Anonymous wrote:My daughters HS the top cars are

Wrangler - Girls
G-Wagon Gender Neutral
Mustang Convertible - Boys

All good choices!

I did a test drive of the Mazda CX-50 yesterday (buying for college-aged child) - loved it!

My daughters HS the top cars are

Wrangler - Girls
G-Wagon Gender Neutral
Mustang Convertible - Boys

Subaru. I'm a dad and it's great with 2 kids, road trips, etc. I've taken it off-roading on the beach in OBX, washboard roads and moderate ORV trails in National Parks, and lots of ski trips in snowstorms. Stock vehicle.

Really amazing vehicle. I have an Outback, but the Forester or Crosstrek are equally impressive.

Anonymous wrote:We bought a Prius just before our older child started driving. Second kid starting to drive it now. It is a perfect car for new drivers: fuel efficient, easy to drive/maneuver, reliable, low maintenance, unsexy. My kids love driving it; in fact, neither wants to drive our (luxury) second car. Spouse and I also like driving it. Just the perfect choice for this purpose.

As an Prius owner, these are very speedy compared to an SUV. I would worry about it encouraging fast driving.

I’d throw in a Subaru crosstrek to your list. Has all the safety features and is a good size.

DH got a Hyundai Santa Fe in this situation and it was so good that he gave it to DS and bought himself another santa fe! (We have 3 kids, so the original Santa Fe will be in constant use for years.)

If you don't need something as large as the Santa Fe, try out on of their other options.

Cx-30 for city driving. Cx-5 for suburbs. I went for CX- 30, because I really dislike bigger cars. This SUV is as small as I could go without feeling unsafe. Very safe car, wide, and low to the ground.
It's only me or one other person in the car 99% of the time, so we make the tight back seat work easily.

We bought a Prius just before our older child started driving. Second kid starting to drive it now. It is a perfect car for new drivers: fuel efficient, easy to drive/maneuver, reliable, low maintenance, unsexy. My kids love driving it; in fact, neither wants to drive our (luxury) second car. Spouse and I also like driving it. Just the perfect choice for this purpose.

Anonymous wrote:Corollas are very reliable, hold their value, and are terrific first cars.

Yep. This is what we did.

I got a Mazda CX-5 earlier this year and it will probably be the car my 15 yo learns to drive with. The CX-5 still seems big to me but I'm coming from a much smaller car.

I think Nissan is a step below Mazda, Honda, and Toyota in terms of quality/reliability. The Corolla is a solid choice. Aren't the hybrid versions of the CX-5 and CRV new for 2025? I'm just always apprehensive of buying a new car in its first year out of a major remodel (or similar). Maybe also consider the Corolla Cross and Rav4.

Corollas are very reliable, hold their value, and are terrific first cars.

We are looking for a range
-op

I’d love to go for, say CRV, but I’m open to the versa. I don’t think versa has hybrid(?) and I really like the CRV hybrid.

Some of these aren't really in the same category. A versa, for example, is a LOT cheaper than a CRV.

Are there more models you would add?

Seeking a car for my husband to use for a few years until our kid turns 16. She is 13 now.

This is the list I’m working with right now:
Mazda CX 5
Mazda MX 30
Honda CRV
Nissan Sentra
Toyota Corolla
Nissan Versa

Hybrid or standard versions of any of these.

Any you would add? Safety/height a factor? I didn’t want to get her a beast, not even as big as Hyundai Elantra, but maybe height will help?