What car/where to get for teen?
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Anonymous
| We need a 3rd car for our newly licensed DD. We both work full time and would like our DD to have a car to get to/from practice, appointments etc and to help us with errands and sibling transportation. Is leasing a good option for this because she’ll be leaving for college in fall 2024 and won’t need a car? Used car? New car? We are certainly not wealthy so cost is an issue, but we want her to have a safe, reliable car. Suggestions welcome! |
Anonymous
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In the current market, new cars are a better deal than are used vehicles.
Honda Civic is nice. |
Anonymous
Op and a civic was my first car! |
Anonymous
| I'd get a bigger car than the civic. Do you have a car you can pass down and give her your old car? |
Anonymous
Well, we have an old Nissan sedan but my husband primarily uses it and doesn’t want a newer car, and we have a Honda Pilot which is too large for her. |
Anonymous
| used KIA. Never breaks down and has amazing safety features |
Anonymous
Why? The Civic is plenty big for any day-to-day need a teen would have. |
Anonymous
| I would probably go with an electric car like a Nissan Leaf. EVs are generally safer that regular cars because of the big, heavy battery pack in the frame. The Leaf is small so they cannot drive with a lot of friends. It has a limited range and charges slowly so they cannot go far from home for very long. |
Anonymous
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So many good options … from my experience … Priuses are highly rated as safe cars for teens and are energy efficient. I have been in couple of fender benders including a truck ramming me and my Prius sustained little damage due to big metal bar at bottom near the back. I have an older Prius and The warning lights are still sensitive for minor issues such as tires just needing small amount of extra air, the fuel cap being left off by mistake and time for services. Teens tend to forget a lot of such details so constant reminders are helpful. Main problem is that it is very hard to find second hand Priuses these days. If new car is not an issue for you recent models look great also. |
Anonymous
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Get something with modern safety features which are often optional on new cars (ABS and traction control are standard on everything these days), especially automatic emergency braking/collision avoidance and lane keeping assist. These can help even a smaller, lighter vehicle avoid an accident in the first place if the new and inexperienced driver makes an error in judgment or if another driver precipitates a potential crash. The heavier, larger, and newer the car the better, too, since the vehicle with the greater mass will usually do better in an accident, and because newer cars benefit from improved safety design and superior metallurgy in their construction as compared to older vehicles.
Many parents prioritize saving money over their child's safety when selecting a vehicle, which is fine until an accident occurs. |
Anonymous
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https://www.iihs.org/ratings/safe-vehicles-for-teens For teenagers, the combination of immaturity and inexperience makes driving especially risky. If they’re going to drive, choosing a safe vehicle is key. In addition to safety, reliability and affordability are also top concerns for families. IIHS and Consumer Reports (CR) have joined forces to make it easier for young drivers or their parents to find a vehicle that checks all those boxes. Our recommendations include two tiers of used vehicles, Best Choices and slightly more affordable Good Choices. Starting prices for recommended used models range from about $6,000 to nearly $20,000. A separate list of new vehicles for teens offers an even higher level of safety. Best Choices — used Small cars Model years Price Ford C-Max Hybrid 2014-15 $8,400 Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback 2014 or newer $8,700 Chevrolet Volt 2014 $10,500 Subaru Impreza sedan or wagon 2015, 2018-20 $11,000 Toyota Corolla hatchback 2019 or newer $18,700 Honda Insight 2019 or newer $19,800 Subaru Crosstrek 2018 or newer $19,900 Midsize cars Model years Price Subaru Legacy 2013 or newer; built after August 2012 $8,300 Subaru Outback 2013 or newer; built after August 2012 $8,800 Volkswagen Passat 2015, 2017 $10,400 Mazda 6 2014-19 $10,800 Toyota Prius v 2015-17 $12,400 Lincoln MKZ 2015 or newer $13,200 Volvo S60 2018 $19,100 Audi A6 2016-19 $19,400 |
Anonymous
Was going to recommend looking here. Safety first, within a budget you can afford. |
Anonymous
We bought this one in 2015 for our then 16 yr old DS. He still has it, loves it, and refuses to give it up. It took him through high school, college, and on to first job, through travel sports, winter, everything. Great car. |
Anonymous
PP again. I drive an Audi A6 and would not recommend for a teenager, way too much power and acceleration--too tempting. My A6 will go from 0 to 60 mph in under 6 seconds. The Passat takes 8.5 seconds. Not nearly as tempting. |
Anonymous
Are you one of those morons who give their kids a huge car because they believe a larger hunk of metal will protect them better, forgetting in the process that their kid is now more of a lethal weapon on the highway? |