How Expensive Should My Teenager's Car Be? 

Scotty would recommend a ‘94 Celica “rev up your engines!” 😂😂

My twins will be sharing my 2019 Silverado... in about 11 years.

Beaters build character.

Im a salesman at a Honda dealership and it boggles my mind when ppl like this guy come in looking for 15k and up cars for their kids who just got there license lol

My parents started me off with no car at all. They told me to get a job and earn it... and i did. It made me love and value my first car even more.

My daughter will be receiving my 2003 Saturn Ion. Congrats kid, free car.

Heck, I'm 25, with a really good, stable job, and I'm happy with my $6k car...

My dad always told me he would match what I saved to buy a car/truck since I was little. I found a truck I wanted for $6,000 when I was 15, I paid half and my dad paid the other and I still had some money left over for wheels, tires and gas money. I always appreciated my dad making me work for that truck. I wouldn’t be the hard working kid that owns a house at 22 years old, working 50+ hours a week plus side huddles that I am now. Thanks pops.

Rule of Thumb: Dads will always put their daughters in a better car than they would their sons.

No matter what my wealth is, my children will get a standard used car, nothing special. If they want something more, they'll be buying it themselves🔥🔥🔥

My dad got me a brand new BMW as a teenager. I loved it, never took it for granted, and took such good care of it. My dad was into cars and he and I would race them together at autocrosses. It was a great thing to bond over and I have always taken meticulous care of my cars since then.

My Dad got me a $2000 hooptie. He said, "I'll buy it for you but you have to maintain it". The transmission went out and the oil pump quit while I had it (6 years). He got it for me when I was in high school. I quickly learned that I needed to work in order to own a car.

"BMW's are just endless money pits as they age" - Scotty

Safe car doesn't equal expensive car.

And I’m over here looking at a $1,500 car🤣 1999 Hondacivic 🤣

It should be a few grand. Something reliable, but not extremely fancy. I like Toyotas.

“You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” -Dave Ramsey

I bought my son a reliable 4 cylinder used car and he still has it twelve years later. I told him it was the only car I was buying for him, so take care of it. His friends made fun of the car but it always ran while theirs were always being fixed. He was happy with it and took care of it. Buy her the car you feel comfortable with her driving: reliable, safe, affordable. And teach her defensive driving.

my first car was a 1999 cavalier, paid 700$ and it lasted me 4 years!

We matched our daughter when buying her 1st car and she paid the insurance. She never ruined it either.

I was handed my first truck and in return, I did not take care of it like I should have. Like Dave said, I had no skin in the game. I agree 100%

It must be nice to have parents buy a $15,000 car for a 16 year old. They would struggle to buy something like that for themselves.

DON’T BUY A NISSAN! And do not buy a CVT transmission. You want a car that lasts? Corolla or Camry. I don’t know about the brand new ones.

I just went thru this with my daughter of 17 recently. She found a decent car and I chipped in a little bit, so she didn't completely drain her savings. My desire was for her to have something safe and reliable. All decisions affecting my daughter are "will she be safe". She is responsible for insurance, maintenance and fuel. She is taking good care of her car.

" A day or two a month" pays for a 16 year olds car insurance?

I'm 31 and I'm still driving my first car I bought in 2009, it's a Chevy HHR... and it's been good to me.

Kids have changed so much since I was a kid. I'm 60 now and just retired. I had to buy my first car (and all my cars for that matter) and did not think a thing about it. I bought a 1965 Chevy Malibu 327 for $500 when I was 15 1/2 and it had to set in the garage till the day I was 16 and took my drivers test. I started working in 6th grade cutting lawns, shoveled snow off driveways and 3 different paper routs and saved to buy it in Berea Ohio and I've not stopped working till the day I retired.

Toyota corolla. Honda civic..

2000 in my opinion. They aren‘t very good in parking their cars 😆

The Jack of all trades the Toyota Corolla. Brand name, reliable, economical and high resale value if she totals it! Very common so parts and mechanics are plenty.

My first car was $1,300.... $14k for a teenager is absurd

I normally agree with Uncle Dave but he missed this guy's point. Or rather the caller didn't communicate correctly. His kids DO work and they do have discipline. They just don't work traditional part time after school jobs. He mentioned they focused more on schooling and volunteering which is 100% okay. Kids who volunteer and get excellent grades throughout highschool are shot to the top of the list for full ride academic scholarships. And you know what? When they're in college they'll be doing even more volunteering for college events and charities to keep those scholarships. This guy has the right idea.

My first car was a 2004 Pontiac grand am, that I got in ‘08 for $6k while in HS. I drove it until Feb of 2020. It served me well. No car payment for 12 years really helped out.

Still have my first truck after 21 years. '77 Chevy K-20.

Do half of that it will get beat up and probably wrecked I drove my high school car from age 17 to 28. Saving me thousands!

I bought my own car so my parents didn't really have a say in that, and also I was always pretty frugal, but i don't like others making those types of decisions for me

Kids who gets a vehicle from parents are really lucky. They must greatly appreciate and protect that car. I worked hard for every vehicle I purchased and actually planning to buy a car for my family myself.

Buy a rav 4 2010 , made in Japan, run for ever ...

1994 Toyota Celica according to Scotty Kilmer😂

Dave, As a guy who appreciates cars, you need somebody who can help people learn how to pick an affordable and reliable car. Some cars are driving financial disasters. Some cars may break but are easy/affordable to repair. Some cars are over-priced because they have a cult like following. AWD vs 4WD can be a big difference in reliability. I would never buy a KIA or Hyundai with an expired warranty. Dodge Neons are questionable. I would not own most AWD vehicles. They have expensive transfer case risks. Subaru is the reliable AWD except for a few model years. Most AWD vehicles are very sensitive to tire circumference. Damage one tire and you have to replace all four. A 4WD vehicle with a proper understanding of when to select 4x4 is far better in every way. A specialist for on-air advice would be great.

I paid $3500 cash for my truck, I miss it so much, ran so good !

My dad broke the bank for my first car, a 1971 VW for $1500. It felt like a brand new Cadillac to me. Now I have five vehicles and maybe $8000 in them total.

My first car was a 15 thousand dollar used 2006 Acura TL. I negotiated it down from 20k at the dealer as well. My dad paid cash for it back in 2010 and I still have it to this day as my only car.

Dave is the man! always giving good advice

Anyone saying that this will spoil a kid is wrong. It all depends how you’re raised. My first car at 16 years of age was a relatively new Audi, then a mustang. I appreciate every inch of the car, take care of it and Ik not everyone is blessed like this. It’s all about how you’re raised. Salty people will say otherwise

Fun fact millions of people just found out that their credit cards have been shut off due to no fault of theirs, no prior warning, no explanation required, they don't care if you've carried a zero balance every month. That proves Dave's point about not keeping or depending on credit cards. Oh and if you have reward points or miles or whatever they offered? They're gone without a trace.

I LOOVVEE watching Dave's reactions to the callers 🤣😅

Wow. My first car was a 1997 Volkswagen Cabrio that cost 2k at an auction. Wish I still had it.

My first car was free. My best friend gave it to me when he bought his new car

My parents had one rule when buying a car for my siblings and I. They pay $20k for a car to get us through high school and college. If it’s anymore than 20 then we pay the difference. Both my older siblings made it through both high school and college on their cars with no accidents and still drive their cars to this day. I’m currently a sophomore in college and still have my truck that’s been well taken care of with no accidents. I think it really depends on the individual that’s going to be driving the car rather than the price of it.

Work at Krogers in high school. First car was a brand new rebate 1999 Ford Ranger for $9500. Truck just stopped work 2 years ago. Paid for the whole truck myself.

I didn’t own a car until I was 25. Couldn’t afford one so I walked, took the bus or rode a bike. I also saved thousands of dollars in the process.

“That man is the richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” --Henry David Thoreau

This dad sounds super reasonable. A 14k car is not an expensive car no matter what the geniuses on this show and comment section espouse.

Mom and dad bought my first car for $3k and I treated it badly. Next car I purchased myself for $1200 and treated it like a baby. Loved that '89 Accord.

My first car was when I was 21, I joined the military and after a deployment I was able to get myself one.

Children that age, no $15,000 car, more like a $1,500 car. She is going to destroy it no matter what.

Since everyone wants to give their opinion on what kind of car HONDA HONDA HONDA

My parents made me pay insurance, and basically rent the truck on a monthly basis, definitely helped me with keeping it up to date on service and keeping it nice.

Bought my 16 year old daughter new 2015 camaro . Now has 80,000 miles on it and looks as good as brand new . My daughter is the 🐐

I’m 16 and I saved for a car for 2 years. Started working at 14 and was able to pay cash for a 5k car by myself. I think it’s good to have kids pay for their own things so they value them more

$2,000 Honda Civic. They're like a 50% chance a kid totals their car.

Thank You Dave

My first vehicle was an 82 Chevy conversion van with the whole interior missing besides the driver and passenger seat. No carpet. Pioneer super tuner tape deck with just front door speakers. Smoked like uncle bucks car. The maroon paint was faded and it was almost pink. I walked to work after school and my parents picked me up after work. First paycheck I bought the van for $200. Second check I got it legal and the rest is history. That was in 2003. Wouldn’t recommend a car like that for someone’s kid but I sure was proud to have it at the time.

Always found reliability with Honda, and Hyundai.

The lady starts talking and she doesn’t stop, her partner sitting next to her tries his best to stay calm..

There is this family that are customers for the company i work for, their son drives a 2020 Denali Duramax 4x4.. he’s in high school. (Has the student parking decal in rear view) I just sighed and went on with my day lol

I was blessed to get a 97 4runner from my mother, I’m 17 and I work so I rebuilt the suspension and bought some big tires and tinted the windows, it’s not the greatest but definitely lucky to have a reliable and good looking truck.

I bought every car I’ve ever owned. My first car was a gorgeous 91 Camaro convertible when I was 20 in the Navy. Oh, and I’ve never EVER financed a car.. lol

My first car was $2,000 cash and 15 years old when I got it and we still have it!!😆

I bought my first car for $300 when I was 14 years old. Chevy Biscayne 4 door, straight 6, I think 2 speed automatic transmission. It was big enough to sleep in, and great on "date night":)

i have a nice car now, but man some of my best memories come from a beat up sonata with no air conditioning and a tendency to stall while driving. beaters build character

I walked and rode a bike and took the bus and asked friends for a ride. Didn't get my driver license until I was 22.

Hoopdie, next question

I loved my first car. An unassuming '97 Toyota Corolla. My parents bought it used for my older brother and then it was handed down to me when I started driving. I drove it for over 10 years - well past college - before passing it on.

My first car was a 06 Suzuki Forenza @ 110K miles from my father, it was given to me and used it for about 6 years. I took care of the insurance and I paid about $2K to get it running perfectly; my dad made me learn how to fix and maintained the car (brakes, suspension, fluids, engine, etc) Best lesson I ever learned as I can now maintain my own car easily and fix my own stuff, was the prettiest car in the block but I learned so much from fixing/modding the vehicle; good memories came from it (:

As expensive as won’t spoil your kid. Make them work a bit.

Still going strong with the 2007 Prius my mom gifted me 9 years ago.

Our daughter’s only 18 months old, my wife and I chat about it this topic all the time (I know we got tons of time). Love the idea of matching what they save so they skin in the game.

I learn a lot from watching this show thank you 😌

I dont need AWD to live in Michigan...

I got a new car when I graduated high school and I wished I had a hooptie instead🤣

This is what happened to me and what I did with all three of my boys. I worked, saved for and bought my own car cash. I paid for my own insurance and gas as well. Same for cell phones-they buy their own and pay for their own service. BTW my first car in 1989 was a 1975 Ford Maverick that had been wrecked for $175. It was a good car though. My niece had her first truck bought for her and she ran into a house with it. She had college paid for and dropped out. I feel like they do need some skin in the game.

I’m 17 now and my parents got me my car when I was 15. They bought a 2006 corolla from my grandma for $2,000 and it didn’t even have aux or bluetooth. When they got the car, I didn’t have a job, but I had a lot of birthday money saved up, so I threw in $100 and my parents threw in $100 since I got a 4.0 GPA and bought a touchscreen stereo with Apple Carplay and put it in myself, and now I intend on keeping it until the wheels fall off. Just get them an old car, because it’s cheap and can be retrofitted with new tech fairly easily that’ll make it just as good as any modern car

First car should be a $500 four-cylinder five-speed ranger or S10 LOL

Give her one of your old cars and get a newer one or new vehicle for yourself

I was 29 years old on my first car. My 1st car was a 1998 Ford Contour SE. I got it in mid October 1999. It was a little bit over $12,000 dollars. I did have help by my father. I put $1,000 dollars down and my father put in $1,500 dollars down. I think that I paid $200.02 for every month for 5 years. I was so happy when I paid the final month on the car. Before I traded in the car in late May 2005. I really did a good cleaning inside and out of the car. It did looked so good after I cleaned it. I had a car vacuum to get all of the dirt or food crumbs out. Even cleaned the windows. At that time that I was able to moved around the car. I had that car a little bit over 5 years and a half. It had everything that I wanted in a car at that time. I was old school at that time.

My first car was a Geo Prism my dad bought me for 300$. It stayed in my family for about 10 years. It had a pretty substantial amount of rear fender damage, maybe enough to total it. And then it was passed down to my sister who rear ended someone(again, went unfixed) Continued to run another 1-2 years until it just started overheating too much. Had about 250k when we put it out of it's misery 😄

Needs a Porsche, plenty of peer pressure in school these days

You honestly felt the need to call Dave Ramsey as a GROWN father and man to ask advice if 14k is too much for teens first car. This is what’s wrong with our society.

401dave will forever be the best bit of Mista Ramsey 😂

I bought my first car this summer. 2.4k and I couldn’t be happier with it. It’s what I wanted and I worked to get it and then had to throw 1500 into it to fix it up. I believe the hard work I put in this summer was worth it, hard work can get you anywhere.(I am 16)

It really depends on your budget, and your TEEN's budget. Buying a car for your teen can be a great opportunity to teach them a valuable lesson when it comes to personal finance!

Caller - My girlfriend is cheating on me, in my car! Dave - Sell your car. Simple.

I bought my daughter a $150 2000 Saturn SL2 that had 85k miles and transmission problems. Invested another $350 to fix it myself, it’s been a fantastic and reliable car for her. She loves it. $500 for a super reliable, cold A/C, 35mpg, first car.

My first rig was a junkyard salvage that I paid for and had to do the mechanical work to get it running. Needless to say I still have my first rig and I am probably still overprotective of my vehicle lol.

First car was $2500, lasted no problem through high school and into college.

Rules for teenagers to become successful with money: 1) do not own a car they cost a fortune in maintenance/gas, b) do not become a parent until married, c) do not borrow money.

I’ve been struggling with this exact issue for a while. Except I’m 26 with no kids or girlfriend

Spoiled teen does volunteer work and 'works at home.' They pay her to run a load of laundry and unload the dishwasher. 🤔