Top 5 First Vehicles for Teenagers

Before you go shopping for that car, a fair mature discussion needs to happen between you and your teen's other parent, whether you're together or not. Before discussing owning a car with your teenager, a united front between both parents is important. Your partner may be thinking new while you're thinking used. They may be thinking fancy with all the bells and whistles, while you're thinking bare minimum. If you and your partner or ex-partner do not agree, your teen will play on that and it will become a power struggle involving everyone. This will not be constructive at all, and may even lead to bad decision making.

Best First Vehicles For Teens-What To Think About

Decide on your priorities, and make a list in order of importance. Obviously safety is top of the list for our children's first ride, but there are so many other things to think about. For example, weigh the pros and cons of new and used cars. New cars are the most reliable and covered under warranty, but then there's the price. These days, there are new cars that actually cost less than a small house. Sometimes with older cars there's repairs and reliability issues. Space is usually an important issue to think about. Your teen may be thinking he/she is going to be the driver of the group with all their pals riding with them all the time. Decide what is acceptable and state a rule of how many are allowed to ride in the car. Remember, the more passengers, the more distractions, especially in the beginning.

In my own opinion, bigger isn't necessarily safer. Granted, if there is an accident, they will have more protection in a larger "tank-like" vehicle, but there's also more of a chance of an accident because they are harder to handle and have larger blind spots. That's just my own thinking though, and this is your own family's decision. Whatever your family feels the most comfortable with.

There are plenty other issues, every family and teen is different. Make your own list and decide on the rules and what's important. Once you are united, then speak to your teen and let them know what the rules are. Make sure your teenager knows what your priorities are in what you're looking for in a car for them then give them some time to let it all sink in. Let them also make their own list to present to you and discuss it with them. Don't forget costs such as insurance and gas, and how much of each your teen is going to be responsible for. It's definitely a well-known fact that when they are responsible for things like gas, payments or insurance, or a combo of them, they are more responsible, as it will come out of their pocket if they mess up. Again, this is a very personal choice and only you as a family can decide how to approach this.

Don't run right out to buy that car the night of the "talk". Let your teen look at car company's websites and discuss pricing, safety features and insurance cost. Let the responsibility of it all sink in for a couple weeks. The internet is great because you can window shop right from your home without a salesperson breathing down your neck.

Best First Vehicles For Teens-Some Ideas of Great Cars For Teens

The cars I have picked out, I did so upon pricing, reliability, and reputation. These can obviously be bought new or used, but for accurate information, all car information below is from dealerships.

Honda Civic - Starting at $15,455 for a brand new car, not a bad price range. Used varies depending on the year. If you would like to view a brochure, please visit this link .

Toyota Corolla- This car also starts in the $15,450 range. To see what options are available, click this link and you can virtually build your own car by clicking on the build your corolla square at the top..

Mazda 3 -This car starts at $16,045 new if you choose the four door. When you click the link above to get to the site, go down the navigation on the right and choose build a vehicle. This will give you all your options.

Nissan Maxima- This one is definitely on the higher end if buying new. They start at $30,690. Just go down the navigation on the left and choose build your Maxima, and you will get to see all features you can choose to have or not have.

Chevrolet/Geo Prizm -Just to throw in a used car, I used the site above. These cars are from 1998-2002. All of them are in the $14,000 price range. This site offers a research link where you can find out all about the car and even has a "green" buying guide.

In the end, there is much to think about before taking that leap. Deciding on what your priorities in a car are, and agreeing on them is the hardest part. Once you get past that, the road's clear.

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-coupe/
http://chevroletbuyersguide.theautochannel.com/Trims.php?model=Prizm
http://www.nissanusa.com/maxima
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=modelsMain&vehicleCode=M3S#/exterior
http://www.toyota.com/corolla