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Are you considering buying your kid’s starter car? What a generous gesture, but of course, not one that doesn’t come with its fair share of safety and cost-efficiency considerations.
As a parent, you’ll want to ensure that your kids are safe on the road and can get to where they need to go. But safety is simply one of many considerations you need to factor in when car shopping for your children. This helpful article will share more of them, so continue reading to learn more.
Consider a Used Car
Secondhand vehicles are almost always the go when it comes to buying your kids their first car. Thankfully, there are a myriad of online car sales platforms where you may be able to find a good deal. However, for safety-conscious parents, you may be considering purchasing a more modern secondhand vehicle with updated safety features that help protect your kid on the road. If you do find a dependable secondhand car that’s just outside your budget, there are plenty of flexible used car loans that may be able to support your starter car purchase.
With a robust buying budget, you can get decent used models with low odometer readings that will do just fine for a starter car. And let your kids know that most used cars will still have all the features they want, such as Bluetooth connectivity, safety features and more. In fact, you may even opt to get a recent year model by buying an ex-display car, which is practically brand new.
Just remember: as you’re the one footing the bill here, take a moment to demonstrate to your kids that a used car is still an investment and that staying on top of their vehicle maintenance and upkeep alongside driving safely will ensure their starter can depreciates at a slower rate and can feasibly be sold at a good price when it does come time for them to upgrade.
Different Types of Cars
Well, your kids are definitely spoiled for choice here when it comes to picking a type of car. Our modern market is flooded with suitable cars for young drivers – hatchbacks, sedans, compact SUVs and even larger utility vehicles. What you need to do is sit down with your kids and figure out their needs.
Do they just need a little get-around to get to work, uni or both? Maybe they want to head out to visit friends as well? Are they going to be heading on long road trips with their pals or trips surfing or hiking? Will they need to cart around music gear or sports equipment?
Once you figure out their needs, you’ll know what exact sort of car they require. For instance, if your kids are working in a trade or training up to do so, they might be better off with a ute or a dual cab utility vehicle, provided they can drive on a probationary license.
Go with Them to the Dealership to Haggle
One of the best tips for buying both new or even secondhand cars is to do your research and know your price points. As a grown adult, you’re probably much more experienced in the art of negotiation than your kid – whether it’s negotiating your pay at work, haggling over your own new car, or dickering with energy utility companies, insurers or telcos for the best deal possible. So, head off to buy your kids’ starter cars with them and make sure that you haggle with the salespeople to show them how it is done.
Even if they can’t budge on the final price, sometimes a salesperson can throw in extras like free extended warranties or fixed-price servicing for no extra cost for a few years. As well as getting your kid the best deal on a used car, you’re also teaching them a valuable life lesson about the art of negotiation.
Safety Ratings
As we mentioned, modern vehicles tend to have high safety ratings, which should be a major consideration when buying your kid a car. As such, you should avoid older models that are more than five or seven years old.
A safety rating ranks vehicles on how well they protect their passengers in the unlikely event of a collision with another vehicle or another accident. It also considers other safety features a car comes with, such as ABS braking systems, airbags and other safety features such as lane drift detection, parking cameras and proximity alerts.
These features are present in most modern cars, so your kids can drive their new car out of the lot with you remaining confident that they will be safe and sound on any and all journeys that they may embark on in the future. This way, your child gets their freedom and independence, and you get to relax at home knowing they are driving a safe vehicle.
Reliable Brands
Doing your research when shopping around for cars involves more than just looking at price points – it also involves looking at manufacturers and their own reputations. You should consider which brands and models you choose, as some manufacturers make more reliable cars or lower maintenance cars than others. For instance, European models may offer comfort, style and a sleek design, but repairs can be expensive when it comes to sourcing parts and labour.
Chinese made cars are new on the market and offer a good price, but don’t have the solid reputation for reliability that other makers offer. Generally, Korean and Japanese car brands are up there when it comes to both reliability and mechanical performance.
The availability of spare parts should also be a paramount consideration. The last thing you want is for your kids’ cars to be stuck at the mechanics garage indefinitely because you’re waiting on special order parts from the other side of the world.
A Car Buying Conclusion
This helpful article has shared the top considerations to make when buying your kids their starter cars, including used car loans, which type of car they may require, negotiating with car salespeople and safety. Reliability should also be a factor in your decision making.
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