Choosing the best car for your teenager

Handed down is the most common practice. Many teen agers drive their parent’s cars when they first start to drive by themselves. But if you are in the market to buy a vehicle for your young driver, what should you buy?

Both parents and teens should sit down together and talk about each party’s expectations. Obviously teens want power and trendy car. Parents are more concerned about safety, budget, distractions, and responsibility of maintaining a car.

More and more advisory groups such as AAA and many others are offering help for buying or leasing a new or used car for a teenager. Overall recommendation is a midsize car with less horsepower, such as a four cylinder midsize sedan. This helps teens to control their desire for more power. Consider a car with an automatic transmission. This helps them to concentrate on their driving with fewer distractions. When it comes to safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publishes safety data including crash test results and ratings for many vehicles and parents should pay attention to these ratings. The AAA recommends vehicles with five star safety ratings. Midsize cars are easier to handle for a new driver and provide enough room.