Mazda Mazda3
It's a tough choice: Do you help your teenager get his first car and take the chance that he will be responsible, or do you continue to act as his personal chauffeur until he leaves the nest? Inevitably, it's not really up to you. Almost every teen desires the freedom that a car provides, and will do anything to get it. So you can either embrace the horror, or stick your head in the sand and hope for the best. The question really is: Do you let teens take a chance with a used car or assist them with financing to get the security and reliability of a new one? Here, we examine the latter option and identify 10 affordable yet practical first rides for teens.
Chevrolet Cruze
Chevrolet Cruze
Starting price: $16,275
Quiet, refined and engaging to drive, the Chevrolet Cruze is, in our opinion, the best compact car General Motors has ever built. While it handles well, power is modest at 138 horsepower, so fuel economy is good — 36 mpg highway — and speeding tickets won't be that easy to get. It's safe, too. The Cruze comes with 10 standard airbags, including rear side and front knee bags, which are rare in luxury cars, let alone compacts. The Cruze is also an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.
MSN Autos Exhaust Notes Blog: Safe En Route With These 66
Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
Starting price: $13,320
A few years ago, America wouldn't have gone for a car as small as the Ford Fiesta. But times have changed, and the Fiesta is at the forefront of a new small-car trend. Its small, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine makes only 120 horsepower while delivering fuel economy as high as 29 mpg city/38 mpg highway. While we prefer the similar Mazda Mazda2 for its slightly better interior and sharper driving dynamics, the Fiesta gets the nod here because it earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick and the Mazda2 did not.
Honda Fit
Honda Fit
Starting price: $15,100
The Honda Fit is thoughtfully designed and engineered, with plenty of room for passengers and cargo. In fact, with 57.3 cubic feet, it has as much cargo space as many compact SUVs, so there's plenty of room for toting stuff to and from college. Under the hood, you'll find a tiny, 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes just 117 horsepower, but the Fit delivers fuel economy as high as 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway. Like other Hondas, it should also maintain a high resale value, which will give either you or your teen a valuable trade-in when it's time for that next car.
Read: 2010 Consumer Reports New-Car Best Value List
Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Sonata
Starting price: $19,195
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has made a splash as a worthy family-sedan competitor to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. But the reasonably priced base trim could also work as a teen's car. For $19,195, your teen gets tech features such as a USB port for iPod connectivity, satellite radio and Bluetooth hands-free cell phone connectivity, plus all the amenities, such as power windows and locks, cruise control and remote keyless entry. We like the Sonata for its refined and roomy interior, pleasant ride and, most importantly, value.
Bing Images: 2011 Hyundai Sonata
Mazda Mazda3
Mazda Mazda3
Starting price: $15,800
The Mazda Mazda3 has been our favorite compact car for years. For quite awhile it stood head and shoulders above the competition in terms of refinement and handling. New or redesigned competitors such as the Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and, hopefully, the forthcoming Ford Focus are just now catching up. The Mazda3 has other strengths: The hatchback body style adds cargo versatility, its base 2.0-liter engine is quick, and it's darn fun to drive.
