Ford Fiesta
Young'uns will like the Fiesta because it's cute, cheeky, and fun to drive; parents will like it because it comes with a long list of standard safety equipment, including electronic stability control and a driver's knee airbag, and has excellent crash-test scores (including an IIHS Top Safety Pick award) despite its diminutive size. And whoever is paying the bills will like the Fiesta's low price and outstanding fuel economy, especially when equipped with an automatic transmission. Other parent-friendly features include SYNC, which allows voice control of cell phones and iPods and helps keep young drivers' attention focused on the road, not their portable gadgets.
Honda Insight
Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in America, so it's refreshing to see a car that encourages drivers to take it slow and easy. The Insight's video-game-like dash provides positive feedback for going easy on the gas and easy on the brakes. It's designed to coach drivers into getting better fuel economy -- the Insight is, after all, a hybrid -- but it also reinforces good habits for young and inexperienced drivers. Despite its high-MPG mission, the Insight is reasonably enjoyable to drive; it's also safe, easy to park, and reasonably practical. 2011 sees the addition of a new entry-level Insight priced at $18,950 that includes standard electronic stability control, an important safety feature for young drivers.
Kia Forte
Affordable, safe and stylish, the Kia Forte is a car that teens and parents can agree on. Young folks will like the Forte's style, space, and spunk, but it's also a safe bet, what with six airbags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control all standard and an IIHS Top Safety Pick award to show for it. Good visibility, simple controls and clearly-marked instruments make the Forte a great match for inexperienced drivers. The Forte is reasonably priced, with the well-equipped sedan starting under $16k and the stylish two-door Forte Koup just two grand more -- significantly less than a comparably-equipped Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.
Kia Soul
Pretty much everything I've said about the Kia Forte applies to the Kia Soul, except that it's even less expensive and even more cool. The Soul's box-car body provides lots of back-seat space and a cargo bay that's well suited to bulky items. Like the Forte, the Soul comes with a full complement of safety equipment and an IIHS Top Safety Pick award. The Soul is offered with both 1.6 and 2.0 liter engines; both are good, but I'd probably stick with the 2-liter, if only to make highway merges a little less dramatic.
Mazda2
When I was a teen, we gravitated towards small, simple hatchbacks that were cheap to run and good fun to drive. The Mazda2 is exactly that sort of car: Small, simple and affordable, with prices starting at $14,370 including air conditioning and electronic stability control. A 100 horsepower engine provides adequate acceleration and decent fuel economy with little drag-racing potential, while straightforward controls help teen drivers keep their eyes on the road and off the stereo.
Mitsubishi Lancer
Mitsubishi's compact sedan is often overlooked by buyers, probably because its interior feels a bit cheap and tinny compared to front-runners like the Honda Civic. But what few buyers realize is that the Lancer has a safety resume that puts most compacts to shame, with standard electronic stability control and a driver's knee airbag -- the former only available on a handful of compacts, the latter exclusive to the Lancer -- along with an IIHS Top Safety Pick award. The Lancer has aggressive, racy styling, but a modest 2-liter engine in DE and ES models. NOTE: Don't let your hormone-charged teenage son talk you into the Lancer Ralliart or Evolution -- both are turbocharged, high-performance models that can be dangerous in inexperienced hands.
Smart Fortwo
Research shows that the number of teen passengers in a car increases the chances of an accident -- so a two-seater like the Smart Fortwo makes sense. Statistics aside, the Fortwo is a smart choice (pun intended) -- it's inexpensive, good on gas, easy to drive, and you can even get it as a convertible. The Smart car is packed with standard safety features, including front, side and knee airbags, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control, and its 70 hp engine has enough power for merging onto the freeway but not enough to get young drivers into serious trouble. Plus it's so unique (and cute) that it's bound to do wonders for your kid's popularity.
Subaru Impreza 2.5i
Another IIHS Top Saftey winner, the Impreza 2.5i is the car I most often recommend for young and inexperienced drivers due to its combination of all-wheel-drive (AWD) and electronic stability control (ESC). AWD is an oft-overlooked safety feature that gives the car better grip on the pavement in fair weather or foul, while ESC is an electronic safety net that steps in to help recover from skids and slides. The Impreza is one of the only small cars to offer this dynamic duo of safety, and together they drastically reducing your teen driver's chance of losing control in an emergency. NOTE: The Impreza 2.5i should not be confused with the Impreza WRX, STI, and 2.5 GT; these are fast, high-performance cars designed for experienced drivers.
Toyota Corolla
Buying your teen a Corolla is a bit like hiring a full-time babysitter. The Corolla may be a bit dull to drive -- okay, it's very dull to drive -- but it's roomy, simple and very safe, especially now that Toyota provides electronic stability control as standard equipment (a change that, in combination with its excellent crash-test scores, nabbed the Corolla an IIHS Top Safety Pick award). The Corolla's legendary build quality means it will last well beyond the teen years; a well-maintained and carefully driven Corolla should last through high school, college, and those lean years of paying off student loans, right up until your kid is earning good money and can afford something newer and nicer.
Volkswagen Jetta S
The all-new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is not one of my favorite cars , but despite the things I dislike about it, the base-model Jetta S is a great choice for young drivers. Its modest 115 horsepower engine has enough power for safe highway merging, but not enough for reckless drag-racing. (SE and SEL models get a more powerful engine; stick with the S.) The control layout is simple, which makes for distraction-free driving, while all-round visibility is excellent and blind spots are minimal. The handling is safe and predictable, electronic stability control comes standard, and it's even got a reasonable price tag: $17,865 with an automatic transmission, and that includes 3 years of free routine maintenance. Overall, it's a great set of automotive training wheels.
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