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Consumer Reports Names Best Cars For Teen Drivers
YONKERS, NY - High-school graduation season is rapidly approaching and if you're in the market for your child's first car, Consumer Reports has named good choices of safe, reliable, used cars to make it easier for parents.
Since car crashes are the number one killer of teens, these cars are from a range of model years where important safety features have been offered on each model.
The full story is online at blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/04/best-cars-for-teen-drivers.
Maybe you're even thinking of passing down a car that's already in the family. That's fine, as long as it is a relatively recent model, with all the latest safety features, rather than a worn-out, low-value clunker. Safety and reliability are especially important when choosing a vehicle for a young, inexperienced driver.
Look for a car with features like electronic stability control (ESC--make sure to not confuse ESC with traction control, which many do), antilock brakes, and curtain air bags, as well as good crash-test results. Stay away from trucks and large SUVs because they tend to have clumsy handling, poor fuel economy, and their high centers of gravity make them more likely to roll over. Sports cars or other especially quick cars are another bad idea, with a higher rate of accidents than other cars and insurance rates to match.
The good news is you can get a safe, reliable used car with those important safety features starting at less than $10,000. CR listed some good choices below, with a range of model years where important safety features have been offered on each model. CR has also given a range of what you should expect to pay.
All are recommended vehicles, meaning they scored well in CR's testing, have had average or better reliability, and performed well in government or insurance industry crash tests. They also had sufficient acceleration to safely merge onto busy highways, stopped from 60 mph in 145 feet or less on dry pavement, and scored good or better in emergency handling.
Small cars
- Hyundai Elantra SE (2008-present) $11,775-$18,695
- Mazda 3 (2007-) $13,025-$19,070
- Scion xB (2008-) $14,075-$18,630
- Scion xD (2008-) $13,675-$16,620
- Subaru Impreza (2008-) non-turbo, $13,700-$19,106
- Suzuki SX4 Crossover (2007-) $10,150-$17,519
- Acura TSX (2004-) $13,725-$29,675
- Honda Accord (2008-) 4-cyl., $17,725-$22,795
- Kia Optima (2007-) 4-cyl., $9,900-$20,365
- Toyota Prius (2004-) $11,750-$22,950
- Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 (2006-) $12,825-$22,965
- Honda CR-V (2005- ) $13,300-$25,805
- Nissan Rogue (2008- ) $16,550-$25,850
- *Toyota RAV4 (2006- ) 4-cyl., $13,625-$25,405
* Note that CR has temporarily suspended its recommendation of the RAV4 and several other Toyota models due to problems with sticking accelerator pedals.
