So my 15-year-old son and I are car shopping.
He will turn 16 years old in October, and his mother and I are eager for him to have his own wheels so that he can help us car-pool. We both work outside the home, and if our 15-year-old can drive himself home from soccer practice and occasionally pick up his 10-year-old brother from school, it would vastly simplify our lives.
Still, picking out a car may turn out to be a father-son bonding experience - or it may not.
We both have strong opinions about what constitutes a proper starter vehicle for a 16-year-old. He's thinking Ford Mustang or Hummer. I'm thinking Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. And there's still a very good chance he may get a hand-me-down vehicle from someone in the family, making the whole search moot.
Mark KennedyView other columns by Mark Kennedy
As an automotive journalist, I can lay out the case for a quality used car with unassailable reasoning.
An economy car like a Corolla or Civic, by definition, gets good fuel economy. Toyota and Honda are known for making durable vehicles likely to last 200,000 miles, if properly maintained. What's more, late-model Corolla and Civics are actually sophisticated, well-designed compacts that are almost as roomy as midsize cars of a generation ago.
In other words, I can make a logical case for my recommendations. Not the least of which is that a low-mileage, late-model Corolla or Civic is likely to last him through college.
My son, on the other hand, thinks that a Hummer would be a good idea because, well, they are tough looking - a.k.a. bad-a-.
He doesn't think much of my contention that Hummers were basically weaponized Chevy Tahoes that went out of production in 2009 because they weren't making GM any money. Giving a 16-year-old boy a Hummer is a little like introducing an Abrams tank into the bumper car ride at Lake Winnie.
Similarly, a Mustang, which is a fine car for a middle-age empty-nester, is not a great fit for a male teen. First of all, your insurance company will be happy to provide you with plenty of disincentives. Plus, putting a muscle car in the hands of a male teenager when his testosterone is at high tide can be a lethal combination.
After a week of indoctrinating my son, he had given up on the Mustang, but he is still holding out hope on the Hummer.
"Listen," I told him. "The Hummer thing is not happening. If you want a Hummer, you'll have to wait until you are a grown man with a paycheck."
"No, then I'm getting a blue Audi R8," he informed me.
"Nice," I said. "Let me know when you find a bank that will lend you $162,000."
"Used R8s are not that much," he assured me.
"Right," I said. "Good luck with that."
I have a feeling this argument is going to rage for a few months. I tried to get him to go car-lot hopping with me last Sunday, but he doesn't want to get his hopes up when the purchase is probably still several months away.
I get that. Delayed gratification is hard for adults and doubly hard for a 15-year-old.
In the meantime, this seems like good practice for the young adult, parent-child negotiations to come - like choosing a college that balances practicality with passion.
Most of adulthood is framed by those opposing forces. The sooner you learn to let practicality and passion dance it out, the happier you will be.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645.