[IndyRed128i]

Curious peoples opinions?

[BMWBear]

Kid is vague. How old and what does their driving record look like?

[IllSic_Design]

first car or close to it, def not. Buy them something cheap and that can easily be worked on/fixed for cheap IMO

[Burrcold]

Definitely need to elaborate on "kid" and "newish"...

[IndyRed128i]

Originally Posted by BYEIL

Kid is vague. How old and what does their driving record look like?

16 yo driver, but very responsible, and gets straight A's LOL.

I don't have kids, but I was talking about this with a coworker looking for their kids first car.

[overcoil]

No.

[happyjack]

not sure of the concern? too expensive to acquire? maintenance? or expectation of speeding tickets?

we bought my son a very low mileage '06 325xi when he turned 16 in 2016...it was his first car. 10 year old E90, even low mileage, needed some catch-up maintenance and replacement gaskets, seals, etc, but all-in we are under $9K for the car and still own it. we had friends saying "how could you?" out of one side of their mouth, but then said "OK" out the other side when their kids asked them for much newer and much more expensive jeeps, SUVs, and pick-ups.

every kid is different. only the parents will know for sure whether the kid is deserving and can handle the responsibilities.

*knock wood* no accidents or tickets for my son or daughter in their combined 8 years of driving BMWs now!

[stein_325i]

Nope. My youngest's first car was a 323i, albeit one that was older than him when he got his license, over 160k miles, had peeling paint, and was only $1,000, and he had to pay for half and gas. BMW has taught him the joys of car ownership and driving as well as how to properly maintain and take care of cars mechanically.

[Housekeeping]

I got my daughter a 328i for her 17th, was three yr old CPO at the time. She grew up with lots of fun, fast, nice cars (many BMWs too) and she appreciates a good car. She’s an excellent driver now too and continues to enjoy nice cars.

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by IndyRed128i

16 yo driver, but very responsible, and gets straight A's LOL.

I don't have kids, but I was talking about this with a coworker looking for their kids first car.

How about the parent? Makes 50k a year, 100, 200, 500, a million a year? Knows nothing about cars, lots about cars?

On one side is hell no, on the other is sure why not.

[F32Fleet]

Never. Some of the biggest @sshats in HS drove e30's.

[Burrcold]

Buying your teenage kid a luxury car (newer model) is more a "look what I can afford" flex for the parent(s) than it is a necessity for the kid.

[DanG]

I bought my kids a repo Mazda Mx6. Even that they totaled it. It did last 18 months though.

[Mirrari]

I wouldn’t. Get them a used leaf, Volt, or Prius so they don’t hit you for gas money as much. I guess an i3 could do as well but I wouldn’t trust a 16yr old to resist the temptation of flooring it the second the light turns green.

[1MOREMOD]

I wouldn't buy a kid a Yugo

[rwheels]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

I wouldn't buy a kid a Yugo

Neither would I, but that's because I want the kid studying more, rather than working and/or pushing around said Yugo.

[shadowfax]

BMWs are incredibly safe cars so that would be one factor for a parent to consider.

[izzyM2]

Got our daughter a slightly used 2016 X1 at the time half way through college as a present due to all her accomplishments. I told her to drive it til it dies. She is 22 now and has graduated since and working professionally. Still loves and adores the car. Perfect for her.

[Germanauto]

Meh I drove like a total idiot at that age. Kids should be getting cheap Japanese sedans not luxury vehicles. Their focus at that stage of life should be their careers, enjoying college, etc. Now once they accomplish something in life it's a different story.

My folks got me my used Lexus once I got admission into medical school. Even that was a bit much as all of my classmates just drove Toyotas and Hondas. And they paid the down payment on my brother's C300 lease when he got his second job out of college.

[Darth One]

A little older than 16, but mine got my hand me down (E82) 135i when I got my E90 M3. Dunno if that qualifies as newish now, but it did at the time (it was 3 years old). Everything was totally fine.

I've never subscribed to the theory that implies that it's the car that makes kids asshats. No, if the kid's an asshat (no offense to your kids, we're all asshats of some type at that age and it's part of growing up) then they'll find a way to get in trouble irrespective of vehicle.

[6oclockshadow]

Let the kid buy their own first car. Otherwise just adding another privileged teen to the streets.

[BMWBear]

Originally Posted by 6oclockshadow

Let the kid buy their own first car. Otherwise just adding another privileged teen to the streets.

I would bet that a good number of the higher end BMW drivers in this forum were “privileged teens” at one point. If my kids are good and I have the means then it’s up to me to make the decision. You can do all the head shaking from the back seat.