Congratulations! You have a teenager in the family who wants to borrow the car keys every day to spend time with their friends. You want to give your teen their freedom, but you want to keep them safe on and roads.
You can get the best of both worlds when you buy a new or used vehicle that’s safe for your freedom-loving youngster to drive. Discover the best cars for new drivers with this handy guide from Five Star Automotive Group. We’ll also touch on the best used cars for new drivers, as we explore each model. We sell all kinds of new and used vehicles at an affordable price.
Our choices are based on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) ratings coupled with good reliability. We hope you find a few great choices when you look over our guide to the best first cars for new drivers.
The Hyundai Elantra is hardly more than $20k. It’s one of the more compact sedans, so it’s easy to park, maneuverable in tight traffic, and gets incredible fuel economy ratings. All the while, it comes with a standard safety feature system that includes the latest in accident prevention and mitigation features. What’s more, Hyundai models come with one of the best warranties in the industry! On a final note, Elantras also rank among the best used cars for new drivers. Hyundai really stepped up their quality in the 2010s, so we recommend anything from 2014 and on, in particular.
Priced well under $35k, the Ford Bronco Sport is built “Ford Tough,” and is sure to be cost-effective to maintain over the years. It also comes equipped with a standard suite of safety features called Ford Co-Pilot360® Technology, that includes the latest driver assistance technologies.
For less than $25k, your new driver can enjoy a sporty, efficient, roomy crossover. The Seltos is one of the best values in the industry, and it comes with standard safety features like driver-drowsiness monitoring and forward automatic emergency braking. What’s more, it features far more leg and headroom than many of its competitors!
The Kia Soul is more affordable than any model on this list, at just under $20k. It includes a quirky, iconic, futuristic design that’s sure to stand out to the younger crowd. It’s also small, so it gets great fuel economy, but the Soul is technically an SUV, which means it will have enough cargo space for when your teen needs to haul music gear to band practice!
Well under $25k, the Honda Civic is a timeless staple in automotive, delivering exceptionally sport, yet efficient, performance in an easy-to-park package at affordable prices. Of course, Honda models feature a great warranty, routinely get praise for great resale value, and are known for their reliability. The Civic, in particular, features a standard Honda Sensing® suite of a safety features and a surprisingly large trunk. We’ve singled out this model for also ranking among the best used cars for new drivers. In particular, we recommend the 2012 – 2015 models years, as well as the 2020 – 2023 models years!
Let’s start with the best cars for new drivers because your teenager might need one to get to work and back, and to hang out with friends on the weekends. Cars are also more affordable for parents compared to new SUVs. On that note, we’ll also touch on the best used cars for new drivers by telling you which pre-owned model years to buy for each model among our selection of the best cars for new drivers. Our picks are as follows:
The Mazda 3 has a lot to offer, including high-tech safety features and smartphone connectivity that works well for hands-free phone calls.
The Honda Insight is a fantastic small car because of its fuel efficiency, reliability, and durability.
Any Corolla from 2018 or newer is a great car, with outstanding fuel efficiency and plenty of high-tech features to keep your teenager safe.
One of the flagship vehicles in Honda’s lineup, the Honda Civic will last forever. Even a used model can be a relevant purchase if you want to spend less money. Look for a model year of 2014 or newer.
Like the Civic, newer model years of the Honda Accord can’t be beaten for its durability, reliability, and fuel efficiency if you want a car that has a lower overall cost of ownership.
We hope you’ve gotten some valuable information from our guide about the best cars for new drivers and best used cars for new drivers. The team at Five Star Automotive Group has a wide range of great new and used vehicles that are safe for your teenager to drive. We’ve also got some affordable selections among our best cars for new drivers that won’t leave a huge dent in your wallet. Contact us or call to schedule a test drive.
Meanwhile, look over our finance center to see what vehicle might fit into your budget.
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