How to Find a Suitable Car for a Teenager
Almost every 16 year old is anxious to get his first car. When his parents can help out buying it, then that's even better. Finding a suitable car for your teenager means you need to be careful about safety, rather than giving into what he wants, which is probably a sporty car that can zoom in and out of lanes. Teenagers don't have the experience to avoid accidents like older driver do. Tt's important to choose the safest car in case your teenager does get into an accident.
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Instructions
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Seek cars that consistently rank high in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's five-star safety ratings. The organization's safety ratings rate every car model based on six areas of safety, including front driver and passenger ratings, side driver, passenger and rear and rollover ratings. The organization rates each from one to five stars, with five stars being the safest. Look for cars that either receive all fives or mostly fives. Visit the organization's car safety website (see Resources), choose "5-Star Safety Ratings" and then choose your desired car model.
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Choose a car that is larger and heavier, rather than smaller and more maneuverable. Teenagers aren't experienced drivers and they're more apt to get into an accident than experienced drivers who can avoid an accident. Eleven of the top 16 cars involved in the most deadly accidents between 2002 and 2005 were small cars, according to the April 2007 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Edmunds.com suggests choosing a vehicle that weighs at least 3,000 pounds as the weight can absorb the force of a crash better than lightweight cars. Many midsize cars weigh some 3,000 pounds or heavier, so you don't need to look for an SUV or pickup truck.
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Buy used, but thoroughly examine the car and don't purchase anything with more than 100,000 miles. Cars typically begin to experience problems once they reach the 100,000-mile mark and problems can cost you and your teenager money and cause safety issues. Examine the car to ensure that it doesn't have any leaks, the brakes work, the steering is smooth and there aren't any problems with the engine.
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Choose a car that's boring, but can get your teenager from one point to the next. Abstain from the fast and sporty car. Parents should rule out the fastest and slowest car, according to Edmunds.com. Teenagers are more likely to take risks behind the wheel than other drivers and a fast car can jeopardize their lives. Alternately, a slow car can put them at risk when merging onto the highway and making lane changes.
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