Is there a best car for your teen? Well it depends on who’s deciding, the parent or the teen. Parents tend to have different aims and priorities when it comes to buying their teen a car. Even though many say it is difficult for the teens and their parents to come to a mutual agreement, it is not impossible, especially if both the parties are willing to compromise on a few areas.

Let’s start with the teen’s preferences and what they consider in vogue today. Teenagers tend to place several other factors before safety such as the appearance and style of the car, its speed and performance and music accessories; and they also seem to lean towards the cars that are the most customizable.

What does a car mean to a teen? It reflects the teen’s freedom and character. Other than that it does the obvious of taking care of transportation.

What is it that the parents want?

The first and foremost criteria for judging their teen’s car is the safety arrangements the car manufacturer provides. A low cost/ second hand car is also preferred along with a check on maintenance costs.

The cost factor – the battle between used vs. new starts here. Parents with financial problems will obviously prefer used cars but they come with drawbacks. Used cars require regular maintenance and often break down. On the other hand, insurance and taxes will be less. Many students prefer to go for a used car and later customize it to their requirements, but they tend to go overboard and the cost eventually gets out of hand. It is not recommended that teenagers are allowed heavy cars and SUV’s as they are difficult to handle in emergency conditions and require a lot of driving experience. Generally sedans are far more stable than SUV’s.

Some tips before buying – if buying a used car, make sure you have got the car properly checked by a skilled mechanic. If one fails to do so and problems arise after the purchase, only you can be held responsible as there are no warranties. Teens also naively tend to take the sellers word for everything. One must make sure that he/she uses the CARAFAX Vehicle Reports to check for reports filed in the cars name. One should also check the mileage. A car with a mileage of around fifteen thousand miles per year is considered average.

Must have safety features – it is must for the car to have airbags and seat belts. Other than that, a new feature such as Electronic Stability Control helps in the braking. Different manufacturers use different names for this system.

Financing for teens – lets just say, leasing options are not the best for teens as they are likely to get bored with their car within a period before their loan is called off. So it is wise to avoid long term loans.

Car Insurance – insurance for teens is quite expensive as they represent a huge risk to insurance companies. It’s cheaper to add on a teen to a family package than a separate insurance program.

All teens must have knowledge about the fundamentals of driving before taking to the roads.