by Peter Lampros

Created on: April 27, 2010

When considering a car for one's teen son or daughter there are several criteria which should be considered.  First, one should decide whether the vehicle should be a car, truck , or sports utility vehicle.  Second, a budget or price range should be established for the vehicle, as well as whether to consider new or preowned.  Thirdly, certain vehicles should be ruled out for safety or insurance considerations.

Most parents are on a tight budget when considering a vehicle for their teenage children.  This will lead many to consider vehicles which are less reliable, higher in maintenance costs, or lack active and passive safety features.  One should be careful when attempting to back into a budget, as with any vehicle purchase.  Bargain basement priced vehicles are likely priced that way for a reason, especially with regard to used vehicles.  The best way to determine if the bargain is for real or just someone passing a problem on is to have a private mechanic inspect the vehicle.  Short of that, CARFAX reports give a variety of need to know information.  One owner vehicles are preferable, as are vehicles which do not reflect a history of having been in accidents, floods, et cetera.  A little research effort will save potentially thousands of dollars in repairs and potential headaches.

Teenagers, particularly teen boys, always have higher insurance rates.  This should be taken into consideration when choosing a vehicle for one's teen.  This will have to be factored into the price or payment budgeted for and will likely eliminate some of the potential vehicle choices.  In order to avoid higher insurance premiums parents should eliminate two door models and sports utility vehicles.  These are typically less safe and encourage unsafe behavior in younger drivers.

Parents should also consider how long the teen will likely keep their vehicle.  Japanese imports typically hold their value better and are more reliable than their American made counterparts.  Reliability comparisons, as well as safety comparisons, are available from a variety of sources, but Consumer Reports is probably the widest recognized third party comparative literature.

Best vehicle choices for teenagers are Honda, Nissan, or Toyota small and mid-size four door cars.  The Honda Civic and Accord, Nissan Sentra and Altima, and Toyota Corolla and Camry are good choices for teens. These vehicles will also offer a variety of choices in higher mileages, as they have more longevity than domestic brands.  While this may be disconcerting to some, a vehicle with 100,000 to 150,000 miles on it still has a lot of life in these brands.  

Many teens can only drive automatic transmission vehicles so this should also be taken into consideration.  While it is beneficial in the long run to instruct new drivers on a manual transmission, it is safer for the teen to not be required to concentrate on shifting.  An automatic transmission will allow them to concentrate on the road conditions and their own driving. 

Ultimately, the purchase of a vehicle for a teenager is a compromise between their perceived needs and wants (ie. style, color, and features) and the practicality, affordability, and safety considerations which the parent must navigate.  Safety should never be compromised, but there can be accommodations made for price, color, and features which can make selecting the proper vehicle easier.  This author recommends beginning by sitting down with the teen and developing a list of nice to have and must have features, as well as body type, age, et cetera. 

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