I am going to tell my kids what would be an intelligent approach, instruct them that incurring huge debt is potentially ruinous, guide them toward buying practical economical transportation (unless their income is such as where this is not a necessity), and hope they make a good decision....if they choose a muscle car....get stretched out.....and can't afford other things...because of this decision, then they understand the repercussions of their actions, they understand that to have a car they can't afford has real world consequences....they live leaner because of it...maybe they appreciate it more and are quick learners who need only lesson to learn from.

If you were inquiring more specifically to the muscle car portion of the statement, muscle cars consume lots of money in the form of gasoline, that can either be saved or spent on better food, clothes, beer, etc.. TCO, the whole picture....