Welcome! Thanks for joining us for part 2 of our series on best cars for young drivers. We’ve done our best to wade through the bevy of used cars on the market today to compile a great list of used vehicles that would make for perfect first cars for that teen driver in your life. In our last segment we looked at the Ford Taurus and Fusion, Honda Accord, Scion xB, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagon Jetta, and Audi A3. Today we’ll take a look at seven more vehicles, ranging from “compact” to “subcompact” in size.
Toyota Corolla
When you’re talking about used cars, the Toyota Corolla is a great choice for young and old drivers alike. It performs well, has a comfortable interior, is considered to be quite reliable, and is consistently ranked high when it comes to fuel economy. With conservative styling it’s far from “flashy” but since its reliability and safety that you’re looking for, we think “flash” can be bypassed for the time being.
Subaru Impreza 2.5i
Subaru’s Impreza is certainly a worthy alternative to other small imports and definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. This is a compact vehicle that’s very well suited to young drivers, as it offers impressive handling and standard all-wheel-drive. You’ll want to make sure to stick with the four-cylinder (base) model as it provides for a much better fuel economy verses its turbocharged counterpart.
Honda Civic
Honda makes another showing on our list, and for good reason, too. The Civic is a compact sedan that boasts impressive fuel economy and has longevity on its side in terms of use. It’s not as roomy as a full-sized sedan, but it’ll certainly get the job done – especially as a first vehicle for a new driver.
Ford Focus
The coupe (2-door) version of the Ford Focus is the most popular compact model in the Ford lineup. It definitely has a sportier look than the sedan version, and comes with a nicely styled interior as well as an affordable price. You can find some used versions that have been loaded with some pretty premium features, like Bluetooth interface and Ford’s hands-free “Sync” multimedia system.
Volkswagon Rabbit
You might know this one better as the “Golf”, as that’s what it’s been renamed. Regardless of what you call it, this VW is basically a four-door, hatchback version of the Jetta, making it a bit sportier in its appearance. And, just like other Volkswagon’s, it’s packed with practicality and clean European styling, both inside and out.
Honda Fit Sport
Honda’s third showing on this list is the subcompact Fit Sport, which is considered by some as the ideal car for young drivers. It’s nicely styled, has a surprisingly roomy interior, gets great gas mileage, and tends to handle better than most other small cars in its class. The Fit comes with a standard five-speed transmission which provides for an additional “learning experience”…that being how to drive a manual transmission vehicle in a successful manner.
Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
The Lancer is an economy, compact sedan that is often overlooked. However, it’s a nicely styled vehicle that certainly can hold its own when paired up against its Asian counterparts. When looking at the Lancer, you’ll want to stick with the base, four-cylinder engine and leave the “turbocharged” (GSR and MR Evolution) models to those who don’t mind paying a LOT more for insurance.
Well, that’s it! If you had to pick a “first car” off of this list, what would you choose? What do you think the new driver in your house would pick? Regardless of whether or not you have your mind made up or still have some deciding to do, those of us here at Anderson Credit Connection can help! So, stop on by and let us help you find the car you’ve been dreaming of!
