Aug. 05--The first car is one of the most memorable purchases of a lifetime. For teens, it offers independence and tangible confirmation that they are driving headlong into adulthood. In a word, a first car is freedom.
It's exciting for parents, too, especially before the black abyss of tuition payments. But it is a complex consideration fraught with the safety concerns of the driver and financial obligations of the backer.
The time-honored tradition of passing along the family truckster is still alive and well, but with the proliferation of advanced safety features and the reality of our hyperconnected technological culture, the Olds Cutlass Supreme with the bench seats and the tape deck (my first legacy car) may not make much sense.
Safety pays
"Cost is a big issue for parents when they're looking for a teen," said Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). "But spending a little more will get a vehicle that has the characteristics that will protect a teen if a crash happens."
Modern safety equipment is especially beneficial to inexperienced drivers. Not only are cars better equipped to absorb crashes, they are loaded with equipment to prevent them.
Side curtain air bags: The number of air bags that come standard in cars has increased in the past decade, from the two front air bags to upward of 10 in places such as the seat belt or under the dash for knees. The most important development has been side impact or curtain air bags, which protect the head and chest area in the event of crashes from the side.
Electronic Stability Control): ESC automatically applies brakes to individual wheels when a car is skidding, to correct understeer and oversteer and help prevent a panicked driver from overcorrecting into a rollover crash. NHTSA mandated it on all new cars manufactured after September 2011. It is considered the most significant safety feature since the seat belt.
Stay connected
Remember the CD player? Forget it, because it's being phased out in newer cars. If there isn't at least one USB port in a new car, it feels outdated (we're waiting, Volkswagen). Chevy has already gone wireless, turning its lineup of cars and trucks into wireless hot spots enabling up to seven devices to be connected.
Technology is not limited to connectivity. The latest infotainment systems have built-in navigation, roadside assistance, voice commands, text message readback, phone storage -- everything imaginable to keep the phone put away and keep the driver relying on the car's internal systems, which aren't as distracting. Most systems cost extra.
The technology also extends to driver safety features, such as lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, blind spot alerts and the backup camera, which has been mandated in all cars starting with model year 2018. Most new cars already have them.
Cost
Of course, consumers are paying more than they ever have for new cars, with the average transaction price of a new car tipping $33,000 -- which, incidentally, was about the average cost of tuition and fees at a private college in 2014-2015, according to the College Board.
Excuse me, I just fainted.
Fortunately, the IIHS last year addressed the unreality of buying your teen a new car by coming up with its first recommended used car list for teens. If considering a used car, make sure to do a free VIN check to determine vehicle incident history.
Our suggestions are based on new cars because their costs are easier to calculate. Rader suggests parents plan ahead when buying a car for themselves by considering what it will need to have to be safely passed on to their teen. Chances are a used model would save you money and still satisfy your priorities. We only recommend cars with a Top Safety Pick rating or above from IIHS and tried to keep the MSRP for base models under $20,000.
MSRP and total cost of ownership numbers come from Kelley Blue Book's online calculator. Total cost of ownership factors in fuel, insurance, maintenance, registration, depreciation and possible financing fees.
Honda Fit
The Civic, or even the subcompact crossover HR-V could, ahem, fit here, but the collapsible magic seats and overall wagon versatility in the Fit are a deal-maker. The 60/40 rear split-seat bottoms fold up to provide 4 feet of vertical space, ideal for teens expected to be on the move in their bohemian phase.
Base price: $16,060
MPG: 29 city, 37 highway
Total cost of ownership: $28,018
Read the review.
Kia Soul
The quirky Soul is one of the more fun cars on the list -- not fun to drive so much as fun to be in. Similar to the expressive, distinctive Scion youth brand from Toyota, the Soul is a tall urban hatch with a lot of personality couched in family-oriented practicality. Don't opt for the 18-inch wheels, as they lead to a rougher ride. You may struggle keeping it under $20,000 with all the customizable options, such as the panoramic sunroof and 8-inch touch screen, but the base model comes well equipped.
Base price: $16,015
MPG: 24 city, 30 highway
Total cost of ownership: $29,900
Read the review.
Mazda 3
Mazda makes some of the most complete cars on the road, perfectly balancing striking designs with modern interior appointments, along with the SkyActiv blend of optimizing fuel economy while maximizing driving pleasure. The 3 embodies all these traits and comes in hatch and 4-door varieties. For the teen who enjoys driving, we recommend the hatch ($2,000 more) with a manual transmission. And it's a Top Safety Pick + when you ante up for the advanced safety features.
Base price: $18,815
MPG: 30 city, 41 highway (automatic)
Total cost of ownership: $30,069
Read the review.
Chevy Sonic
The only all-U.S.-built subcompact, Chevy's Sonic offers enough interior touches and roominess to elevate it over its competitors at this price point. The technological capabilities, including the MyLink infotainment system with some of the better voice recognition on the market, is what will sell it, however. We like the large vehicle info display and prefer the sedan over the hatchback, which is unusual. Top Safety Pick was for models built after February 2015.
Base price: $15,070
MPG: 26 city, 35 highway
Total cost of ownership: $30,108
Hyundai Elantra
This sedan could be the most adult car on the list and, subsequently, the best value. We were impressed with the overall value when we tested it in 2014, and that's only going to improve since the 2017 redesign will hit the market in early 2016. It's one of the roomiest for passengers on the list and is a seamless bridge car from college to career.
Base price: $18,075
MPG: 28 city, 38 highway
Total cost of ownership: $31,793
Read the review.
Subaru Impreza
You know what you're getting with Subaru: standard all-wheel-drive and an available suite of safety features from its EyeSight advanced crash avoidance system. The Impreza comes as a four-door compact or the preferred wagon ($500 more). Consumer Reports ranked it a top pick of 2015. Even though the Starlink infotainment system has been updated to be competitive, the 7-inch touch screen is not cutting edge. It does offer parents a chance to educate kids on the joys of a CD player, however.
Base price: $18,990
MPG: 28 city, 37 highway (automatic transmission)
Total cost of ownership: $31,864
Ford Focus
The Fiesta is smaller in every aspect yet gets nearly the same fuel economy as the Focus. The refined Focus can be had for under $20,000, and economy can be boosted to 40 mpg highway with the 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbo EcoBoost engine.
Base price: $19,785
MPG: 26 city, 36 highway
Total cost of ownership: $34,153
Toyota Prius
Any of Toyota's compacts can make a safe and reliable -- if not bland -- first car. The subcompact Yaris has hatchback versatility, while the Corolla has a better engine (go with the CVT, not the 4-speed), is better appointed and is larger inside. The Corolla got five stars from NHTSA; Yaris got four. Neither was a Top Safety Pick from IIHS, but the 2015 Prius was, which is why we recommend it, though it's all about function over form. The longer you own the Prius, the more money you'll save over the initial hybrid upcharge. With Toyota set to roll out a new and needed Prius for 2016, some good deals should be available on the outgoing model.
Base price: $25,035
MPG: 51 city, 48 highway
Total cost of ownership: $34,633
Read the review.
Volkswagen Golf
The Golf and its six variants have swept the best of 2015 lists and earned North American Car of the Year and Motor Trend's Car of the Year. For good reason. Only the Mazda 3 can compete with the Golf for fun, economy, versatility and value. Great first car, great urban car, great road car, a Top Safety Pick, the Golf is all-around good.
Base price: $18,815
MPG: 25 city, 37 highway
Total cost of ownership: $35,710 (based on 2014)
Read the review.
Jeep Renegade
The Renegade is the outlier on this list. The subcompact crossover is a Jeep, so it's not very fuel-efficient or roomy, and it hasn't been safety tested by IIHS or NHTSA. But it has removable roof panels. Remember the friend with the Jeep Wrangler, the beach car, the party car, the truly unsafe-for-teens car? The Renegade has a feature called My Sky, which lets you remove the roof panels manually over the front and back seats. It's like a Jeep but simpler, safer and full of teen appeal.
Base price: $18,990
MPG: 24 city, 31 highway
Total cost of ownership: Not available
Read the review.
rduffer@tribpub.com
