So the time has come for your child to get some more independence, scary times for sure. They have passed their driving test and you are now on the lookout for a little runaround for them to call their own. There are a lot of things to consider before you go out and buy a car, from the cost of insurance to safety features.
Be sure to involve them if it isn’t a secret or surprise. They will tell you what they would like, they may be particular on the color they want for example. Here are three things to consider when finding your teen a car.
Safety
The first thing that should come to mind when buying a car for your teen is how safe the actual vehicle is. There are two components to consider when looking at safety ratings for cars, the percentage, and the overall star rating. When cars come off the production line they go through advanced testing methods to ensure they are safe enough to be on the road. This goes past just having seat belts and airbags.
One of the cars will be crash tested to see what happens during impact and how the driver and passengers will be affected. They also test to see how the car would affect a pedestrian if it was to hit them. You need to be sure you get a car that is as close to 100% for the driver and passenger protection and one that is 5* rated as this is the best you can get.
The prospect of your child being a driver on the road is incredibly daunting, so you want to make sure they are as safe as possible. Being in charge of buying their first car can feel slightly pressurizing, but this puts you in control of choosing a safe and affordable ride for your teen. Consider the Pentagon Car Dealer if you’re looking to buy your teen their very first vehicle. They offer a variety of deals on new and used cars so that you can make the right choice for your child. As well as offering a huge choice of excellent vehicles you can also enjoy regular servicing and maintenance as part of their deals.
Size
Size definitely does matter in the car world. If your teen is just starting behind the wheel of a car then you don’t want to get them anything that is too big or too powerful. Getting a car that has a big engine size is just a bad idea for a first car, they can easily get too big for their boots and speed or lose control of the car. Get a car with a smaller engine size until they feel confident enough on their own behind the wheel.
In terms of the size of the car, you have to think about how long they will have the car for. Will they need to be able to fit car seats in at some point or will they have a new car by then. You don’t want to get them a three-door car if they will need a five-door a few years down the line.
New/Used
One last thing to think about is whether you want to buy the car new or second-hand. There are pros and cons to both of these options. It is the first car and you might want to get a brand new shiny one for your prince or princess. These can be expensive however, they do come with the extra protection of a guarantee if things go wrong. Used cars are a lot cheaper and won’t cause much of a dent in your wallet.
Another option is to get the car on finance if you don’t want to spend a big chunk of money all in one go, just be aware of the interest involved with this choice. You can pay monthly for the car if that works better for you. Take a look at a car sales showroom to get an idea of different makes and models of cars that may be suitable.
We hope this helps you think about different options when it comes to buying your child their first car. Whichever one you go for we are sure they will love it and thank you for it.
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