Tesla First Car

[Nerdy_Engineer]

If you're set on getting him a Tesla, why not go with a Model 3 instead? I personally think a Tesla at all is too nice/expensive of a car for any young college student to fully appreciate. Plus, with autopilot, he might be more inclined to drive drunk thinking the car will take care of him. As @RBowen suggested, paying for his Uber/Lyft account would actually be a really good idea so that he's never in a situation where he might be tempted to drink and drive.

 

[Peteybabes]

if i remember a consumer reports article about what cars to get kids, it said to "get safest car that you can afford".

you'll be doing the right thing getting him a tesla, just don't get him a "P" model as that will require showing it off and inevitably some trouble.

i suggest a MS75D or MX100D (5 seat)...

 

[Electric700]

What about a certified preowned Model S? Maybe an 85D or 90D (not performance) so he can have additional range and benefit from the added safety of AWD. This way you can save money with the purchase if you do decide to move forward.

 

[Peteybabes]

the pre-owned and discounted new cars are numerous. OP did mention custom ordering, but who knows.

 

[JPP]

I'm sure you'll make the right choice, but just make sure to remind him that if he would gotten into Harvard, you would have gotten him a Buggati.

Not likely--in densely packed Harvard Square, you rode a bicycle or took the T.

 

[Mark Z]

Do what my parents did. They purchased another car and the used vehicle was given to the kids. I appreciated the 1970 El Camino. On my 40th, their used Cadillac was a gift. The savings helped me afford a home at that time.

 

[vandacca]

I recommend you get him a Model-S. And as a lesson to your son on how to save money, I recommend you use my referral code.

 

[MikeQ]

We have a student heading off to college next year and I thought about getting a model 3 for him. Bad idea. There's no practical place to charge at all the campus' we visited. If they had a charger, it was in faculty or visitor parking areas. Many didn't have any. Also most of the colleges we visited were very self contained and a student really didn't even need to leave campus. Most the students we talked to lived on campus for the first 2 years and had no car. All colleges are different of course but I'd look into the actual need for a car and the practicality of charging.

 

[MXZoomZoom]

Stanford has several L2 Chargepoint chargers. Get him a BOLT, it's a fantastic electric car for the area and put the rest into some Vanguard funds for him.

 

[CarbonFree]

A full ride at Stanford for a family that can afford a Tesla for a teenager implies a jock scholarship (ie no qualification for normal financial aid). In that case, I wouldn't encourage them to develop expensive tastes.

 

[MikeQ]

Good point. Even merit based scholarships narrow it down to a small handful of applicants and then choose the one who has the most need or is a member of a disadvantaged group.

 

[rkurtl]

Much as I love our Volt and X I vote for a plain old ice car. I'm also a Stanford grad and driving and parking on the campus is a challenge. Charging only adds to the difficulty for a super busy student. Give him a chance the first quarter without a car and see how it works out.

 

[NeverFollow]

Hi me and my wife currently have a model x and love it
So we have decided to get my 17 year old son a Tesla Model S or X for his first car.
He is headed off to college next year ... he got a 4 year full ride scholarship to Stanford.
Should I get him a model s or x?

Wow! I would say 100% the 'X' 7 seats.
That's the one who can carry the larger number of 20" pizza and party goers, and the best for Tahoe sky trips!

Seriously, just buy a mountain bike, because all his friends will have already a MB or a BM
(Mercedes Benz or BMW), so he don't really need a car
And instead put a $100k deposit on a 1 bdr or 2 bdr condo and get another $400k loan, this would be cheaper than renting.
After 4 years he will be able to sale this condo for $1 Million, or rent it for $5k / month.

Honestly in the Bay area the traffic is horrible, better use Uber or Lyft and rent a car for weekends in Tahoe or Las Vegas.
If he needs a car to get some groceries or to going clubbing in San Francisco on Saturday night, just get a used Honda civic
already scratched everywhere. There are so much vandalism in the city, better stay low key and low profile.

May be, discretely talk with him, and ask what he would prefer. I my case, but depending what kind of study he is doing,
I would prefer getting a condo and take a sabbatical year to travel and stay for a while in a foreign country,
(for example China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore..., or any other place depending of the interest)
to learn the language and the culture. This would be certainly a more rewarding experience than driving around "friends".

Just to say that IMO, putting everything on a silver plate might not help him too much to become a leader or been creative.

Just my 2c.

 

[mattack4000]

What condo are you buying for 500K in Palo Alto? You can't even buy a storage unit

 

[Xcelerator]

For most kids I'd say no. Things happen in college that are a product of poor decisions from brains that aren't fully developed. Drinking/drugs and driving - a definite possibility. Loaning the car out to someone who messes it up? Difficulties with charging. (dorms probably don't have chargers). First car means inexperienced driver - better chance of collisions. Parking at colleges varies, but, at mine, it was virtually impossible to the point that most folks who lived off campus rode the bus system to/from campus. If none of those deter you, they are very safe cars, so a good one to have a wreck in. Model 3 would be a better fit, but, I doubt you want to wait more than year to get one, right?

 

[Peteybabes]

seems to me that @Aw2867100, the OP, started this thread just to create a conversation piece/topic??

he/she hasn't replied since the beginning of this post 5 days ago, so is this even a serious post?

all that this has accomplished is a bunch of theoretical speculation/advice/etc...be it good or bad.

can the OP please reply to any of the questions/suggestions??

 

[NeverFollow]

I don’t think he has enough life experience to appreciate the effort it takes
to earn enough money to buy such a car.

How about you invest it in Tesla stock and buy him an electric bicycle for now.
Let him earn his degree first.

Save the money. Keep it for graduate school, investment for a future start-up
or as a chunk to help buy a house.

It's a very generous idea.
Though I'd be more inclined to offer something less extravagant and put the remaining cash
into a sensible investment account for a post-graduate reward.

"Youth is wasted on the young, and wisdom is wasted on the old."

(The young are too immature to really appreciate being young,
and someone older would really know how to appreciate and take advantage of being young again.)

 

[Mrcook4590]

I would suggest a certified preowned Model S, non ludicrous, and some Tesla stock. He will still get the safety of a Tesla as well as owning a part of the company. I know if I had had a brand new Tesla at that age that I would have done some stomping of accelerator. Sheesh, I still have trouble not racing people at stoplights!! All that power; one almost can't help it!! It's asking for trouble, really, to get a flashy brand new Tesla for a teenager; however, you know your son better than we do. I don't know what we will do when ours start driving. A parent wants their child to drive the safest car out there, but Teslas are safest AND fastest!

 

[Peteybabes]

"Youth is wasted on the young, and wisdom is wasted on the old."

(The young are too immature to really appreciate being young,
and someone older would really know how to appreciate and take advantage of being young again.)

wow...

am i considered the "young" here? (25)

first car was a Porsche at 17, then a Lexus at 18 or 19, then another Lexus and 5-ton military truck, finally Tesla.

never have i been in an accident, (yes i still have 1 speeding ticket on my record), please don't discount all of us by throwing so much doubt and "shade", lol.

perhaps let the kid make his own decision with his own money on what car he/she gets, that's what my dad let me do...on all of my car purchases.

 

[Mrcook4590]

wow...

am i considered the "young" here? (25)

first car was a Porsche at 17, then a Lexus at 18 or 19, then another Lexus and 5-ton military truck, finally Tesla.

never have i been in an accident, (yes i still have 1 speeding ticket on my record), please don't discount all of us by throwing so much doubt and "shade", lol.

perhaps let the kid make his own decision with his own money on what car he/she gets, that's what my dad let me do...on all of my car purchases.

Looks like your parents raised you to respect what you have! Hopefully, my husband and I are doing the same with our kids.