What To Look For When Buying A Car For Your Teen

If you have a teenage driver, you know it’s important for them to have a safe, reliable vehicle to drive. But how do you pick the best car to buy for your teen? Whether you are purchasing the car for your child or they have saved up their own money to purchase their first vehicle, there are a lot of things to consider when selecting a car to buy. Here are some of the top things to think about when buying a car for your teen.

How Safe Is The Car?

Car crashes are the leading cause of death and disability to teens in the U.S.  According to teen driver safety statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 1,800 drivers ages 15 to 20 years old died in vehicle crashes in 2017.

When choosing a car for your young driver, you should think about models that are on the Top Safety Picks list from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. If you have a car in mind that you’re thinking about buying, be sure to check the car’s safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration before making the purchase. Look for things like side curtain airbags and electronic stability control that can help keep the driver in control of the vehicle in inclement weather. If you’re looking at newer models, pick one that has blind spot monitoring so your child will be alerted when a car is in their blind spot. (Blind spots are always tricky for younger, inexperienced drivers.)

How Reliable Will The Car Be?

When picking out a car, you want one that will be reliable for your teen. Kids are notorious for not keeping track of when oil changes are needed, checking tire pressure or remembering when routine maintenance needs to be done.  And if you pick a car that will need frequent repairs, you could be putting your child’s safety at risk – and the costs could add up quickly.

Before making the purchase, check out Consumer Reports’ car reliability ratings. If you’re buying an older car from a private seller, be sure to check out the condition and vehicle history. Look for dents, scratches, check out the engine, parts, tires and other items that might need repair.

Be sure to pull the vehicle’s history report from CarFax or AutoCheck. Pulling these reports generally cost around $30-$50, but it’s well worth the money. Find out how many owners the car has had and be sure to ask for the maintenance records. Bring the car to a mechanic that you trust so they can look the vehicle over. It’s best to know about any mechanical problems beforehand.

How Big Of A Vehicle Should You Buy?

For teen drivers, the IIHS suggests that bigger and heavier vehicles are best because they better protect drivers in a crash. But larger vehicles can be expensive and are typically harder for teenagers to drive and maneuver. Smaller cars are much more affordable and are easier to drive and park – but are typically less safe and don’t score as high in safety crash tests.

If you select a compact or midsized SUV you get the best of both size and price.

How Much Money Should You Spend?

Next is the BIG question. How much money should you spend on your teen’s car? First, ask yourself how long you expect your child to have the car. Will they be driving it for two years or five? Or will this be a “family” car that will be passed down to their younger sibling when this child goes off to college? How much is in your budget? Can your teen afford to pay for part of the car? Is your teen going to pay for gas, insurance and can they help pay monthly car payments? Will a sibling be sharing the car with them?

Also what are the ongoing car ownership costs? One important ongoing cost is how much it costs to fill up the gas tank. Selecting a car that gets around 25 mpg is a good choice.

How Much Will Car Insurance Cost?

Before you pick out a car for your teen, look into how much the car insurance is going to cost. Teens can get their own policy, or you can add them to your car insurance policy. Check with your insurance agent to see which option will be more cost effective. NerdWallet studies showed that families can save approximately $3,000 a year by getting coverage under a single policy.

Be sure and check with your insurance company to see if there are any discounts that they can offer you – discounts will depend on your driving history, where you live, if you have bundled any other insurance (like your home, motorcycle, etc.) and other factors.

Are Your Ready To Shop?

If you’re ready to buy a reliable car for your teen, stop by Neil Huffman Honda in Clarksville and check out our wide selection of used cars for sale.

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