What Should Your Teen Be Driving?

A new study came out this week concluding that parents of new teen drivers should be careful what type of car they are buying. While it makes sense to try and save money and not buy a luxury car for these new drivers, the study showed that their safety is being compromised by putting them in used cars (or hand-me-downs) with out-of-date safety features, or unknowingly buying newer cars that might be involved in recalls. Cars even as old as 2006 can be considered having out-of-date safety features such as antiquated airbags, electronic stability control and anti-rollover systems.

 

The old thinking that larger SUV’s are not a good choice for teens because of their roll over tendencies is starting to shift. The newer thinking is that the risk of roll overs has decreased substantially due to high tech anti-rollover systems and it is sometimes better to have teens in a larger, heavier, sturdier vehicle. On the other hand, sometimes SUV’s are a bit harder to handle for inexperienced drivers and they also offer the tempting opportunity to pack more passengers into the vehicle which is never a good idea.

The study concludes that as a rule of thumb parents should buy the newest car within their budget with the most safety features available.

 

That’s where InsideCarBuying comes in. You don’t have to sacrifice the safety of your teen by settling for a less than safe new car. Use our DIY Report to get the most for your money, and get the absolute most aggressive deal out there. You’ll have peace of mind knowing your child is in a safe car, and that you are not paying a dime more than you should!

 

Here is a list of Consumer Reports safest cars for new drivers.

Acura TSX  ($30,635-$39,275)

Buick Regal  ($26,690-$39,270)

Chevrolet Sonic Sedan ($14,170-$21,610)

Honda Civic ($18,190-$24,240)

Hyundai Elantra ($18,750-$22,700)

Hyundai Elantra Touring ($18,750-$22,700)

Hyundai Sonata ($21,450-$27,000)

Kia Optima  ($21,500-$35,300)

Mazda CX-5 ($21,395-$29,495)

Mazda 3 ($16,945-$26,495)

Scion xB  ($16,970-$17,920)

Subaru Forester ($21,995-$32,995)

Subaru Impreza (nonturbo)  ($17,895-$23,195)

Subaru Legacy 2.5i  ($20,295-$28,895)

Subaru XV Crosstrek ($21,995-$29,295)

Toyota Camry (4-cyl) ($22,235-$30,465)

Toyota Corolla ($16,800-$21,300)

Toyota Prius ($24,200-$34,905)

Volkswagon Golf ($25,200-$27,995)

Volkswagon Jetta Sportwagon  ($20,995-$30,265)

Volkswagon Tiguan ($23,305-$38,835)