Sky, in many ways, I was in the same situation you are. My father came to America with nothing in his pocket, and now he owns a multi-million dollar company. When I was 17 (I'm 25 now), I begged like a little kid for him to get me a beemer. He could easily afford it, and lots of people in my school had it.
But he realized he'd be doing me a favor in the long run, if he made me appreciate hard work and effort to get what I wanted. He told me to get a beemer when I could get my own, and that a 35,000 car was way too much for a 17 year old kid. I ended up getting an Integra (which is no-slouch either). But now that I'm older, I realize he DID do me a favor. I can afford an IS now, but it makes me appreciate it so much more because I can. Besides, if you drive an IS at 17, what the hell are you gonna upgrade to when you graduate college???