by Joseph Morin

Created on: November 21, 2010

One of the many things teens want to do when they first get their license, is buy a car. Most of them want a top of the line car or something that makes them look cool. But along with this comes ignorance of what to look for in a car when you just get your license and how much it costs to insure the car.

The first thing a teen should consider is the insurance cost of a car. Not only do first time drivers experience high insurance rates but that cost can go higher depending on the car they are driving. The more luxurious a car is the bigger the chance something will break or the more costly it is to repair after an accident. Insurance companies will raise the price on the luxury all the time. This is why teens on a tight budget should get an older less luxurious car. The size of the vehicle will also raise or lower the insurance cost. A good rule of thumb is the bigger the vehicle the higher the cost. This applies to not only insurance, but it applies to all the other costs that come with owning a car.

The second thing that needs to be looked at is how much it is going to cost to keep the car running. Most teens don’t have a lot of money so they will most likely want a car with high gas mileage. Around thirty two miles per gallon highway is a good gas mileage for teens. Another cost is the payment for a car. I recommend having a teen save up money for a cheaper older car rather than getting a loan from a bank, because with interest the car becomes more pricy. A third cost is the regular maintenance. This includes oil changes, tires, wipers, and other small repairs that insurance companies don’t cover. A teen with a big truck will have to pay more for upkeep, because of the bigger pieces needed.

A third aspect that needs to be looked at when buying a car for teens is the cars age and its mileage. Just because a car is old doesn’t mean it doesn’t run good. Any age is good on a car but the mileage should be between 70,000-120,000 miles. This range allows for plenty of time and use for a car. If a car is well maintained it can still run good at over 200,000 miles.

Here are some cars I recommend looking into for purchase. A Ford Crown Victoria: it is a reliable car used for police and taxi services and is relatively cheap to repair. A Honda Civic is another good car because it is small and it has good gas mileage. A third reliable car is the Chevy Cobalt: it also has good gas mileage and it can provide plenty of space for some friends or cargo for a relatively smaller car.

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