Tesla for teenager?

[kpanda17]

We have a soon to be freshman in college and two sophomores who will be driving this year. The younger two will share the same car. We will need to buy at least one new car in the next several months.

I’ve given some thought to buying my two youngest a used Model 3 to share. I’d buy used and get the cheapest version I can find in decent condition. We have two home chargers, so no issue there. Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble? Appreciate your opinions!

Great idea
I sent my daughter back to school with a 2023 M3 RWD after a few accidents driving dads old and very large SUV
M3 Benefits for a young person:
Safest vehicle on the road, IIHS and NHTSA 5x star

2023 Tesla Model 3 4-door sedan

2023 Tesla Model 3 4-door sedan - midsize luxury car

www.iihs.org

It matches their tech mindset
Ev and not pumping gas also matches the modern young mindset
Sustainable matches the young mindset
Sharing an M3 is great with user profiles
Speed can and should be limited with a pin
Vehicle tracking and speed alerts work great
M3 is a very easy vehicle to drive
M3 has many safety warnings that are evolving and more to come
That age group seems to love Teslas

 

[CKwik240]

As long as range isn't an issue, you could get them each a Fiat 500e. Don't think they can get into too much trouble in those. Lol

 

[kpanda17]

Don’t think the 500e gets IRA money
This vehicle gets almost 270 miles due to LFP
Maybe run it down to 3%

 

[kpanda17]

Btw CleanDemon, we only got her the M3 as a bridge for when she can get her own M2/2024-5
She graduated last month
M2 for $25K less up to $9500 instant rebates
Priceless

 

[RayK]

<snip>
I am sure someone will say it's too fast, and kids should be driving a cheap tank of a car. I don't subscribe to those thoughts. Just because I had that doesn't mean I have to parent the same way.

I'm about the same type of parent. When I started driving (1972), I drove the family tank (1967 Dodge Polara) to school and work (when I didn't have to walk). I purchased my first car from my mother (1971 Lincoln Mercury Capri; the car, not my mother), who had bought the car new for my older brother (and provided a 1/3 subsidy), who then sold it back to my mother, who then sold it to me (with the same 1/3 deal my brother got). I ended up driving that for about 5 years when I bought my own 1980 Mazda RX-7. I then gave the Capri back to my brother.

For our two daughters (four years of age difference), we've purchased three used cars between them. The first was a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo that my older daughter drove for a couple of years before she ended up driving halfway home from L.A. with no oil in the pan. Rebuilt that engine and my younger daughter then drove it in high school. Meanwhile, my wife bought the older daughter a used 2005 (??) Honda Accord. A few years ago the Jeep was starting to break down more often so we got rid of it and I bought a used 2011 Nissan Murano LE. Younger daughter has driven that since and has taken pretty good care if it; unlike the Jeep where the insides always looked like a tornado went through it.

<snip>
only downside is that it seems extravagant — even the cheapest used model 3. some peers will label them as rich and spoiled. not much do to about that.

I think that sort of depends upon where you live. Here in Silicon Valley, and specifically where I live in San Jose, high school kids are driving MBs, Lexus (Lexi?) , BMWs and yes, Teslas to high school. I can't say how many are owned by or bought by the parents but it's probably a high number. There's probably a higher amount of peer pressure nowadays about been seen in a "cool" ride, then what I had experienced in the '70s. When I was shopping around for the Jeep replacement (April 2017), my younger daughter and I test drove a used 2010 BMW X3 for an afternoon. At the time I was driving a 2000 BMW 323i so I guess the dealer figured we wouldn't skip out on him and he just handed the key to us and said take it out. After discussing the pros and cons of BMW ownership, my daughter decided she didn't want to drive such a "status" car and we continued our search, ending up with the Murano (at $4K more than that BMW X3) a few months later.

 

[kpanda17]

It is tough these days
Let’s just hope the M2 is hip with this gen as it helps us parents get them on their own

Let’s go Elon bef BYD gets here (USA)

 

[mcorf]

Well it may not be a cheap tank of a car but it's still a rust bucket and that's why I have no problem letting them drive it. For all you salt states. See you at year 5ish.
View attachment 951344

My 2019 Model 3 has been though 4 winters so far in NE Ohio with snow tires and a lot of salt on the roads. I run it through the car was a few times a month to get the salt off and luckily no problems with rust.

 

[afadeev]

We have a soon to be freshman in college and two sophomores who will be driving this year. The younger two will share the same car. We will need to buy at least one new car in the next several months. I’ve given some thought to buying my two youngest a used Model 3 to share. [...]We have two home chargers, so no issue there.

So you are familiar with EVs, but chose to NOT give a Model 3 to your older son.
What was the thinking behind that decision?

I’d buy used and get the cheapest version I can find in decent condition.

Why?
Do you have a budget constraint? If so, what is it?

Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble? Appreciate your opinions!

Getting a car for a teenager is a VERY personal decision. You want to match the vehicle to the kid's preferences (brand? sedan vs. truck?), needs (big back seat? ), and parents' preferences (big and slow vs. nimble and agile).
Only YOU know your kids' needs and proclivities. We certainly don't.

A Model 3 may be a great car, or a terrible car, for a kid. Just like any other random vehicle we could discuss.

What I really want to know is what car did you give to your older kid, and what did you learned from that experience?

a

 

[kpanda17]

Btw, the M3 temp went to the 22 year old
After driving a 20 year old clunker for 6 years
The party is over on 3 years and then she buys her own M2

 

[CleanDemon]

We ordered a new Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive black on black for our oldest son. He picked out the color. We’re going to sell his truck and train our sophomores to drive on mom and dad’s Teslas. When they turn 16 next May, we’ll buy a car for them to share and then get them their own vehicles when they head off to college. Everyone is happy!

 

[Abraham]

We ordered a new Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive black on black for our oldest son. He picked out the color. We’re going to sell his truck and train our sophomores to drive on mom and dad’s Teslas. When they turn 16 next May, we’ll buy a car for them to share and then get them their own vehicles when they head off to college. Everyone is happy!

Man that’s amazing. I grew up in a very different situation but I hope one day I can provide my kids the same environment as y’all. Good work!

 

[Michael24]

We have a soon to be freshman in college and two sophomores who will be driving this year. The younger two will share the same car. We will need to buy at least one new car in the next several months.

I’ve given some thought to buying my two youngest a used Model 3 to share. I’d buy used and get the cheapest version I can find in decent condition. We have two home chargers, so no issue there. Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble? Appreciate your opinions!

I bought 1 year ahead before I let my daughter starts driving. She just got her permit. I prefer buying now than later since M3 still has stalks which is very helpful for new drivers. On top of that the $2500 discount on existing inventory and the federal credit and California rebate. I picked the cheapest one. For now I’m enjoying the M3 while teaching my daughter to drive.

 

[ewoodrick]

Eh, you can give your kids a comfortable life without making it so they “never work for anything”. It depends on the kids and the values you instill in them. My parents did buy me a pretty nice car when I was a teenager (bmw 3 series) and essentially paid for all of my undergrad expenses. I certainly treated that car well, maintained it appropriately, and never got into an accident. I studied hard, got myself into medical school, finished residency, and am now an attending physician. There was plenty of work involved there, even if that didn’t include working a minimum wage job to afford a beater and apartment.

Congratulations on you making it through.

But for every one of you, I suspect that there are well over a 100 of the ones that are still living with Mom and Dad in their 40s.

 

[mborkow]

If they can afford to buy the car it sounds great…if not, I’m not sure what you are doing.

 

[kpanda17]

back in our days, we could buy a good enough vehicle as a young person for less than $1000, those days are long gone
now we help them with their first car from high school through early college, but with the IRA and the M2 (soon) it will be amazing to see our early to mid 20 year old's get into EVs for approx. $15K after instant tax rebates
they are lucky, my first brand new vehicle at 23 was very expensive for me at the time, no help (older brother co signed my loan)
btw, my brand new Pontiac leaked oil the first day as the engine was assembled with a mistake and inspection failed to catch it...crazy
never bought a Pontiac again

 

[T4M3]

Well it may not be a cheap tank of a car but it's still a rust bucket and that's why I have no problem letting them drive it. For all you salt states. See you at year 5ish.
View attachment 951344

When I was living in Wisconsin, I went through the car wash once a week throughout all winter to avoid any rust due to road salt

 

[kpanda17]

Think anywhere north and including Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia
I do in NY

 

[Olle]

We have a soon to be freshman in college and two sophomores who will be driving this year. The younger two will share the same car. We will need to buy at least one new car in the next several months.

I’ve given some thought to buying my two youngest a used Model 3 to share. I’d buy used and get the cheapest version I can find in decent condition. We have two home chargers, so no issue there. Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble? Appreciate your opinions!

We're in the exact same boat with my kids. In addition to the safety arguments already mentioned, I'd add that Tesla has some of the best, and continuously improving, auto braking and corrective steering functionality, even without autopilot.

I think that's important for teenagers since they statistically cause more accidents, a big reason I'm leaning toward a Tesla for them, but I'm divided. Some days I'm just thinking a $2000 rust bucket

 

[kpanda17]

Yes, like. Driving mentor is watching and warning them all of the time
Create better drivers

My wish is the eye tracking/Elon Mode mentioned but where applied to stop/turns and left/right/left eye movement as would be warned of not done

My 22 year old still fails to do that all of the time

 

[Michael24]

It all depends on the area and affordability. I live in Irvine and it’s common to drive a Tesla. It’s the workhorse vehicle here. That’s the daily driver here especially since we have 11 superchargers with more than 150 stalls now and counting that are within 5 miles. I remember back in high school when a lot of folks drive Civic/Corolla/accord/Camry.
To each of their own if you can afford it, why not let them drive a Tesla. Kids will always be kids. We just hope they turn up well.