remember your first car? did your parents spoil you with a brand new car ?

[dockman3]

I got to use the family car when I started driving, but it wasn''t until after college that I got my first real car. I was lucky enough to have saved up and I bought a 2004 Toyota Corolla, which is fantastic! I love it and that''s the car my kids will learn to drive on!

 

[Anna0499]

My parents are car fanatics and everytime one of us got our license, there was a car for our personal use. There are five kids in my family, so you can imagine what our driveway looked like. Our neighbors said that it always looked like we had company over haha. They weren''t the most expensive or newest cars by any means, but they were never more than 2 years old. My other brother did receive a brand new Tundra when he got his learner''s permit, though. I had a Honda Accord, my older sister had a Rav4, my youngest brother (lucky) got a Benz M Class SUV, and my other sister got a Sebring. The cars definitely became nicer and nicer as my parents grew older and more financially stable. They didn''t allow us to work during high school so we could focus on studies and extra cirricular activities, mainly because neither of my parents went to college and had to work so hard for their success they wanted us to get a headstart!

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Handed down 1991 Acura Legend. That car did not last long. I put oil in it twice a week, it smoked out the back, and made some strange clicking noise when I turned. After seeing how quickly that car went downhill, I don''t think I''ll ever buy an Acura. It was only 12 years old when we traded it in (for a measly $1,000) because it was just a mess.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/8/2008 11:39:06 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady
I drove a 1970 something gold El Torino (not mine, but I got to drive it). It was a boat.. very used. lol.

I think kids should earn their vehicle.. just because you get your license doesn't mean you automatically get a brand new car. Youth + too much power under the hood = very bad news.

Not always, but a lot of times.

I say, 3 cylinders all the way!

Hubby's first car was this tiny Honda that had a worn through floorboard and something like 10' wheels. lol

The first new car I bought myself was a 1995 Ford Escort.

And I agree. Just cuz my kids turned 16, did not mean I handed over the keys. Far from it.

 

[joflier]

Mine was a ''94 Saturn SL1. I bought it myself, but the folks paid my insurance, which was very generous, considering they didn''t have a lot of money at the time. It was very basic. No power anything. And the engine was not exatcly powerful...To get up to speed on the highway, I had to shut of the a/c so it had enough power to make it

. It was a faithful little friend tho.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/8/2008 1:10:03 AM
Author:Dancing Fire
never forget my first car (in 1976) it was a hand me down 1962 Oldsmobile Holiday from my older brother,talk about power brakes. the first time i drove it i barely tap on the brakes and my head almost went through the windshield.

i drove the 62 olds for a couple of months then my parents bought me a 1 yr old 1975 red Camaro put a set of Crager S/S mag wheels with wide tires on the car.

 

[ephemery1]

I have very thoughtful and generous parents who surprised me with a new car when I was 16... dark metallic green Toyota Corolla. I still remember how excited I was when they turned into the driveway with it one night! It was somewhat necessary, since my mom drove a huge SUV and my dad drove a manual sportscar, neither of which I was willing/able to learn on.

A few years later when I went away to college, they upgraded me to a black Toyota Rav4... which I loved even more!! And after I graduated, a purpley-blue BMW 3-series convertible

... that one was a few years old though. Now I'm a city-dweller, so no car for me! Pretty sure I'll be buying the next one on my own, though...

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 7/8/2008 11:42:31 AM
Author: IndyGirl22
My parents are car fanatics and everytime one of us got our license, there was a car for our personal use. There are five kids in my family, so you can imagine what our driveway looked like. Our neighbors said that it always looked like we had company over haha. They weren''t the most expensive or newest cars by any means, but they were never more than 2 years old. My other brother did receive a brand new Tundra when he got his learner''s permit, though. I had a Honda Accord, my older sister had a Rav4, my youngest brother (lucky) got a Benz M Class SUV, and my other sister got a Sebring. The cars definitely became nicer and nicer as my parents grew older and more financially stable. They didn''t allow us to work during high school so we could focus on studies and extra cirricular activities, mainly because neither of my parents went to college and had to work so hard for their success they wanted us to get a headstart!

IndyGirl, this sounds like my family!!

My dad loves cars too and was constantly trading/upgrading all of ours. Our driveway probably looked a bit like a parking lot, too. Although he is especially smitten with BMWs, and at one point, we had 6 for our 5-person family... so the driveway probably looked more like a dealership, at that point!

 

[wishful]

My first vehicle is the truck I drive now! It''s a 95 Ford Ranger pick up and the down payment for the lease was my college graduation gift from my parents! After that it was all up to me! It''s been paid off for quite some time I''m happy to report and it is nearing 140,000 miles! Eeekk

So I''m in the process of saving up for a new car (hopefully a Prius) so that when my ole truck kicks the bucket I''m ready.

 

[Fly Girl]

Our first car was a brand new 1976 Chevy Nova. We bought it ourselves soon after we were married. Our parents thought we were crazying buying new, but we drove that car for 10 years, and got our moneys worth out of it.

We did buy our son a car in high school, because he was taking a class at another school and it was the only way to commute between classes quickly enough. It was a used 1991 Ford Crown Victoria. He loves it and is still driving it. Lots of metal around that kid and it can haul a lot. No way were we going to buy him a new car.

Daughter has not gotten a car. She is in college and hasn''t learned to drive. She says she will learn to drive if we buy her a pick-up truck, but that''s not in our plans. We figure learning to drive is her problem now. We tried to give her lessons in high school and she refused to cooperate.

 

[Snickerdoodle]

Did my folks spoil me with a brand new car? HA! Sure, that would have been great if they did.

I bought my first car a week before my 16th birthday with the money I saved up from babysitting and my part-time job at a steakhouse (they broke every child labor law in the book, but I didn''t care--it was a paycheck!). In 1991, with $800 cash, I proudly purchased a 1978 Dodge Colt from a neighbor. The radio didn''t work, and I named it "Weenie" because its four cylinders wouldn''t break any land-speed records when going up a hill, but it was MY car. I loved that car!

i guess I should thank my parents for not going out and buying me a car, because I now have a good work ethic, I take pride in the things I work so hard to get, and I think spending as much time in an auto mechanic''s shop with this car gave me a good, solid base for my career as a Service Advisor with a dealership!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My car first car was a beater VW bug. The summer after I got my liscense, my mom then purchased a 6 month old Nissan Sentra to replace the VW. Since it was just me and her and we both knew nothing about cars, she decided it was best that I had a reliable car.

A few months after I got the car, it blew a head gasget and luckily the car was still under warranty and was fixed for free.

 

[innerkitten]

I''m in my 30s and just getting my first car! But I remember our first family car when I was a little kid. It was a red VW bug.

 

[Linda W]

Nope, my parents did not buy my brother or myself a car. My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala.


Linda

 

[Elmorton]

When I was 16, my parents simply gave me my mom''s car, and she started driving our "Sunday" car (my parents had 3 cars for as long as I could remember). That car was a 1993 Geo Prizm. I crashed it a week later. My dad bought me a 1996 Geo Prizm (same color - a deep green) about a month later. I drove that through HS and college, and in my 2nd year of grad school bought my very first car.

DH and I are really divided on this issue - he had to buy his first car (and second, third) and thinks that it teaches responsibility. True, but I''m glad my parents bought me something safe and reliable that would last me a long time until I was fully financially able to purchase my own, safe, reliable vehicle.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 7/8/2008 10:44:15 AM
Author: meresal
My sisters, brother, and I ALL had to buy our first cars. Mine was with money that my parents put in a savings account when I was born. So with $5000, in 1998, I bought myself a gorgeous 94'' Honda Prelude, old body style... (sorry Freke, but I''m kinda partial

) . I had it until May 2002, when I graduated, and my parents bought me what had been my dream car since it was released to the US in ''01, a brand new 2002 Lexus IS300. My parents are the greatest. This may sound lame, but I did cry when I had to sell the prelude. However, tears turned to smiles when I shot off down a backroad at 120 mph (I haven''t gone that fast in it since. Probably not even over 95)!! I still drive it, and will continue to until the engine falls out. I love it. My parents just signed the title over to me this past May. It''s MY baby now!!

Hey Meresal, no problem. I love all Preludes-I''m not partial at all! Ex-BF actually had a red ''94 Prelude and that''s the car that I fell in love with (when I had the Volvo and then the Pontiac), and that''s when I fell in love with the Prelude in general. I wish they still made them.

My parents bought my Volvo from my dad''s friend because they didn''t want to drive me to work and school anymore, so all of my paychecks went towards insurance. They went with a brand new car afterwards because they were so sick of my Volvo breaking down or not starting or whatever, and they didn''t want to have to worry about me driving around and getting stuck. This was also about the time that I got a cell phone.

I actually talked my parents into letting me get the Prelude because even after only 2 years, the Pontiac was already starting to fall apart, and my mom hated it. Then I got a higher paying job and saved up over $1000 in a month, sold the Pontiac myself instead of trading it in and talked them into paying the rest. Unfortunately I still owe them for it, and even though I''m sure they don''t care anymore, I still plan on paying them back-just so long as they are around for that long (2-3 years).

I love my car. I''ve bled, cried, and been burned for it. I''m not letting it go without a fight.

 

[didiamond]

My first car...oh yes I remember it. The year was 1981 and my dad bought me a 1973 Mazda RX3 with a rotary engine with no air AND I LOVED IT! It was a fast little thing. We (my friends and I) named it the "Ween Machine" because it was Halloween orange with black interior. It had very little mileage for it''s age and dad got it for $800. I too had to pay for my own insurance. Now that I think about it...I miss that little car.

My dream car back then was the gold Trans Am with T-tops. And of course it had to have the eagle on the hood! Nope, never did get one of those and now that I''m older they don''t even make it any more!!! How sad is that?!?!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/8/2008 8:10:37 AM
Author: Northern Lights

My parents bought me a new Honda Civic, but I think it was more of a necessity since taking the bus in S.Cal was/is considered dangerous.

HA! My dad made us take the bus everywhere! If I wanted to go to church, I had to take the bus - which mean taking the bus from Manhattan Beach to KOREATOWN. The bus we took went down Normandie Avenue through some seriously bad areas...I believe the Reginald Denny (I think that was his name) beating took place on that bus route.

I had to wait until college to get a car. Used CRX. Loved it. In college I fit 4 big guys and a galpal in that car. I got pulled over, but the cop let me go because I was obviously driving a bunch of drunk people home.

I gave the car to my brother in ''96 so he could use it as a downpayment on a car. I was working and had a company car but then quit and was without a car until 2001. FIVE years living in LA without a car. Not sure how I did it!

 

[bee*]

I saved up and got myself a 1994 fiat punto when I was 18. It was white and not the most attractive car, but I loved it!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/8/2008 4:44:02 PM
Author: Linda W
Nope, my parents did not buy my brother or myself a car. My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala.


Linda

i remember those Impalas.......

didn''t they have 3 round tail lights on each side?

 

[choro72]

TGal
I rode buses too! I lived in West LA, and took the bus to school down to south of Playa Vista (LMU). I took the bus to go to UCLA and SMC for summer school, and I always took the bus to go to 3rd street. No way I'm dealing with parking there. I once took the bus to Downtown LA to a UPS store. That one took 2 hours one way, but there was no way I was driving to Downtown LA. I always took the bus to go to LAX to fly out. I had to go piano recitals in Manhattan Beach and Korea Town. The one in Korea Town finished at 10PM, but I still took the bus home. I guess that was suicide, but ex refused to pick me up.

FI lives in Orange County and works in North Hollywood. He takes the train to work, and couldn't be happier. I once took the train from Orange County to Riverside (I moved from W LA to Riverside in 2003), then took the bus home. Can't beat free bus rides for students! I would do this more often if I didn't have my cat to carry around.

Whenever we need to go to Downtown LA or Long Beach, we always drive up to one of the train stations, park, and ride up to where ever we are going to. We did this for the fireworks in 2006 and recently to Staples Center.

 

[Linda W]

Heck I don''t remember. My hubby wishes I would have kept it though because now they are Classic Cars.

 

[isaku5]

All through university, there were two ways to get around - walk or take the bus. I never even considered asking for help to buy a car, but later on, my mom asked why I didn''t ask for a car???? Uhhhh....because you told me that university was costing an arm and a leg??

When I went back to university a few years later, I asked whether she would subsidize the purchase of a car. To my amazement, she agreed to lend me the money @ 10% interest to buy a brand new canary yellow Jag XKE. The year was 1967 and the car cost $6300. including tax. I was in heaven doing the bi-weekly commute for about 2.5 hours each way

Did I pay her back? Every cent including the interest. About three years later, I sold my baby to finance a building lot (one of my saner decisions?). I wish I''d been able to keep it, and I know it''s all relative, but I miss her and it would have been a better money-maker than the lot turned out to be.

 

[Shoopy]

My first car was in 1998. It was a 1989 Toyota Corolla, with no AC, two working windows (I live in FL) and a radio that only stopped on country stations. It cost me (nope no free car here) a total of $350.

I LOVED that car beyond words.

 

[jewelerman]

My parents decided that my twin sister and I had to have a goal or some thing to work for... and so if we wanted cars outside of borrowing the family cars then we had to buy them ourselves.

 

[vespergirl]

My first car was a 1999 Mazda Protege, it was new, and my parents got it for me as a college graduation present. I didn''t get my driver''s license until I gradutaed college because I grew up in NYC and went to school in Boston, so I just took public transportation & cabs before that.

I would have been fine with a used car, but my dad wanted to be sure that I had something safe, so he went with an inexpensive new car instead.

 

[Rhea]

I remember it, I''m not that old! It was a 7 year old car with no power locks, windows, or A/C. I paid for about a third to half of the price and my parents paid the rest. It was an ok car and worked fine until someone hit it.

 

[MustangGal]

In 1997 when I was 17 my dad gave me 2k to use to buy a car (I think he was trying to make up for all the years he never paid child support). I bought a 1965 Mustang, my boyfriend had a 66 and I thought it looked cool. That was one of the best cars I''ve owned! I spent time with the BF (now hubby!) in the garage changing oil, fixing things, and upgrading. I think I really impressed his dad.

Of course it was dark green with black interior and no A/C in Palm Springs, so summer was an oven. I still have it, its looking sad these days though.

 

[kcoursolle]

Nope, my parents never bought me a new car...bummer.

I drove a 13 year old nissan altima for a few years that ran very well for a long time. When I moved out to LA the car was in bad shape so it got donated and I decided to live here without a car for five years as my contribution to the environment. In two years my time will be up and I''ll probably buy a basic economy car like a toyota corolla or yaris...I''d love to have a mini though.

 

[spike13]

My first car was in 1987, it was a 1969 VW fastback that I bought for either $250 or $400. I saved since I was 14 for my own car because my older sister had to drive my mom''s suburban and I didn''t want that to happen to me. I bought it when I was 15 1/2. All the kids at my high school had VW Rabbit convertibles or Mercedes or BMWs (I was the white trash of the neighborhood).

I loved that car! It had no heat, no defrost, one speed wipers that occasionally would flip over the wrong way. The seat was stuck too far back so now I always sit way to close because I still love being able to adjust the seat. I also appreciate heat/defrost and variable speed wipers whenever I turn them on in my present car.