teens »
BUYING THAT
FIRST CAR
No matter what your budget, reliability, safety, insurance and education all play a role in buying a car for a teen to drive. BY ANDREA STETSON
W
hat some parents or teens might think is a dream car could turn out to be a nightmare on wheels. Buying a teen a car is a big milestone and investment. There’s a draw to wanting to buy something inexpensive for a young driver’s first vehicle, but experts say that could become an expensive investment and one that is not safe. We talked to experts from a local repair shop, a national auto safety organization and an insurance company to get advice on finding a balance between budget and benefits of vehicles.
Reliability Chris Miller, owner of Tuffy Tire & Auto Service in Bonita Springs, says finding a reliable car should be one of the top items to look for. “You don’t want to buy the cheapest thing possible,” Chris says. “They are new drivers, and you don’t want the car breaking down on them. You want something reliable because they are going to be out driving by themselves. You don’t want it breaking down on the way to visit friends or on the way to school.” Chris suggests having a mechanic examine the vehicle before the purchase.
“You want to make sure the technician looks at it to make sure it is not an up-north car that is eaten with rust,” Chris says. “Down here I do see a lot of the cars look nice from the outside, but once you get them in the air and see them from underneath, they are a rotten mess.” Things such as brake lines and fuel lines can’t be initially seen without a thorough examination, and if they are rotting, it’s a safety issue and expensive to repair, Chris says. “You don’t want to end up buying a $1,500 car and find out a week or month later that it needs extensive repairs,” he says.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA PARENT & CHILD » JUNE 2020 » 27
