So you have a teenager that is about to start driving huh? I bet you are trying to figure out what you are going to get them. Of course they want a sports car or a big truck right? Teenagers are invincible after all right? You want them to be in a new or used car that is reliable and by all means it must be safe. I remember when I was a teenager I wanted a Jeep Wrangler and my mom told me flat out NO! Her exact words were, “Over my dead body.” Not that there is anything unsafe or wrong with Jeep’s she just wanted something I wasn’t going to fly around town in acting like a silly boy. Car crashes are the number one killer of inexperienced teen drivers. I now know and understand why my mom made me drive her hand me down Nissan, because it was safe. Almost 6 months after receiving my license I was in an accident and that safe, reliable Nissan saved my life and the lives of 2 of my friends.
Consumer Reports put together a list of the 2010 Best Cars for Teen Drivers and I needed to share with our readers the list. Once again, we were ecstatic that some of the cars on this list you can find at almost any Superior Automotive Group location. When it is time to buy your son or daughter a new or used car I hope that you will remember this list because there is nothing more important in a new vehicle than to be safe and reliable.
Here is a portion of the blog from Consumer Reports. If you would like to see the whole article with the full list of cars just visit ConsumerReports.org:
You should 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. We’ve listed some good choices below, with a range of model years where important safety features have been offered on each model. We’ve also given a range of what you should expect to pay.
All are recommended vehicles, meaning they scored well in our 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-$18,695Family cars
Acura TSX (2004-) $13,725-$29,675
Honda Accord (2008-) 4-cyl., $17,725-$22,795
Kia Optima (2007-) 4-cyl., $9,900-$20,365Small SUVs
Honda CR-V (2005- ) $13,300-$25,805
Can you think of any important safety features that you can not live without in a new or used car?
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