As a parent, finding the perfect car for your inexperienced teen driver can be a challenge. You want a car that is safe, fuel-efficient, and affordable. To help you in your search, we have compiled a list of 10 cars that are perfect for teen drivers. These cars have various features that make them ideal for new drivers.
Here are the top 10 cars:
10 Honda Civic
Average Price: $7,100
The Honda Civic is a highly recommended choice for teen drivers. It has excellent safety features, impressive fuel mileage, and a sport mode for added fun.
- Pros: Excellent safety features, fuel efficient, sport mode
- Cons: Lacks cargo room, cramped rear seats, finicky sound system controls
The Honda Civic offers a comfortable and composed ride. It has an advanced voice command system, which can help young drivers avoid distractions while driving. It is a popular choice in the compact car segment, making it easy to find a good model at a reasonable price.
9 Subaru Legacy
Average Price: $8,300
The Subaru Legacy is a good car for young drivers, especially with its standard all-wheel drive (AWD) feature. It offers impressive safety features and the added control of Symmetrical AWD.
- Pro: Standard AWD, excellent outward visibility, spacious cabin
- Cons: Base audio system could be better, six-cylinder models lack fuel economy and acceleration, no touchscreen infotainment system
The Subaru Legacy provides a comfortable and safe ride, with a seating position that offers great visibility. It is a good option for new drivers who want the added security of AWD.
8 Toyota Camry
Average Price: $9,400
The Toyota Camry is known for its excellent safety features and high safety ratings. It has a smooth ride, spacious cabin, and good fuel mileage.
- Pros: Smooth ride and spacious cabin, good fuel mileage, excellent reliability rating
- Cons: Lackluster handling, no available manual transmission, numb steering
The Toyota Camry is a popular midsize sedan that offers a comfortable and reliable driving experience. It is a great choice for parents who want their teen to have a safe and practical car.
7 Honda Accord
Average Price: $9,900
The Honda Accord is a sporty-looking midsize sedan that is a good option for teen drivers. It offers a roomy cabin and stylish design.
- Pros: Roomy cabin with stylish soft-touch materials, comfortable ride, fun sporty handling
- Cons: Optional touchscreen can be frustrating, driver aids can be overly sensitive, fewer available luxury features than other models in the class
The Honda Accord strikes a good balance between safety and style. It is a practical and safe choice for new drivers.
6 Volkswagen Jetta
Average Price: $10,900
The Volkswagen Jetta offers a quality ride and excellent safety features. It has a spacious rear seat and trunk, and energetic turbocharged engine.
- Pros: Large rear seat and trunk, energetic turbocharged engine, fuel-efficient
- Cons: Handling and steering could be better, lower trims have subpar cabin materials, GLI sport model isn’t actually sporty
The VW Jetta improved with its newer models, offering a better engine and improved features. It is a solid choice for new drivers.
5 Kia Soul
Average Price: $11,000
The Kia Soul is a fun and funky car that is also highly rated for safety. It comes with a long list of standard and optional features.
- Pros: Lots of standard and optional features, attractive cabin with user-friendly controls, more passenger space than most small SUVs
- Cons: Unimpressive fuel mileage, no AWD offered, harsh ride quality with bigger wheels
The Kia Soul is a good first car for teens who want a stylish and practical vehicle. It offers advanced safety features to help new drivers stay safe on the road.
4 Ford Fusion
Average Price: $12,200
The Ford Fusion is a midsize sedan that offers a comfortable and safe ride. It has excellent handling and a quiet interior.
- Pros: Excellent combination of handling and ride quality, quiet interior with high-quality materials, abundance of advanced safety equipment
- Cons: Standard tech can be frustrating, lacks acceleration, not as fuel-efficient as smaller cars
The Ford Fusion provides a spacious cabin and a large trunk for carrying gear. It is a good first car for new drivers to get used to their time behind the wheel.
3 Chevrolet Cruze
Average Price: $13,500
The Chevrolet Cruze is a compact sedan that offers a long list of great features. It has impressive handling and a handsome interior design.
- Pros: Two high-efficient powertrains, impressive handling, handsome interior design
- Cons: Mediocre seating comfort, unresponsive six-speed automatic transmission, lacks some of the latest tech
The Chevy Cruze may not be the most dominant car in its class, but it offers great qualities and features. It is a solid choice for new drivers.
2 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
Average Price: $18,700
The Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a bit pricier than the other options, but it offers reliability and quality. It has lots of standard advanced driving aids.
- Pros: Lots of standard advanced driving aids, enjoyable handling capability, smooth ride quality
- Cons: Rivals have more cargo and storage space, rear legroom is lacking, no Android Auto
The Toyota Corolla Hatchback is a stylish and efficient car that is packed with safety features. It is a good choice for parents who want their teen to have a reliable and safe car.
1 Mazda 3
Average Price: $20,900
The Mazda 3 is the top choice for a new first car for teens. It offers a premium interior, comfortable seats, and spirited handling.
- Pros: Premium interior materials in upper trims, comfortable and supportive seats, spirited handling
- Cons: Rear seat lacks legroom, less cargo space than other compact sedans, early models weren’t offered with the SkyActiv-X engine
The Mazda 3 is both stylish and safe. It has excellent fuel efficiency and advanced safety features. It is a great choice for new drivers.
These 10 cars are all excellent options for teen drivers. They offer a combination of safety, affordability, and features that make them ideal for new drivers. Consider your teen’s preferences and budget when choosing the perfect car for them.