Ah, spring. Opportunity to outfit one’s offspring with their first vehicles so they can drive to school so you can sleep in or work on weekends so you’ll have the house to yourself. Several automotive sources, such as Cars.com and DriversEd., has listed their creme dela creme of best cars for teens: Honda Civic, Mazda MX-5, Volvo S40, Nissan Frontier, etc.

Who the fudge do these companies think they’re fooling?

A full read of the two’s top pics quickly shows they’re either in cahoots with the automakers to sell new cars or those who compiled the list don’t have children or, if they had, were forced to shut up. Vehicles suggested like the MX-5 or MINI Cooper show a total lack of comprehension of the public and its financial means. Instead, it shows the two companies were looking at computer screens and data forcefed by corporate interest.

And much of America agrees. I’ve read and chatted with teens and parents who point to the ridiculousness of the picks. What about insurance rates for these vehicles? And is an MX-5 exactly practical for a teen who wants to hang with friends? Parents broke into two camps over this list: their kids get a handme down or keys to the family vehicles. Teens, on the other hand, either didn’t like the choices or were pleased with whatever their parents gave to them. The latter was especially true once they discovered they’d have to make car payments in addition to paying for insurance.

I’d like to see a list of what vehicles teens would realistically consider driving (and approved by their parents). I’ve read lots of votes for used Dodge Neons. Same with Civics. I’ll have to see if there’s such a list or, finding none, suggest it to Cars.com and DriversED. Maybe they’ll even listen.