ive been doing some thinking...

[JD_MXRacer]

i am 15 and this summer i am getting my permit. also this summer i am going to my aunts house in wv to do some babysitting for money. she said with the money i earned i can buy a dirtbike when im there. and that was my plan but me going to be 16 in less than a year so i think i am just going to take the money for a car

do u think this is a good idea

 

[4thGearAndPinned]

You'd be surprised at the deals you can get on cars - we recently got a 1995 Chevy lumina in great running condition, 120K miles for $400. As long as you know how to work on 'em, you can get some DEALS!

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I am not sure what your question is.

If you got a dirt bike, where would you ride it and who would you ride with? Don't even think of going off riding alone!

A car would be a much more useful thing for you, but you have to realize that the car is the cheap part.

At age 16 you can't own a car yourself, nor can you get insurance in your own name. Your parents will have to take care of that for you, but they might expect you to pay for your portion.

You should realize that as soon as you get your license your parents automobile insurance rates are going to double. If you end up getting a car it will need to be insured, which will probably cost around $1200 a year just for liability. That means that if you get in an accident thats your fault the other guys car will get paid, but yours won't. Full collision insurance for a 16 year old male is outrageous!

If you are driving a lot you can easily burn through $25 of gas a week in an economy car or double that in a big V-8 based car/truck. A new set of tires for the car will run $300 to $600 depending on the size of the tire (again, the big trucks cost a lot more than the little economy cars). Oil changes, tune up, unexpected repairs will cost you several hundred a year. Some of it you can defer, but it will eventually catch up to you.

Don't forget that when you buy a car you will pay the seller his price and then pay the state a fair amount to register it. I don't know about your state but in California you would pay ~8.5% tax in addition to a registration fee of about $50. So if you bought a car for $1000 you would have to pay $85 + $50 to get it registered initially, then an additional ~$60 each year for renewal. If you buy a $10,000 car the cost would be $850 + 50 to register and ~150 a year to renew.

You better make sure you know who is going to pay for all this before you commit to buy. I know a lot of parents that will pay for the car but make the kid pay for the insurance and registration costs.

Rod

 

[FruDaddy]

i am 15 and this summer i am getting my permit. also this summer i am going to my aunts house in wv to do some babysitting for money. she said with the money i earned i can buy a dirtbike when im there. and that was my plan but me going to be 16 in less than a year so i think i am just going to take the money for a car

do u think this is a good idea

Yes, I think that it is a good idea for you to work for the money to buy whatever it is that you want. Now, which would you rather have, a car or a bike? Also, you should realize that with a car come the ability to travel to an from a job. That job could pay for a bike.

Fortunately, California is a worst case scenario when it comes to anything with an internal combustion engine. Few other states will bother charging sales tax on a private transaction (not involving a dealer) and the 8.5% that was mentioned still seems high. As far as registration, I know that GA charges an annual ad-valorem tax that is based on value, plus a $20 tag fee. I can't help you with Ohio fees.

The insurance information that you have been given is pretty good. As an unmarried male (assumption) under the age of 25, you will pay dearly for the privilege of driving a car.

Good luck.

 

[JD_MXRacer]

i plan on getting a car or truck from my dad or someone else i know so there is no monthly fee besides insurance. my dad is an amazing car mechanic so all of that can be done by him. one of the cars im lookin at is a pontiac bonneville perfect condition new tires and front suspension only $500. that is from my dad but to tell you the truth i would rather have a truck but dont know if that is in the budget right now