2010 Best cars for teen drivers

Apr 29, 2010 5:00 AM

Deaths in passenger vehicles per 100,000 people by
seating position, age, and gender, 2008
Photo: IIHS.org

If you’re in the market for your child’s first car, you’re probably interested in an affordable model that is safe and reliable. Maybe you’re even thinking of passing down a car that’s already in the family. That’s fine, as long as it is a relatively recent model, with all the latest safety features, rather than a worn-out, low-value clunker. Safety and reliability are especially important when choosing a vehicle for a young, inexperienced driver. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens.

Look for a car with features like electronic stability control (ESC--make sure to not confuse ESC with traction control, which many do), antilock brakes, and curtain air bags, as well as good crash-test results. Stay away from trucks and large SUVs because they tend to have clumsy handling, poor fuel economy, and their high centers of gravity make them more likely to roll over. Sports cars or other especially quick cars are another bad idea, with a higher rate of accidents than other cars and insurance rates to match. (Also read: "2010 Best cars for teen drivers: More affordable alternatives.")

The good news is you can get a safe, reliable used car with those important safety features starting at less than $10,000. We’ve listed some good choices below, with a range of model years where important safety features have been offered on each model. We’ve also given a range of what you should expect to pay.

All are recommended vehicles, meaning they scored well in our testing, have had average or better reliability, and performed well in government or insurance industry crash tests. They also had sufficient acceleration to safely merge onto busy highways, stopped from 60 mph in 145 feet or less on dry pavement, and scored good or better in emergency handling.

Small cars
Hyundai Elantra SE (2008-present) $11,775-$18,695
Mazda 3 (2007-) $13,025-$19,070
Scion xB (2008-) $14,075-$18,630
Scion xD (2008-) $13,675-$16,620
Subaru Impreza (2008-) non-turbo, $13,700-$19,106
Suzuki SX4 Crossover (2007-) $10,150-$17,519

Family cars
Acura TSX (2004-) $13,725-$29,675
Honda Accord (2008-) 4-cyl., $17,725-$22,795
Kia Optima (2007-) 4-cyl., $9,900-$20,365
Toyota Prius (2004-) $11,750-$22,950
Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 (2006-) $12,825-$22,965

Small SUVs
Honda CR-V (2005- ) $13,300-$25,805
Nissan Rogue (2008- ) $16,550-$25,850
*Toyota RAV4 (2006- ) 4-cyl., $13,625-$25,405

*Note that we have temporarily suspended our recommendation of the RAV4 and several other Toyota models due to problems with sticking accelerator pedals.

Also read: 2010 Best cars for teen drivers: More affordable alternatives.

—Jim Travers