Best First Car For Teenagers In 2022

Published by admin on 14/01/202214/01/2022

The moment you get your driver’s license for the first time, you must be wondering what now. So if you are looking for the best first car for teenagers, with this article we can help you and give you useful tips to make the right choice for you.

The main and basic feature that guides us when it comes to the best first car for teenagers is Safety. One very important fact that we want to share with you is that in the United States is that the rate of fatal accidents per mile driven by young drivers aged 16 to 19 is almost three times higher than the rate of drivers

We must mention once again that the main factor is security. Before we present our list, we have to give you some useful tips in order to make your choice even easier.

Is it difficult to choose the best first car for new drivers?

The answer to the question is very simple that it is not at all difficult to choose the best and safest car for teenagers. Because we live in a time wherein just a few minutes searching on the internet we can get all the necessary information to make the right choice of car that will suit you the most.

If for some reason you don’t decide on one of our car lists then you have to do it all yourself, but keep in mind that it can take time, but as I said above it will not be difficult.

How much more will it cost to add a teenager to car insurance?

The answer to this question is very short: a lot. So if you add a teenager to your car insurance, keep in mind that you will pay much more.

So if you want to know exactly how much you will pay and how much your costs will increase, you can find all this information in our article: The Average Price Of Car Insurance In The USA.

How to reduce costs for Car Insurance for a Teenager?

There are certain discounts that can be taken advantage of and thus reduce insurance costs. For example, Progressive offers up to a 10% discount for students with a Grade B average ​or much higher. Also, some insurance companies give discounts if your teenage driver attends a driving safety course. For all these questions, be sure to ask your insurance agent.

Whether your insurance company offers a discount for attending safe driving schools or not, we recommend that you enroll your new driver in such safe driving schools, because in these schools young drivers acquire a lot of driving skills and also develop their conscience for driving safety.

All cars aren’t equal for teen drivers

In writing this article, we have taken into account the standards of the vehicles that we considered to be the best first car for teenagers while taking into account the cost of the vehicle with the safety features it includes.

We also had in mind the fact that the new models will have many more features for driver assists and safety features than older models, but we also had in mind that the price of new cars for many families is not realistic. So when making a home budget to buy a car you have to take into account the potential costs for the bodywork and repairs.

But if your family budget allows you to buy a new car then do it and keep in mind that they come with many safety features including stability control, anti-lock brakes, and traction control.

Cars that should be avoided

Sports cars look very attractive at first glance, but in any case, they should be avoided as the first vehicles of teenage drivers because as inexperienced drivers they can be tempted and drive far below their skills.

When it comes large SUVs or pickups can also be a problem for your teenage driver as they will certainly have a problem with parking and there is also the issue of fuel economy in these vehicles.

Also, cars with high horsepower must be avoided as the first cars of teenage drivers because they are too fast and need much more experience when it comes to this type of driver.Keep in mind that increased horsepower means a much higher insurance premium, and thus the possibility of very big trouble.

Basic safety features for teen drivers

What is true today is that modern safety technology is becoming too expensive. It is one of the main factors that increase the price of today’s new cars. Completely new technology whose primary purpose is to assist the driver is incorporated into the standard or optional features of each new car.

So if you are able to buy a new car for your teenager our recommendation is to look for a car with all these safety features. If you are looking for a used car you will not have all these safety features but still, make sure that there is as much level of equipment as possible because safety and life are priceless.

Advanced driver-assist and safety features

In addition, we will introduce you to the advanced technologies for safety and assistance to the driver, which is the basis for choosing the best first car for teenagers.

If you don’t think of some of these features as safety features that help the driver, we must inform you that all of these safety features work in tandem with each other and allow safe driving by a teenage driver.

1. Traction control – enables controlled acceleration through the anti-lock brakes slowing a spinning drive wheel.

2. Stability control – allows the anti-lock brakes to apply braking to the appropriate wheel or wheels to help correct a slide.

3. Anti-lock brakes – are the basis of the above two systems. They automatically modulate the brakes to maximize stopping power thus allowing the driver to have as few problems as possible while driving.

4. Blind-spot monitoring uses cameras and sensors, with a target to detect cars in adjacent lanes that may not appear in your side mirrors.

5. Forward-collision – warning with front automatic emergency braking is a very important security system that uses sensors for what is happening in front of the vehicle taking into account the speed of your car. If the system itself assesses that the accident is inevitable then it starts to give an audible signal, and if you do not respond to this warning the system itself starts to brakes automatically.

Other important features that you should also consider

Also, other very important features that the vehicle should have are the following:

1. Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel

2. Adaptive cruise control

3. Airbags, at least six

4. Outboard mirrors with turn-signal indicators

5. Auto on-off headlight

6. Automatic climate control

7. Power-adjustable driver’s seat

8. LED headlights and taillights

9. Infotainment system with voice recognition

10. Hill-start assist

11. Automatic high beams

It is also very useful information that some car manufacturers such as Ford, Chevrolet, Lexus, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Kia offer programmed driving monitors that allow you to track and set restrictions on your teenage driver.

For example, Chevy has General Motors’ Teen Driver Technology and Ford has MyKey to help parents monitor their teen’s driving habits.

The maximum speed limit in the system itself can also be set here and this is one of the most important functions when it comes to the safety of teenage drivers.

Are crash test ratings important?

These results are very important in choosing the best first car for teenagers. Our research is based on data obtained from independent crash-test testing organizations such as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

6 test areas for IIHS

Many car insurance companies support IIHS, which is basically a non-profit organization. In addition to publishing and evaluating crash tests, it also uses other data and qualifiers on the basis of which it awards its annual awards Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. At this point he has the grades Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor and that in six testing areas.

1. Passenger-side small-overlap front

2. Roof strength

3. Driver’s-side small-overlap front

4. Head restraints and seats

5. Side

6. Moderate-overlap front

3 areas of testing for NHTSA

NHTSA performs only 3 tests and evaluates each test with stars. The worst result is with 1 star and while the best result is with 5 stars.

1. Rollover crash

2. Frontal crash

3. Side crash

The best new and used cars for teens

If your budget allows you to buy a new car then we recommend that you do so, but buying a used car is also a good option for most people.

In the case of used cars, we must mention that they all come with advanced driver assistance features as well as the most advanced safety features described above. The lowest rating for all used cars is a “Good” rating in at least five of the IIHS crash tests but almost all the vehicles here are a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. These vehicles also have a great economy when it comes to fuel consumption.

2022 GMC Terrain / Best First Car For Teenagers $29k to $37k

The GMC Terrain is an amazing SUV and comes with a large list of safety features. If you select the basic version SLE trim whose price is $ 29,095 and you pay only $ 695 to get the GMC Pro Safety Plus Package then you get this real beauty with forward collision warning, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring.

This GMC Terrain comes standard with GM’s Teen Driver technology, which can track the behavior of your young driver behind the wheel. With this advanced feature, parents can set speed limits and see reports on their teen’s speed, any activation of the forward collision warning system, and distance.

By IIHS and the NHTSA, this beautiful SUV receives excellent safety ratings. The IIHS gave the Terrain highest score of Good in all six of its crash tests and NHTSA rate it with a five-star rating for the overall crash test.

If you’re looking for a safe, intuitive compact, and dependable SUV for your teenage driver then this GMC Terrain should be on the top of your list.

​ 2018 Toyota Corolla / Best First Car For Teenagers

The 2018 Toyota Corolla is a very safe and secure car. This car has received a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, and the NHTSA has given it an overall rating of 5 stars for collisions.

This Toyota Corolla also has great numbers when it comes to fuel consumption, and it is 32 mpg combined, making this car a real choice as the best first car for teenagers.

The Toyota Corolla standard comes with several advanced safety technologies such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and forward-collision warning.

The price of this car ranges between $ 16,000 and $ 22,000 which makes it affordable for many people.

2022 Ford Focus / Best First Car For Teenagers $31k to $45k

The Ford Focus is also a very cool and safe car. He gets an EPA combined estimated 46 MPG and earned the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick distinction. This Ford Focus received an overall rating of 5 stars when it comes to security from the NHTSA, including sedans and hatchbacks.

The new Focus has many advanced driver assistance features which include Rear Occupant Alert, Blindspot Assist, Intersection Assist, Active Park Assist 2, Speed Sign Recognition, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Pre-Collision Assist with Active Braking and Lane Centring.

So if your family budget allows you to buy a new car then of course our recommendation is this new Ford Focus.

2018 Honda Accord /  Best First Car For Teenagers

The Honda Accord was named the best car of 2018, and all this is thanks to the large number of safety features, which also makes it the best first car for teenagers.

This Honda model has several important driver assistance features: rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, a rearview camera, and lane-keep assist blind-spot monitoring.

On the Touring trim, there are many important functions that parents can use to control teens through speed limits and geofence alerts.

Also, this car boasts very high safety ratings, so it has received 5 stars from the NHTSA and earned Good ratings in all six IIHS crash-test categories.

Honda Accord еarning up to 33 mpg in combined driving, which is a real choice when it comes to fuel efficiency. The price of this Honda ranges between $25,000 and $32,000, so you will not go wrong if you decide to buy this car for your teenager.

2022 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid / Best First Car For Teenagers $24k to $28k

The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is also a great car choice for your new teen driver as it has many safety technologies as well as great fuel economy.
This vehicle offers many safety features such as rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and has reverse automatic braking.

In addition to these safety features, this car also has green powertrain equipment that enables the Elantra Hybrid to get up to 56 mpg on the highway and 53 mpg in city driving.

Hyundai Elantra Hybrid has received high marks as a safe and secure car five-star rating in their side and rollover crash tests as well as a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

This Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is the right choice for the first car for your teenager, taking into account its price and all its safety features.

To Be Continued