Buy him (or her) a decent, clean, used vehicle.  Nothing fancy,  just a good, reliable vehicle
that's in good shape and nothing to be ashamed of.  Or he can chip in for something better.

What my father did was buy cars new with the idea that he'd be turning them over to his
sons in about five years.   And that's what he did.   Then,  myself and my brothers got
very clean, meticulously maintained, low mileage, 5 year old cars that were very acceptable
as a first car.

I got an '82 Honda Civic 1500GL 5-speed, in mint condition.   It was sensible and fun and
you never had to do anything to it but give it routine maintenance.

Until it got smashed from behind by a dumb bitch who was driving without bothering to pay
attention to where she was going, that is.

It got totalled...one of three cars to get totalled in that wreck.  I walked away without a scratch.

My car got knocked across the road, spinning, and sideswiped a third car, which finished
mine off and totalled the Ford I sideswiped, too.    But man, that could have been a direct strike rather than a sideswipe,  and I'm still here to write about it because I got a little
bit lucky.

It's a strange feeling to know that you escaped probable serious injury or death by
literally inches and fractions of a second.  


CJ

My folks bought me my first car it was around $2K IIRC
I would do the same for my kid

I got help on my first vehicle but had to have a job and pay for insurance and maintenance. Gotta teach responsibility whenever you can.

Parents bought my first beater - 1975 Maverick 4dr.  Paid $500 for it and I sold it for $600 two years later...fixed her up as much as you can a Maverick!

That was the end of them paying for vehicles.  They did pay insurance until I turned 18.....then college or rent/insurance...too foolish to stay in college so I had to pay for insurance...then moved out.

Still think it was the right thing for them to do...will do myself with my little ones get big.