While safety may be the number one worry for parents of teenage drivers, when a family’s auto premiums are nearly doubled after adding a teenager to the policy, insurance costs are usually not that far behind.
Brokers can help allay those concerns, however, using an assessment recently released by researchers at cars.com. Experts at the website have evaluated cars for safety and affordability, taking into account Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rankings and the vehicle’s total cost of ownership, which includes fuel and insurance.
Their 10 recommended cars for this demographic, in no particular order, include:
- Honda Fit – the smaller counterpart to the Honda Civic is said to be both “fun and practical,” and has an impressive fuel economy
- Kia Soul – the crossover vehicle can come with many amenities, but its base model is reasonably priced
- Mazda3 – the Japanese car has a forward collision warning that earns it high safety warnings
- Chevy Sonic – it may be one of Chevrolet’s more compact cars, but it still scores high on safety
- Hyundai Elantra – the Elantra gained points for being spacious, and it also has a “great safety rating”
- Subaru Impreza – on its own, the Impreza offers a vehicle that is both fun and safe, and parents can add the additional EyeSight crash avoidance system if desired as well
- Toyota Prius – it may not be the most trendy car, but it scored highly for its Top Safety Pick and astonishing kilometers per liter
- Volkswagen Golf – parents can choose between a “family” of Golf cars, with options between diesel, electronic and gas
- Jeep Renegade – although the Wrangler may be more visually appealing, the Renegade is still “fun to drive” and has better safety features
- Ford Focus – the compact Ford model has more room than the Fiesta, but offers similar safety and entertainment features.
For parents who would rather buy their teen a used car, top choices using the same criteria include:
- Volkswagen Jetta, 2009 and later
- Volvo C30, 2008 and later
- Volkswagen Passat, 2009 and later
- Ford Fusion, 2010 and later
- Mercury Milan, built after 2011
Finally, IIHS recommends that shoppers who choose to stray from the list should at least keep in mind that bigger and sturdier vehicles are often safer than their lighter counterparts, horsepower should be avoided and most teens benefit from electronic stability control, particularly if they’re driving an SUV or pickup.
