Video:Tips for Buying a Car for a Teenager

Transcript:Tips for Buying a Car for a Teenager

Hi, my name is David Griffith and we're here at Jack Kain Ford in Lexington, Kentucky for About.com, and today I'm going to show you how to shop for a car for your teenager.

Buy a Safe Car for Your Teen

The first thing you want to do is sit down with your teenager and discuss what is practical and what is not. The one thing that should have the biggest bearing is insurance. Insurance rates for teens up to 25 can be enormous, especially if your child does not have a good school record. So the first thing you want to consider is the type of vehicle and what is practical. Are you looking for a large safe car for your teen? Do you want something small and economical to get them back and forth to school?

Consider Cost of Car for Your Teen

You have to take into consideration the budget. Most teens want the Mustang or the Corvette or the sporty car that will put you far out as far as insurance, that you can't afford them. What I recommend is to research the dealer online, and you want to look at their better business bureau and their policies. Searching for a car for your teen can be tough, especially if you are taking them along. I advise a lot of parents to leave your child at home and get out and research these vehicles yourself. If you have your teen tugging at your heat-strings, it can be pretty tough to make a decision in terms of what is practical.

Test Drive Cars and Choose the Right One

So research three to five cars that can benefit your teen. You will then want to go in and make an appointment with the dealer to inspect the vehicles, test drive them, take them to an independent source for inspection. At that point, you want to bring in your teen, and make sure that it isn't going to cause discord if you've chosen a vehicle that they don't like, but be firm and realize that driving is a right, not a privilege. And make sure your teen understand all the basics of safe driving and how to be a responsible and practical driver.

And that is how you shop for a car for your teenager. Thanks for watching. To learn more, please visit us at About.com.