Tips for Teens on Buying Their First Cars

Passing your driving test is an exciting experience. After so any hours spent with your driving instructor, you are finally ready to spread your wings and get out on the open road completely independently. Of course, before you can do that, you need to buy your first car.

Making the right choice when it comes to your first car is vital, both to keep you safe and to ensure you can afford to keep the car running on your budget. Here are a few tips that we have to offer to all teenage drivers who are looking for their first cars.

Avoid The Flashy Option

We know how tempting it can be to get your hands on the nicest, fastest car you can possibly buy. It will impress your friends, and you will get whatever status comes along with it. However, as a new driver, you are still learning how to handle yourself on the road, only now you are doing it independently.

The car you learned in was probably fairly basic, which is exactly where your driving skill level lies. Avoid the flashy, powerful cars at first, because they will often cause more trouble than they are worth. Go with something safer, simpler, and more economic until you develop the confidence you need to get something else.

The 20% Rule

A lot of teens go the finance route with buying a new car, which is perfectly fine. It allows you to get something modern, with all of the additional safety that comes with it, plus you will generally save a little bit of money in the long run.

However, if you are going the finance route, you need to be smart about it. That’s where the 20% rule comes in. It’s quite simple. If you can’t afford a 20% deposit on the vehicle you are buying, the odds are high that you are going to really struggle to afford that vehicle later on down the line. Always keep your budget in mind whenever you make such a big purchase and remember that, in addition to the car payments, you will also need to pay for fuel, tax, insurance, MOTs, and possibly other maintenance. Driving is great, but it’s not worth getting yourself into debt for.

Take Someone Who Knows

You may already know a lot about cars, which is great. But it always helps to have somebody alongside you who knows a little more. For most teenagers, this is going to be a parent, who will be there to oversee the entire transaction and ensure you are not getting ripped off.

This is especially important when buying second-hand, as experienced drivers will have a better idea of the sort of issues that you need to be looking out for. They can also be extremely useful during a test drive situation, as they know how a car is supposed to sound and feel when it is on the road. Always try to have somebody with you when you are buying, as this will protect your investment.