Best cars for (new) teen drivers, possibly…
An inquiry we receive quite regularly from parents of newly turned teenage drivers is, “what might the safest possible option for my son/daughter be when it comes to cars on the road?”
A fair question, but not an easy one to answer. Unfortunately, you’ll most often receive equally as many answers as people you ask. For that reason we’ve decided to do a little research, and the NY Daily News recently published an article that appears to be relatively consistent with our findings. Mind you, this is taking into account a brand new vehicle purchase. We don’t necessarily feel that’s your best option, but if that’s the direction you’re leaning this list may prove to be quite helpful.
Alternatively, there’s a quality pre-owned vehicle. The majority of people, we suspect, will fall into this category. These days most vehicles are trustworthy. The key is to learn how many owners there have been of each specific vehicle, whether or not there have been any accidents, if the routine maintenance has been performed, and if most of the miles were highway or city. These four criteria form a sounding board for becoming a wise consumer when purchasing a new (to you) vehicle.
Whichever you may decide, we recommend your son/daughter first spend adequate time with your family vehicle, if for no other reason than to become familiar and confident with the ways of the road. Of course, these days kids are required to spend a certain amount of time practicing, and in some areas actually cannot obtain their license without first attending a driving school. No matter the degree of prerequisite training, make sure they’re well versed on safety guidelines and what it takes to become a defensive driver.
Stay safe, and best of luck to your new driver.