Safe and Affordable Cars for Teen Drivers

It is one of a parent’s proudest moments, but it can also be one of the most nerve-wracking. Your teenage child pulls up with the driving test instructor who leans out of your car to let you know that your son or daughter just passed. Your child will now get a driver’s license and join those of us who take to the roads every day for work, commuting, and pleasure. The next thing you know, your child is going to ask you for a car. This raises the question: what are the safest, most affordable used vehicles for sale?

Sure, if you’ve got the money, you could buy your son or daughter a fully-loaded, top-of-the-line brand-new Cadillac Escalade ESV that will put so much metal between your precious offspring and the other drivers. But, most of us aren’t made of money, so we need to buy a safe vehicle that won’t cost us an arm and a leg. This is why you should consider buying a used Chevy or Buick for your teenage driver. These are some of the safest vehicles on the road today, and buying used gives you the advantage of getting a great deal on an amazing car.

Just look for used cars for sale, and it will lead you to a dealer who is ready to help you get your child an excellent car for the money. At Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick in Paris, we offer a full selection of used and pre-owned cars, trucks, and SUVs, including some great vehicles from Buick and Chevrolet that are among the safest cars on the road today. Our finance team will help you get your teenage driver behind the wheel of a car without busting your budget, and our trained technicians will make sure to keep your child safe and sound with exceptional service and maintenance.

IIHS and NHTSA

Two organizations dedicated to giving you the information you need on vehicle safety are the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). Each year, these independent groups test all of the cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs from the different automakers. According to the IIHS, teens crash their vehicles four times more often than adults. To make matters worse, teens tend to drive vehicles that are less safe than those driven by older drivers.

To make certain that you can find the best vehicle for your child, the IIHS tests all vehicles using two criteria: crashworthiness and crash avoidance and mitigation. Crashworthiness is defined as “how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash.” Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and you need to know that the driver and passengers will be safe when one occurs. This includes having things like multiple airbags and crumple zones.

Crash avoidance and mitigation means having a vehicle that has “technology that can prevent a crash or lessen its severity.” One of the best ways to stay safe is to have a car with the ability to avoid crashes. Many cars now contain features that help in this regard, like blind-spot monitoring systems, backup cameras, and traction control to reduce the chance of skidding.

Each year, the IIHS publishes a list of Top Safety Picks and Top Safety Picks+, which are the safest vehicles in their class. Similarly, the NHTSA comes out with ratings for most new vehicles every year. The NHTSA uses a five-star rating system from worst (one star) to best (five stars) along four criteria: overall rating, frontal crash, side crash, and rollover. Only the safest cars can achieve five stars in all four categories. In addition, the NHTSA prepares a list of recommended safety technology and then lets consumers know the availability of this equipment on each vehicle that is reviewed.

Affordability of Used Cars

Used cars are much more affordable than new cars because a new car will lose up to half of its value in its first two years of ownership as a result of depreciation. This means that you get more purchasing power when buying a used car. Also, there are more used cars than new cars on the market, increasing the overall supply. The translation of all this is that you can find a used car of the same make and model as a new one for less, and you can often get a higher trim with more features as well. This is especially important when choosing a car for its safety.

A good idea when you are shopping for a used car for your teen driver is to check out the IIHS and NHTSA ratings before you begin the process. Once you have an idea of the best vehicles for safety, as well as the key safety features that you want on the vehicle, start shopping for used cars based on the makes, models, and model years that made the lists published by IIHS and NHTSA. One other useful tool is Kelley Blue Book, which publishes a list of each vehicle’s resale value based on make, model, condition, model year, and mileage. This will give you a ballpark figure to use when negotiating the purchase of a safe used car for your child.

Sedans and Hatchbacks

In general, 4-door cars tend to be safer than those with 2-doors. As a result, the IIHS and NHTSA give their top ratings to sedans and 4-door hatchbacks over coupes. If you are concerned about fuel economy, you might consider buying a 4-door compact for your teen driver. Chevrolet makes four of the best in terms of safety and affordability: the Bolt, Volt, Sonic, and Spark.

The 4-door hatchback Chevy Bolt was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2017 and 2019 when equipped with optional front crash prevention. The hybrid Chevy Volt is another excellent choice. The Volt with optional front crash prevention was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for 2016 and 2017, and a Top Safety Pick for 2015 and 2018. In addition, the NHTSA gave the Volt a full 5-star rating for the 2017 and 2019 model years. A used Chevy Sonic or Spark is also a great choice. The Spark was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2015, while the Sonic got top marks from the IIHS for 2015 and 2016.

Some parents feel more comfortable with their kids driving a larger car. Two great choices are the Chevy Malibu and the Buick LaCrosse. The Malibu, a midsize sedan, was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ in 2016 and a Top Safety Pick for 2015 and 2017. The best models to choose are the ones equipped with optional front crash prevention technology.

The full-size Buick LaCrosse is also an excellent choice. The NHTSA gave the LaCrosse a full 5-star rating across the board for 2017 and 2019, and the IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick in 2017. The LaCrosse comes with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, so you might consider getting a LaCrosse with all-wheel drive if you happen to live in an area with lots of snow and ice in the winter.

Sport Utility Vehicles

Used SUVs are also an excellent choice for a teen driver. The added height gives the driver a better line of sight, and the extra ground clearance will allow the vehicle to safely pass over objects in the road the driver might miss seeing. The IIHS recommends two SUVs for young drivers, the Buick Encore and the Chevy Equinox, specifically models built from the 2016 model year onward. These are two small SUVs, so they are easy to handle and won’t empty your wallet at the gas pump. In addition, the Encore was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2015 and 2016, while the Equinox won a top spot for 2015, 2016, and 2019.

The Chevy Trax is another solid pick if you are looking for safety at an affordable price. This compact SUV was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2015. If you want a larger SUV, then the midsize Buick Envision would be ideal for your first-time driver. The Envision was named an IIHSTop Safety Pick+ for 2017 and a Top Safety Pick for 2018. The Preferred trim of Buick Envision will come equipped with high-intensity discharge headlights and front crash prevention technology.

Choosing a car that is safe and affordable for your teen driver doesn’t have to be stressful. By consulting the IIHS and NHTSA ratings, you are able to see an objective assessment of the safety of any vehicle you are considering. Also, your local used car dealer stands ready to help you make a decision that works for you and won’t leave you losing sleep worrying over paying off your teen’s car and, more importantly, the safety of your new driver.

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