ALT-1 Good Cars for Teen Drivers
Affordable and in running condition, that is the best car for a teen driver.
No matter which way you slice it, letting a teen drive is a risk. It's an accident on wheels that reaches speeds well over the posted limits. Whatever car a teen gets will be the first of many investments in their lives. They need a car to get them to work, hopefully at a job where they make enough money to cover gas and insurance on the car. Having car payments on a new car, or paying for ridiculous repair costs on a beater is not what the teen needs. The only requirement is that their vehicle gets from point A to point B (with many stops at points C through Z) without breaking down.
The way most teens see it is their parents will buy them their first car, and that's the time that they will need to get a job. It's no coincidence that the first thing most teens will save up for after getting their first car and first job happens to be a new car. The first car will most likely will not be cared for by the teen since they didn't have to foot the bill for it. Once they save up and get a car they like, through their own hard work, they'll take better care of it, no matter what the type of car that happens to be.
There is no universal car that is good for teens. They are beginning drivers and with experience, will be able to make any car work for them. That being said, the best car for them happens to be one they can afford to maintain, not the best for gas mileage or a five star safety rating (although those are nice).
A good car is one that will teach the teen to be responsible over time, and make their own decisions about what they want to drive and how they want to drive it.
