Kids are embarrassed by parents' cars

[Ford Jellymoulds]

WHAT CAR MAGAZINE...

 

Forget dodgy fashion choices and 'dad dancing', today's kids are more embarrassed by what and how their parents drive.

Two in five say their parents drive 'uncool' cars, according to a poll of 1000 children.

Unsurprisingly, most said they want to trade in the family car for a sports car or 4x4. Around one in 10 of four to seven year-olds wants a monster truck.

However it's bad behaviour that really makes kids cringe. Two thirds admitted their parents are aggressive drivers and three quarters said their parents shout at other road users.

LINK

 

MMmmm I don't mind buying a sports car or monster pick-up, as long as they stop treating it like a free taxi service..

Edited June 30, 2011 by Ford Jellymoulds

[esevans]

I remember back in the 1980's, my parents had an employee pick me and my cousin up from private school on a regular basis in an old broke down Maverick. The car was ugly, the woman was ugly, when she couldn't make it, her son drove the car, and he was ugly (think Onslow or his wife from Keeping Up Appearances).

 

All the while upperclassmen driving away in their nice shiny Regals (were actually popular amongst the teens), Preludes, Jeeps, etc.

 

Why she had an old crappy Maverick is beyond me, since she was embezzling.

Edited July 2, 2011 by esevans

[Mark B. Morrow]

When I was a kid, my dad drove station wagons purchased by my Grandfather's store. The earliest one I remember was a '63 Falcon Squire Black with Red bucket seats and the center console option. It was replaced by a Blue '65 Falcon and then '67, '68, '70 & '73 Chevy Bel Airs. We didn't get one with A/C until 1970. The last big wagon was a '73 Bel Air with the clamshell tailgate and window that jammed on occasion. I constantly told my dad how embarrassing the beige Bel Air was when he picked me up anywhere. Right before I got my license my dad got a '74 Chevy Laguna S-3.

 

Mom had a '65 Corvair Monza and then a '71 Vega wagon that went to the scrap yard in 1977 at 17,000 miles whern it was burning oil and too rusted to pass inspection. I took my driver's test in the Vega and passed on the first try, four days after I got my permit, even after a tire went flat during the test. The State Trooper told me he would pass me if I could safely change the tire. I think he felt sorry for me in the multi-colored, Vega. I felt sorry for him since the passenger seat in the frist Vegas was not adjustable and the guy was over 6 ft tall.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Mark B. Morrow

[lfeg]

I never had a problem as a kid with what my parents drove (Ford, Chevy, or Dodge sedans).

A cousin that went to a somewhat exclusive college did have a problem though, whenever her dad went to pick her up. He usually drove his work truck, an old Ford ton and a half flatbed with a crane and welding equipment mounted on it. What really drover her crazy was that many of her classmates thought the truck was cool and wanted a ride in it.

[xargos]

Two in five say their parents drive 'uncool' cars, according to a poll of 1000 children.

 

In other words, a good number of kids are image-obsessed. With today's over-commercialized world is that any surprise?

 

I know never worried about whether or not my parents drove "cool" cars.

[NickF1011]

In other words, a good number of kids are image-obsessed. With today's over-commercialized world is that any surprise?

 

I know never worried about whether or not my parents drove "cool" cars.

 

Did I worry about it? No. As a kid, what could I do about it? I was just glad to have a free taxi service. Did I buy something I liked as soon as I humanly could afford to? Yes. People have been image-obsessed for generations. This is nothing new.

[xargos]

Did I worry about it? No. As a kid, what could I do about it? I was just glad to have a free taxi service. Did I buy something I liked as soon as I humanly could afford to? Yes. People have been image-obsessed for generations. This is nothing new.

 

It doesn't change the fact that it is a shallow way to think. Flash over substance is generally something that creates problems in the end.

 

My first car, by choice, was a Ford Tempo. That doesn't exactly say image-obsessed and I'm proud of that fact. Function before form, I say.

[NickF1011]

It doesn't change the fact that it is a shallow way to think. Flash over substance is generally something that creates problems in the end.

 

My first car, by choice, was a Ford Tempo. That doesn't exactly say image-obsessed and I'm proud of that fact. Function before form, I say.

 

First car I bought myself was my Mustang. All the substance it needed was under the hood. :shades:

 

And thankfully, there are plenty of vehicles on the road now that offer form with function. Gone are the days of my folks beige' '78 Caprice.

[akirby]

It doesn't change the fact that it is a shallow way to think. Flash over substance is generally something that creates problems in the end.

 

My first car, by choice, was a Ford Tempo. That doesn't exactly say image-obsessed and I'm proud of that fact. Function before form, I say.

 

It's not shallow. Kids like sports cars and monster trucks, not minivans and econoboxes and station wagons. What kid do you know that looks at things rationally from a functional perspective as opposed to wanting something flashy? It's just a normal part of being a kid.

[NickF1011]

It's not shallow. Kids like sports cars and monster trucks, not minivans and econoboxes and station wagons. What kid do you know that looks at things rationally from a functional perspective as opposed to wanting something flashy? It's just a normal part of being a kid.

 

I didn't want to be an astronaut or international super spy when I was little. Accounting or bust!

[akirby]

I didn't want to be an astronaut or international super spy when I was little. Accounting or bust!

 

That explains a lot......

[retro-man]

I didn't want to be an astronaut or international super spy when I was little. Accounting or bust!

:hysterical:

 

I grew up in a series of cars that were destined to be classics, or near classics: '55 Chev Bel Air Coupe, red and white, '63 Galaxie Convertible, red, bucket seats, 390, '63 VW 23 window bus, red and white, with the canvas sunroof. My dad was a car guy. His first car was a black '40 Ford Coupe, V8. When I bought my T-Bird, I did it not to impress anybody or to be flashy, but just because it was beautiful. It turned out to be functionally not so hot (although, if getting the sun and wind into your hair is a function, it was great!). The recession and high miles have forced me to let her go, and now I am wearing practical shoes - something I always said life was too short for. sigh. On topic though: I doubt that kids are that calculating in trying to impress others. I think - whether it be their own idols, thoughts about their own future careers, or what cars they like - I think they are just naturally drawn to the magnificent. Where would we be if that were not a part of the way we are?

[Mark B. Morrow]

My grandfather's brother drove Thunderbirds through the '60s and '70s. A new one every two years. I got the promotional models since he had granddaughters. My Uncle Bob bought a new Pontiac Grand Prix every two years as well. They were exciting cars compared to my dad's wagons.

 

The most interesting car guy in the family is my uncle Jack who collected all sorts of wayward cars in need of a home. He had a big garage and a long driveway. Among the many that passed through, the most memorable ones were a '61 Impala convertible, '64 Impala SS, '65 Lincoln continental, '60 Olds 98 convertible, '63 and '64 Corvair convertibles, '56 Ford F-100 Bell telephone truck, '60 Plymouth wagon and a '39 Chrysler. I spent many happy days playing with the cars at Jack's house. My cousin still has Jack's 1936 Ford sedan and a '61 Impala convertible of his own.

[grbeck]

My friend up the street was born to older parents (all of his older siblings were in their 20s when we were 10 years old). His dad was a "double dipper" - a retired colonel who worked at the local army depot, while his mother was head librarian at the local university. So they had some disposable income to spend on cars, which they did. Their cars were some of the nicest cars on the block. His mother drove a sharp 1969 Mustang Grande (metallic green, black vinyl top and wire wheels), followed by a 1972 Ford Pinto, a 1977 Ford Pinto (V-6, all-glass hatch and the plaid seats) and a 1979 Mustang V-8 hatchback. His father drove a 1971 Chrysler Newport sedan, followed by a 1973 Newport sedan, and then a 1978 Ford Thunderbird. All of those cars were loaded with options. The Thunderbird had everything except the kinky leather straps on the deck lid.

 

This particular friend now belongs to an Eastern religious cult, so make of that what you will.

 

The parents of my friend across the street first had a baby blue 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix, followed by a 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS (with a stick shift on the floor!) followed by a 1976 AMC Hornet Sportabout. When he got is his first part-time job in the late 1970s, his father bought him a 1972 Nova, which he promptly customized with mag wheels and air shocks.

 

My best friend's family had one of the first Ford Mavericks in town, along with a 1966 Galaxie LTD sedan, followed by a 1970 Mercury Marquis Brougham hardtop sedan. I remember being amazed that the Maverick didn't have a glove box, and running my fingers over the Galaxie LTD's "panty cloth" material on the seats.

 

Later, his first car was a used 1974 Fiat 128S, which was surprisingly reliable and very fun. They later traded the Maverick on the first Plymouth Horizon in town, which was the most trouble-prone new car I have ever experienced. That thing was ALWAYS in the shop, with problems ranging from busted exterior door handles to an engine that would simply quit running right in the middle of the road! Our neighbor carpooled with my father, and he bought a 1979 Plymouth Horizon with the wood trim on the side. The car wasn't even a few months old when it died in our driveway one evening and had to be towed. No wonder Chrysler was bankrupt by 1980 - the warranty costs were probably killing them!

 

My father was more practical...they had a 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon, which was junk by 100,000 miles, and had to be taken to the dealer for the infamous motor mount recall in 1971. I still can remember my parents talking about this. I remember that it seemed to have its share of problems, and the interior didn't wear too well, although carrying around two young children didn't help much.

 

The Chevrolet was followed by a 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 Holiday sedan, and a 1976 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Holiday sedan. Both of those Oldsmobiles were good, tough cars. In those days, moving up the GM ladder really did get you a better car.

 

When my father was younger, he had a 1953 Studebaker Champion Starlight, which was a good car, and today would be considered a historical artifact, thanks to its Raymond Loewy design. He must have felt a soft spot for the independents, as he later had a fire-engine-red 1973 AMC Gremlin, which was, without a doubt, the worst car I have ever seen in my life. It was constantly breaking down, and every interior part felt as though it cost about $1.25.

Edited July 6, 2011 by grbeck

[Happy Gilmore]

My father had this gorgeous black Mercury Cougar XR7.

 

 

That thing had more bells and whistles on it. Plus, the 5.0L V8 out of the Mustang. I could hardly wait until I turned 16, and was given the keys to it.

 

Unfortunately, he traded it in for a '89 Ranger the month before I took my driver's test.

 

 

A long line of boring cars followed until I "grew up" and bought my own vehicle, then suddenly dad started to be cool again. A couple nice Explorers, followed by two Expeditions, one Excursion, and now he is rocking out in an Edge Sport.

 

Damn him

 

To make matters worse, I had two friend's who convinced their mother's to buy a Jeep TJ and a Mustang GT while we were in the midst of our formative High School years. Let's just say it's a pretty cool story to take your buddy's mom's 'Stang from Ontario to Ft. Lauderdale and back for the weekend

Edited July 9, 2011 by Happy Gilmore

[V8-X]

There was only one vehicle that sort of embarrassed me when growing up. It was a 1976 Datsun B210. The car itself wasn't bad, it was the front end damage that my parents never fixed after my mother hit a Mountain Lion while we were traveling to the Western Slope of CO to visit my grand parents.

 

Otherwise, the '85 Laser, '81 F150 (my 1st vehicle), '80 Eagle Concord Coupe, '86 Continental, '62 Impala SS (had through my teens) we had when I was a kid, and the '92 Civic, '95 Sentra, '92 Swift in my teens, weren't bad vehicles and was never embarrassed of them. And of course my 4yo son wants me to turn the F150 into a monster truck, just as I wanted my dad to do with his F150.

 

And this article, I think more speaks to the parents aggressive driving than the cars they own. I will say, I do see some frightened faces on little kids by the way their parents are driving. I know I always have to get on my wife and let her know, drive like that by yourself. When the kids are on board, you need to set an example.

 

And this is partly why we have such bad drivers on the roads these days. Over the generations, kids have watched their parents driving, and have come to believe this type of attitude and style of driving is acceptable. I know I make sure to drive as careful as possible and point out to my kids the things not to do that we constantly see others do.

 

In other words, a good number of kids are image-obsessed. With today's over-commercialized world is that any surprise?

Toyota promotes this now days, with their Sienna mini-van commercials. Or at least, they try to.

[ClutchTime]

My dad ordered a red '73 Gran Torino GT from the factory. When news of my arrival came along, it was traded in for a (oh, how I hate to say this)Granada. Before I had any memory of it, that was traded for an '83 Escort which was later traded in on an '89 Escort that became my first car. The Escorts weren't embarrassing but, they weren't worth bragging about either. At least they weren't Granadas! My dad also had a '74 F-100 with a 302 and a three speed with a Hurst floor shifter. It was rusted out on the wheel arches of the bed and the paint was faded but I grew up loading it full of firewood level with the roof. I loved that old thing. I always remember my dad never driving over 45 when I rode with him. I never noticed any bad habits my mom had until I got older but, let's just say most of the family prefers for her to ride with them instead of the other way around.

[meyeste]

I wouldn't say that is news, my 4 year old daughter tells me I need to buy a red convertible on a weekly basis; my two year old son likes the biggest trucks he sees. When I was a kid, and I do have a hard time remembering though I am not quite 40, I do remember wishing my dad would get a 4x4 with a 351 vs the 2wd with a 302 he had. Now that I am older I realize they were teaching what it means to live responsibly. Today my dad is retired and has no money worries lives a very enjoyable life, he does now have a 4x4 F150 but he didn't get it until each of his kids was out of college.

On the other hand my cousins had the Chevy 4x4s with a 350 (396, 454) (not that Chevy has anything to do with this), 350 Camaro, 350 Firebird and their parents had the latest nicest cars. Today those cousins all live at home or off their parents, a big reason is they have terrible credit because they were buying nice cars all the time, don't have a penny to their name and even still basically expect the nicest things in life to be given to them.

 

So even though I am now in a financial position where I could easily match the neighbor's A4 or one up the 330xi, I'm driving a 10 year old F150, a 99 Olds and a couple years back bought a mid-level Odyssey (without the DVD system intentionally). Of course my 4 year old can read and understands basic math, my two year old can recite his ABC's and actually writes a few recognizable letters. With any luck after years of them suffering through whatever non-glamorous vehicle I decide is appropriate my kids will leave home and live responsible lives, and then I might just get whatever catches my eye.

Edited July 18, 2011 by meyeste

[Len_A]

 

Toyota promotes this now days, with their Sienna mini-van commercials. Or at least, they try to.

No, I think they really promote the "kids hate mom & dad's car" with the Highlander commercials (or the little bastard rugrat says it HIGH LANDer).

 

And isn't it every parent's God-given right to embarrass their kids?

 

 

 

[Mark B. Morrow]

No, I think they really promote the "kids hate mom & dad's car" with the Highlander commercials (or the little bastard rugrat says it HIGH LANDer).

 

And isn't it every parent's God-given right to embarrass their kids?

 

 

I know it sure was fun to embarrass them on occasion.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Mark B. Morrow