has already done it, insist on having your mechanic look at it.
Even though it can cost you around 100$ to hire a professional, it might save you a much bigger fortune in the future.
8. No Distractions In The Car!
As you may know, distractions are the key faction of most accidents on the road. We recommend finding a car that supports Bluetooth capabilities and hands-free features.
This way you will minimalize the distraction factors as your teenager will less likely be using their hand for smartphone communications.
Now that you know what things to look for when buying a first car, here are some good starter cars for teens that you can look at:
These are just options for you to consider. Of course, it’s very important for you to make your personal research and find exactly what you and your teen will be satisfied with.
You both should be involved in the process and, what is also very important, don’t hurry up! Start looking for the vehicle in advance and don’t make spontaneous decisions. Make your plan and follow it wisely!
Hopefully, this list has been useful for you and you will consider these educational tips when choosing the first car for your child.
Remember that looking for a good car can sometimes be a stressful process but properly informed and with these tips readily at hand, you’ll be ready to tackle it with no worries.
