You are a proud parent when you discover that your teen has passed their driving test but now comes the challenge of finding the right sort of car that is safe, cheap to insure and reliable.Here are some tips on how to find the most suitable vehicle that ticks all the right boxes, including a look at the key features that take precedence, how to avoid buying a bad car, and ways to reduce their annual motoring costs.A big decisionParents are going to be understandably concerned about the prospect of seeing them drive off on their own and taking to the highways without your guidance in the passenger seat which is why choosing the right first car for them is such a big decision.Do you go for a new car if your budget allows for it or do you try and find a cheaper alternative but without compromising on safety and other relevant features?You will clearly want them to drive a vehicle that is reliable, offers good safety features, and won’t cost a fortune to insure and fill with gas. It is wise to remember that teens are the least experienced drivers on the road and are therefore vulnerable to the prospect of a fender-bender incident in the early stages of their driving career.It could get expensive if you buy a new car and then have to repair it, so the sensible option would most likely be to get a slightly older model that still has all the right features you are looking for.You can always shop around to choose the right auto loan if you want to buy a car that offers what you want but still costs less than a new one and fits your budget.Pick your prioritiesIf you want a key criterion that trumps most of the other features that you are looking for in a suitable car for your teen, safety always has to be your number one priority.You definitely want to pick a car that offers good safety features and offers the best chance of keeping your teen as safe as possible if they are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident.Prepare for a slight battle with your teen if they have seen a car that looks easy on the eye and they would rather drive than the one you have chosen. Don’t give in on this argument as safety takes clear preference over aesthetics, but if you can get a car that ticks both those boxes then that’s good news all round.Check the historyYou always have to display a bit of caution when you are buying used cars in Tempe as you can’t always tell how the vehicle has been driven up to this point and how well the owner has looked after it.You can get some clues on this score if you look at the service record, mileage records, and check the condition of the tires and the engine.If the car has done a lot of miles in a short space of time and has a patchy service record, you can make a reasonable assumption that the vehicle might have taken a bit of a beating and might not be suitable as a first car for your teen.If you can find a car that has a good service history, and the tires, bodywork, and engine all look in order, that is at least a bit more of a reliable indicator that you have found a used car that the owner has at least attempted to take good care of, which is what you want.Check out the insurance costsGetting insurance for your teen to drive any car is going to be an expensive affair for the first couple of years until they establish some sort of driving record with the insurance company.The cost of insurance can vary dramatically between different makes and models and the engine size you choose is also a major factor.Don’t make the mistake of buying any car before you have at least checked exactly how much it is going to cost to insure the vehicle. You can also help to keep insurance costs down and improve the safety profile of your teen on the road at the same time, by getting them to take part in an advanced driving skills program.These courses exceed most state’s minimum requirements for driver education and they are a real no-brainer when you consider that they teach your child to be a safer and better driver as well as bring the cost of their insurance down.Choosing the right car for your teen can be a tough task but if you ask all the right questions it will make it easier to find the perfect choice.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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