Best new cars for teens

Yes, these cars are WAY too fancy for teens. It's revolting to me.I'm not inclined to think teens should have a car all to themselves generally. However it the true need should arise, I plan on getting the corniest, dorkiest utilitaian used car we can find.

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A few of these cars are awfully small. I'd want Paul to be in something big enough that he could walk away from an accident. You can't always avoid accidents, even if you are an experienced driver, but I think they have a better chance of mitigating it. I think teens don't need to be in something the size of a mini Cooper until they've had a chance to become an experienced driver.

Paul will probably have use of my old car when he's old enough to drive. Once he's proven himself a safe driver, we'll consider helping him to get a car more to his liking, although it will likely still be used. I drove my 92 Lumina until last February. There's something to be said for not having to worry about new car payments when you're in college or starting out with your first place.

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How about a nice Schwinn with a Banana seat?

What ever happened to borrowing the family station wagon, or minivan??!!!

I obviously grew up in the wrong household.

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I figure Jared's first car will be a 60's era short wheelbase Land Rover. Doesn't go fast enough for him to get into racing and no back seat means he stays out of that kind of trouble. Plus, it's totally cool, so he'll be popular (not that he won't anyway, but this will seal the deal.) Now, if I could only get my wife to understand that this is why we need to buy the totally restored rover a friend is selling...

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Caitlin, you'd be surprised what a small car can withstand. My husband's car of choice is the Volkswagen "New Beetle" and he was in a horrific accident with his car back in February. He had to stop suddenly on the Interstate because another driver had stopped suddenly ahead of him, but the next driver behind him didn't react in time and rear-ended my husband's car at high speed. His car slammed into the car ahead of him, which was parked at an angle. His car then slid along the side of her car into the next lane of traffic, where his car was hit by a semi. Everyone in all four vehicles walked away from the wreck.

Of course, my husband's car was a total loss, but do you know what he got with the insurance settlement? Another New Beetle, of course. They are rated highly for durability, and my husband put that to the test and it passed.

Don't underestimate the safety engineering in today's compact cars. I'd be just as confident to drive the Mini or a Honda Civic as I would to drive this Volkswagen, and I must say I feel very good about the Volkswagen.

Times have changed a LOT since the bad old days of the Ford Pinto and the swingaxle Volkswagens vilified in Ralph Nader's Unsafe At Any Speed.

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Kristen beat me to it.

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Michelle, my first two cars were pretty small also (MG Midget and VW Scirocco.) When I was a novice driver, I didn't fully appreciate that other drivers, especially those in bigger vehicles, wouldn't always notice me until I had a mack truck run me off the interstate in the Midget I was 15, and I just didn't really have the experience to handle it. I think if I'd been in a midsize car, the trucker would have been more likely to notice me.

My problem is more with the really small cars paired with novice drivers, not small cars themselves. Sorry if that didn't come across clearly.

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Please keep in mind Big SUVs are big trouble for teens. I recall reading a thing in the Wall Street Journal on this.It was a while ago but here is what I got on a quick google search-

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=366857&WNT=true

My cousin caused a passenger serious brain damage in his Blazer and he wasn't even drunk, it is just too much car for a new driver. My DH has a friend who's teen drove an SUV into a ComEd (local power dept) truck while imparied and he did serious damage. Scary combo.

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My first car was a Mustand 5.0. Hee heee...I guess my parents didn't give a shit what I was driving, as long as I was out of the house. I absolutely loved that car! It went very fast, very very fast. It had no anti-lock brakes and was rear-wheel drive (my parents LOVE me). I crashed got two speeding tickets within a month of my license, and within a week of each other. I crashed it once in the rain (minor damage) and subsequently totaled it the following year (yay me). That being said...I don't think a 'safer' car would have stopped me from doing some of the crazy stuff that I did. And I walked away from both accidents scratch-free.

OH, and if you are asking yourself how many accidents I have been in, TWO...the ones I mentioned above. I am 'safer' now than I was as a teenager.

I have children after all!

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I'm convinced we should do things the way they do in Europe. Cars are really expensive to drive (insurance, etc), small and fuel efficient, and they have gobs of public transportation. Also, teens aren't allowed to drive until they're 18 in most countries.

I really don't think I should've been allowed to drive as a teenager. I am an extraordinarily conservative and good driver as an adult (one ticket in the past 8 years, no accidents) but was crazy as a kid.

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