Meet the First Car DIMS – DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® Score Calculator, designed to help young people uncover the true cost of car ownership. Even a “free” first car can cost thousands a year.

Our newest permissionless mindful spending tool enables students to step back and evaluate whether a car makes sense for them and their family, given its real cost and how much they expect to use it. Like all DIMS SCORE® Calculators, it shows how powerful it can be to pause, gather information, and reflect before spending.

Calculating the DIMS SCORE® for a car isn’t about telling students whether they should or shouldn’t buy a vehicle. It’s about encouraging them to evaluate real-world decisions using facts versus opinions. Students are asked to research factors beyond the purchase price of the car they’re curious about, such as insurance, fuel, maintenance, the social responsibility of driving, and how often they expect to drive. Doing so for both practical and aspirational models can be particularly revealing.

To make the activity easy to use in the classroom, we’ve created two free resources that guide students through the process. These can also be easily adapted for conversations at home.

The Lesson Plan (downloadable) provides a structured way to explore the actual cost of owning a first car. The first half prepares students for the second half: an engaging role-playing exercise in which students take turns being either a parent or a young person discussing the possibility of purchasing a first car. Important financial decisions often involve conversations with family members.
The Student Data Collection Worksheet (downloadable) helps students gather the information they need before calculating their DIMS SCORE®, making the ensuing discussion far more meaningful. For many students, this research step produces the biggest “aha” moment as they begin to see the true costs of car ownership.
A first car is often the first significant financial commitment a young person considers. Learning how to step back and evaluate that decision thoughtfully is a habit that will serve them long after their first car is gone.