As a parent, you will naturally only want what is best for your children. After all, you have nurtured them and ensured they have been as happy as possible so far in their lives.
This is why, when they eventually become teenagers, it may be time to actually help them buy their first car. If they have passed their driving exams, and they are ready to get on the road, you need to make sure they are driving as safely as possible. You won’t want them to roam around in a vehicle that could break down at any time.
Instead, it is important that you focus on getting them a car that is safe and reliable. Here, then, are the best options if you are a parent and you are interested in purchasing a car for your teenager.
Research your car insurance options
Before you look into what type of cars your teenager could drive, you should consider what type of insurance would best suit them when they are on the road.
In some cases, you may be considering offering them use of the family’s car, therefore the type of insurance they receive may be different to someone who is getting their own car. In most cases, you will find that car insurance for your teenager may be more expensive than for someone who has been driving for a number of years and is a little older. This is due to the fact that inexperienced teenagers are generally considered to be high-risk drivers.
Try to use comparison websites to see which insurer will provide you with the best deals. What matters is that you find the most suitable overall deal for you and your teenager, which might not turn out to be the very cheapest. Still, you shouldn’t have to break the bank just to insure your teenager’s vehicle.
Vehicles that are rated highly for safety
One of the main things that you should consider for your teenager and their car is its safety. While your teenager may want to have a striking, ‘racy’ vehicle with all manner of fancy technology installed (and we apologise to your teenager for slightly stereotyping them if that isn’t the case!), the reality of the situation is that they are probably not going to get that. Instead, you may need to speak to them about the fact that they need to be safe on the road, rather than stand out.
Larger vehicles, such as saloons, SUVs, and sports cars, are not necessarily the easiest to control even for many experienced adult drivers, never mind nervous and potentially clumsy teenagers. So, we would really advise you against considering these categories of vehicle for your own teenager.
One advantage of a heavier vehicle, though, could be that it provides greater protection in case of a crash, and might be easier to steer. Still, this will very much depend on the specific model.
We would always urge you to research the car models you are considering, with a particular eye on their reputation for safety; the website of the European New Car Assessment Programme (also known as ‘Euro NCAP’) is likely to be useful for you here.
Still, just to throw up some initial ideas, below are a few of the car models today that have a particular good safety record, as cited by Auto Express:
- Skoda Fabia
- Toyota Yaris Cross
- Nissan Qashqai
Older vehicles vs new vehicles
Another thing you should be aware of is that you do not have to buy your teenager a brand-new car. In fact, teenagers pretty routinely ride around in cars that are second hand.
Second hand is certainly a much cheaper option for parents to consider than new. And you won’t necessarily be compromising on safety if you do opt for a used car, given that there are plenty of popular models out there – ranging from the Skoda Citigo to the Kia Rio – that have excellent safety records.
However, depending on your family’s budget and other requirements, a new (or very nearly new) car might not be completely out of the question either, particularly if you consider taking out a car finance deal to spread the costs over time.
One more thing… getting the right car finance deal
Affording a car for your teenager in the first place might be a bit of a challenge, given that (a) teenagers themselves aren’t exactly known for being awash with money, so it’s unlikely they will be able to ‘chip in’ much, and (b) you might not have a huge budget to blow on a car yourself, particularly during the current cost-of-living crisis.
This is where car finance can come in. Contrary to popular belief, car finance is available without a deposit, which means you won’t even necessarily need to have any money in your pocket right now to purchase car finance for your teenager. But if you do have some money you could use as a deposit, this could lower the size of the repayments needed for the rest of the loan term.
Anyway, that’s enough talking from us. It’s quick and easy to apply for a no-obligation quote for car finance through Car Finance Genie, so your teenager could be behind the wheel of the perfect vehicle for their needs, even sooner than you think!
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