Good First Cars

Good first cars for teens or adult drivers may be a subjective experience to many. What constitutes a set of good first cars to some may not fit the bill to others. This is especially true for teens versus parents.

Teenagers are generally concerned with image, looking cool and the social implications of their first cars. Parents, on the other hand, are generally concerned with safety and cost. The good first cars listed on this page are recommendations only. Your list may be different.

The good first cars that we recommend take into consideration safety and cost first and image second. But, remember, teens can trick out a safe car to make it look cooler and give it a unique appeal. Making an unsafe car safer is a much more difficult and usually fruitless task.

The above choices are based upon safety ratings of vehicles by IIHS, NHTSA, SaferCar.gov and Consumer Reports. For safety ratings of particular models see SaferCar.gov and so a search for the year, make and model.

Besides safety ratings there are other things to consider. For instance, if the teen is easily distracted then you may want a two-seater such as a pickup truck or a SmartForTwo. These also may not have the quick speed of a smaller car.

If you're concerned about your teen being run over on the highway by a larger truck or SUV, then getting a larger truck or SUV rather than a small car could be the way to go. If you're concerned about your teen rolling over a vehicle, then a smaller car may be optimal.

There are no clear cut choices here. Part of the equation is picking the safest vehicle possible for the lowest price. Another more important aspect is driver behavior. Making sure the teenager is knowledgeable enough and mature enough to drive a car is even more important than picking the perfect vehicle.