If your teen has been taking car driving lessons in Auckland, then perhaps the time has come to actually purchase their first car.
Purchasing a car for your teen can be an exciting yet stressful experience. It is natural for you and your child to have different perspectives on the purchase. From the teen’s perspective, it’s all about freedom and being cool, while from the parent’s perspective, it is a stressful time when you have to allow your child to be more autonomous and thereby face more potential dangers.
With that in mind, here are several tips to help you prepare for buying the right car:
Set A Budget
Before you go anywhere near a showroom floor or used car website, you should have a clearly defined budget in place so that you can find something that won’t cripple you financially. It is important that you keep things such as insurance and maintenance in mind when you plan your budget. If you inform your teen of the budget upfront, you will help them understand what the limitations are and ensure that they do not get their hopes up for something completely unrealistic.
Prioritize Safety Over Other Features
It is important that your teen is thoroughly educated on the dangers and risks associated with driving. When you choose your teen’s first car, you will be faced with many different options. Some may offer you discounts on cool features such as stereo systems or other nifty gadgets.
However, you should ensure that certain minimum standards of safety are kept. It is better to fork out for additional safety features than for additional entertainment or aesthetic features. Safety is paramount, and having things like anti-lock brake systems, airbags, electronic stability control, and front and rear sensors is far more valuable than having a fancier sound system.
Go Old But Not Too Old
Buying an old car can save you a lot of money upfront but will lead to significantly more maintenance and upkeep going forward. It will also create several potential safety problems for your child, as older cars are more prone to breaking down. On the other hand, buying a brand-new car is rather exorbitant and expensive. And since cars depreciate so quickly, the investment is not always worth it. However, new cars are safer and require less maintenance.
The answer, therefore, is to purchase a second hand vehicle that is a fairly recent model, not too old, but still well-used enough to fit into a decent price range. A car that is second hand but not too old will be cheaper upfront and cheaper to maintain, so you can attempt to get the best of both worlds.
Take A Test Drive
Once you’ve found a car that you and your teen feel is a worthwhile purchase, it is important to let them test it out before making a decision. Having a car to test drive is incredibly important, as this will help your child get a feel for what they can expect from the vehicle. When you go with them, you should also ensure that you check the car as you drive for any issues. Ensure that your teen feels that the ride is comfortable, that the car is easy to handle, and that the controls in the vehicle are easily accessible to them.
Having a car can be life-changing. We offer car driving lessons in Auckland to ensure that your teen is well-prepared for the road. Contact us today for more information!