Buying Your First Car: What To Look For

Austin Young, Staff Writer|April 20, 2023

When it comes to choosing a good first car for a teenager, safety, reliability, and affordability are key factors to consider. Here are some suggestions for good first cars for teenagers:

cars in the chhs parking lot
Finding a safe and suitable car is difficult for everyone, especially young adults who experience a higher risk of car accidents compared to other age groups. Check out our article on what to look for, consider and some examples of good cars to purchase. (Austin Young)
  1. Honda Civic – The Honda Civic is a popular choice for a first car due to its reliability, fuel efficiency, and safety features.
  2. Toyota Corolla – The Toyota Corolla is another reliable and safe option, known for its long-lasting durability and low maintenance costs.
  3. Mazda3 – The Mazda3 is a fun and stylish compact car that offers good fuel efficiency and safety features.
  4. Ford Focus – The Ford Focus is a practical and affordable option that offers good handling and safety features.
  5. Subaru Impreza – The Subaru Impreza is a relatively reliable and safe option with all-wheel drive capabilities, making it a good choice for driving in inclement weather conditions.
  6. Kia Soul – The Kia Soul is a quirky and affordable compact car that offers a spacious interior and good safety ratings.
  7. Hyundai Elantra – The Hyundai Elantra is an affordable and reliable option with good safety ratings and a comfortable interior.

      Some important factors to consider when choosing a first car are the Milage, this shows how many miles the car has driven, usually for a first car the lower the miles the better unless you have your heart set on a specific car or its a brand known for its longevity, In addition to mileage there is also the title of the car, which could heavily affect the insurance cost and coverage of the insurance, and in that same vein, insurance is another major role in buying your first car.

Overall it is better to steer away from Luxury, trucks, Electric and sports cars  since their insurance is typically more expensive. In addition to that, age is also a fairly important factor, the older a car usually means its on the verge of death or is reliable, however the older it is also correlates to the harder it is to find parts for said car, And finally something to always keep in mind is your budget, this is the most important thing to remember since this is the ultimate deciding factor.