18 year old wants a car.

arknor · 10 Dec 2009 at 06:29

told my wife.

he cant afford to run one. (full time student no job)
it would probably cost over 500 quid to get him his license.
even a crap car is 1k

she wont have any of it did some insurance qoutes for the lol on 2002 fiestas/mondeos for an 18year old who just got a license.

4-12k

ill let her find out the hard way as she wont listen to me anyway.

Joshy · 10 Dec 2009 at 06:43

I actually don't see the problem?

Shock horror. A 18 year old wants a car, but on paper cannot afford it. Most people who start driving at that age can't really afford it, but they make it work somehow.

Yes, the first year of motoring is expensive, but getting a car and the associated freedom and perks that car ownership brings is the best incentive for an 18 year old to get a job that I can think of. Instead of scoffing at the idea, maybe you could actually help? Offer to pay for his lessons? Offer to double whatever he manages to save for his first car? Ask around and find him a job?

arknor · 10 Dec 2009 at 06:53

I actually don't see the problem?

he wants a car.
has no job or intention of getting one because hes a "student" and therefore doesnt need a job.

he has no savings , barely any income and he can only afford the lifestyle he has now because his mum paying for it , he doesnt even pay his own busfares.

he wants a car without any financial responsibility for it

Gav · 10 Dec 2009 at 07:01

arknor said:
told my wife.

he cant afford to run one. (full time student no job)
it would probably cost over 500 quid to get him his license.
even a crap car is 1k

she wont have any of it did some insurance qoutes for the lol on 2002 fiestas/mondeos for an 18year old who just got a license.

4-12k

ill let her find out the hard way as she wont listen to me anyway.

if he goes for a small engined corsa or saxo he should be able to get insurance for around 1k

dovey · 10 Dec 2009 at 07:17

arknor said:
he wants a car without any financial responsibility for it

He sounds like a bit of a jerk. I would tell him that he aint getting a car unless he contributes.

As for cars, i'm running about a 1.4 rover 25 which was fairly cheap on the insurance. Got 10 months for £700 with elephant.

iaind · 10 Dec 2009 at 07:57

Gav said:
if he goes for a small engined corsa or saxo he should be able to get insurance for around 1k

Engine size has no direct risk on insurance.

Anyway, tell the workshy layabout to get a job - I had a job when I was a student to pay for things like a car, I imagine many people here will have done the same. I even worked 2 jobs when I left uni because doing voluntary work experience was a good idea..... he needs a short sharp introduction to the real world.

Scania · 10 Dec 2009 at 08:07

arknor said:
he wants a car.
has no job or intention of getting one because hes a "student" and therefore doesnt need a job.

he has no savings , barely any income and he can only afford the lifestyle he has now because his mum paying for it , he doesnt even pay his own busfares.

he wants a car without any financial responsibility for it

Tell him where to go until he gets a grip.....

bledd · 10 Dec 2009 at 08:16

Get him to pass his test now, before he gets older.

Whether or not he gets a car is another story

Cupra · 10 Dec 2009 at 08:21

are you the mothers partner?

Sin_Chase · 10 Dec 2009 at 08:21

Gav said:
if he goes for a small engined corsa or saxo he should be able to get insurance for around 1k

Uhm, no.

Liquidfox · 10 Dec 2009 at 08:30

My dad told me to get a job at 16, i huffed and puffed, but now realise that it was for the best. Since that day i've always paid my own way, yes my first car was paid for by a policy that had been growing since i was 18, but not a penny more.

Mr-White · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:00

Cut him a deal, get a job and you'll pay for his car ?

MW

m4cc45 · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:03

Mr-White said:
Cut him a deal, get a job and you'll pay for his car ?

MW

Won't work. He'll very quickly get a job in Argos and say 'there ya go' and then, as soon as the car arrives, ditch the job and then be even more dependant on his mum to get petrol, insurance, etc. and it'll be SO unfair if he doesn't get them.

He needs to learn now that life isn't a bunch of handouts.

M.

Trifid · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:04

Mr-White said:
Cut him a deal, get a job and you'll pay for his car ?

MW

Why should he?

It is in his interest to learn to drive ASAP though, even if he doesn't have a car after passing. It will save him money in the longrun.

Howard · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:17

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Tell him where to go until he gets a grip.....

Dr Who · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:30

Sounds like the OP is trying to justify not getting car as a gift for a stepson in full time education?

Meatball · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:38

I'm just going to mirror what others have said, help him get his licence regardless of whether he will actually own a car or not. Not having a driving licence past 20 is very limiting this day and age and it's an essential tool for him to gain his independence. I'm 19 and would struggle without my driving licence big time. I'm sure you don't want to be running him around every day when he wants to see friends or go to town, think of it that way.

Gaygle · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:39

Dr Who said:
Sounds like the OP is trying to justify not getting car as a gift for a stepson in full time education?

And rightly so if he's going to do nothing.

I never understand why 16-18 year olds don't want jobs or why their parents have to force them to get one. As soon as i was 16 i got a weekend job. That £40 a week i got was GOD and it was SO nice to have a tiny bit of money to spend.

Then all through my holidays (school and uni) i used to work every hour that God sent. And i was able to quite easily buy myself little treats like a netbook/new computer monitor and still have more money than my friends who didn't have car's and didn't work.

Tell him to get a weekend job and in return you'll help him with the car.

m4cc45 said:
Won't work. He'll very quickly get a job in Argos and say 'there ya go' and then, as soon as the car arrives, ditch the job and then be even more dependant on his mum to get petrol, insurance, etc. and it'll be SO unfair if he doesn't get them.

He needs to learn now that life isn't a bunch of handouts.

Build in a condition that he has to keep the job and if you get the feeling he is starting to delibarately slack in order to get the sack from it, you'll cancel the insurance on the car. Simplez.

Dr Who · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:42

Well my 17 yr old stepson is getting driving lessons for his birthday, I dont expect him to go to work while he is full time studying. But fine if others think this is him lazy, as he is far from it, and I would rather he did well now in his study's than take a job.

Mind you, he doesn't get handouts to go drinking. Or drink! He has money saved up from odd part time work.

BD10NNF · 10 Dec 2009 at 09:53

This is what my dad told me when I passed my test and wanted a car.

"Get a job or some sort of income. Then when you can afford to pay for a car. You can have one. Until then. No means No."