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If you're the kind of parent that has no issues with buying your children's (eternal) love by stroking the check for a brand new convertible, then you'll want to skip this article. I can't help you! (I will warn you though, that "undying" love only lasts until they want something else that's bright and shiny too!)

If, on the other hand, you're more along the lines of the "We'll buy an inexpensive (and hopefully reliable, ultra safe and easy to insure) used car for Junior and see how he treats it..." kind of parent, then I can hopefully offer some sound advice.

I've earned my living for the last 15 years as a used car salesman, (insert joke here), and have seen hundreds of parents standing at these crossroads. I'm also the father of two young car-freaks, so, while I can empathize with the youngster's desire to have the turbo two seater dream machine, this advice comes from the check writer's perspective...MINE! My kids can buy the sleek, sexy, super-fast, impossible to insure sportster with their own checkbooks. My checks are buying something safe, reliable, and affordable!

As parents, our main concern is always with the safety of our children. This has obvious ramifications when choosing a young adult's first car. As my insurance agent (who loves me as long as he gets his checks) says, there's no substitute for mass. Bigger is undeniably safer. There are many compact vehicles out there that rate well in crash tests, but the more metal you can wrap around your kids before you send them out on the road, the better! Inexpensive doesn't have to mean small. There are a TON of mid-sized sedans that can be had in the $5K range, so don't paint yourself into a corner by thinking small!

Obviously, reliability is going to be one of our concerns. Legendary reliability can be found, but it carries a premium in the used car market. Toyota, Honda and Lexus have OUTSTANDING track records for producing ultra-reliable vehicles, but in the $5K range you'll be lucky to find any of them with fewer than 150,000 miles. There are several companies that are building VERY reliable vehicles that don't carry the same premium pricing as Toyota or Honda. Manufacturers like Saturn and Hyundai are building vehicles that hold up well and offer tremendous value in the used car market.

Affordability will be a daily issue with your kids' first set of wheels. Gas, maintenance, repair and insurance costs all must be considered on this trek! In a perfect world your youngster's first set of wheels

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