Mary, I vehemently disagree. The best car for a teen is a) used and b) large. This is because teens, like the elderly, are much more likely to be in a crash than the 25-60 crowd. My recommendations: used mid-sized or full-sized cars such as the Ford Grand Marquis, Buick Regal, Volvo 850, Toyota Camry. Old used cars will also have lower insurance costs, as they can be insured for liability coverage only.

Auto Prophet

I can attest to having new car when I was being a teen. Why would you want an old car, that breaks down or a vehicle that continues to need maintanence, which costs money for…the parents.

With having a new car, you won’t have to worry about maintanence costs, which depending on how old you’re talking about, can be the same amount just for maintaining as buying a brand new car.

These run-of-the-mill type “teen cars” won’t cost that much for insurance.

My parents are buying me a 2006 Mustang GT, probably the best car for a teen.

These cars are not realistic for teens, since they are small, and there is a significant problem of crash test ratings not being comparable to other cars. Not to mention, parents shouldn’t be buying their teen a new car anyways, since 33% of new drivers will get into a crash of some sort. A used Volvo or full size sedan would be a much better option.

I couldnt resist when I saw this topic. I dont know if I would recomend a Kei Class import truck from Japan for a teen driver but for an adult they are an awesome choice for many types of driving. I use mine like an atv, a commuter car, a regular pickup, and it is the car I travel in. You can see one here, http://www.mini4×4.net I sell them and am curious what the readers of this Blog would think of seeing new US made versions of these trucks in the US. Would they go over with the public?? Would they just have a few fans or with time would people catch on to them? Please let me know what you think. Thanks

Most teens would not want to have a grand marqui or a regal or even the volvo you mentioned…true they should have good crash ratings however the driver of the car should still be able to like what they drive.

I’d have to agree with some of the above comments. I don’t really see many teens desiring the cars mentioned aboved. I’d imagine most teens would want something sportier or at the very least something that looks sportier. I would think a car like the Scion tC is a very desireable car within this demographic and it is a relatively affordable car which makes it a relatively painless purchase for parents.

Ford Focus ZX3 would be my choice.

Get a used Jaguar, they are super cheap and reliable.

teens need a car that they can relate to, a car that represents them, for example my self, i’m 16 and i love the new dodge challenger that is going to come out in a year, that car has a good price and is sporty, and is freaking fast, however, it doesn’t have much room for friends, it has two seats in the front for a passenger and the driver and 2 tiny ones at the back. but over all, its a perfect car for a teen. my parents are millionaires and they’ll buy me any car that i want, heck the’d buy me an airplane, because they r so busy with their jobs and work that they wouldn’t care about my safety and shit, so i’ll probably get my personal favourite car, “THE NEW 2007 PORSCHE 911 TURBO”. i hope u guys get what i’m saying.

youre a rich spoiled douche bag that is full of yourself and will never be anything but that, sorry bud…i’ve worked since i was 11 years old(i’m 16 now) and will be buying my own car with the 8k that i have saved along w/ gas and insurance…so u and your rich ass can continue being a lazy piece of sh$#.

I strongl belive that if the car is a gift to the teen in question, then it’s mom and dad’s choice as to what to get for Jr.
Big sedans make sense and will hold up in crashes a lot better than econoboxes, and to be honest, there are a ton of “old person” sedans I would have liked to own back in the day… have you looked at the interior of a 96 Lincoln Continental??? Solid car, plush leather, set you back 7k comes with tons of cool factor, especially in the age of PIMP MY RIDE. Ill take a sedan any day over the 12 speed schwinn!

i am a newer driver have been for a year now.. for any person starting off i recomend a little nissan truck the anywhere from 87-1993, i personally own an 88 kingcab 4×4 and they run cheap on gas and they hardly break down if they do its a cheap fix if you do it yourself..and they can withstand anything, i was going down a hill doing 70km/h and a lady jumped a stop sign 5 feet infront of me, i caved in her passenger side of her suv a foot and only cracked a headlight and bent my hood and fender slightly, an amazing vehicle to start off in

z, everyone’s circumstances are different. I received all my cars from my parents until i was out on my own and my truck broke down (finally).

I’m planning to my teen a new car. of course with all that safety equipments, like secured seatbelts, airbags, honda fender and bumper will do. That will at least lessen my worries.