| Is there a best car for your teen? Well it | | | | is not recommended that teenagers are allowed |
| depends on who's deciding, the parent or the | | | | heavy cars and SUV's as they are difficult to |
| teen. Parents tend to have different aims and | | | | handle in emergency conditions and require a |
| priorities when it comes to buying their teen | | | | lot of driving experience. Generally sedans |
| a car. Even though many say it is difficult | | | | are far more stable than SUV's. |
| for the teens and their parents to come to a | | | | |
| mutual agreement, it is not impossible, | | | | Some tips before buying - if buying a used |
| especially if both the parties are willing to | | | | car, make sure you have got the car properly |
| compromise on a few areas. | | | | checked by a skilled mechanic. If one fails |
| | | | to do so and problems arise after the |
| Let's start with the teen's preferences and | | | | purchase, only you can be held responsible as |
| what they consider in vogue today. Teenagers | | | | there are no warranties. Teens also naively |
| tend to place several other factors before | | | | tend to take the sellers word for everything. |
| safety such as the appearance and style of | | | | One must make sure that he/she uses the |
| the car, its speed and performance and music | | | | CARAFAX Vehicle Reports to check for reports |
| accessories; and they also seem to lean | | | | filed in the cars name. One should also check |
| towards the cars that are the most | | | | the mileage. A car with a mileage of around |
| customizable. | | | | fifteen thousand miles per year is considered |
| | | | average. |
| What does a car mean to a teen? It reflects | | | | |
| the teen's freedom and character. Other than | | | | Must have safety features - it is must for |
| that it does the obvious of taking care of | | | | the car to have airbags and seat belts. Other |
| transportation. | | | | than that, a new feature such as Electronic |
| | | | Stability Control helps in the braking. |
| What is it that the parents want? | | | | Different manufacturers use different names |
| | | | for this system. |
| The first and foremost criteria for judging | | | | |
| their teen's car is the safety arrangements | | | | Financing for teens - lets just say, leasing |
| the car manufacturer provides. A low cost/ | | | | options are not the best for teens as they |
| second hand car is also preferred along with | | | | are likely to get bored with their car within |
| a check on maintenance costs. | | | | a period before their loan is called off. So |
| | | | it is wise to avoid long term loans. |
| The cost factor - the battle between used vs. | | | | |
| new starts here. Parents with financial | | | | Car Insurance - insurance for teens is quite |
| problems will obviously prefer used cars but | | | | expensive as they represent a huge risk to |
| they come with drawbacks. Used cars require | | | | insurance companies. It's cheaper to add on a |
| regular maintenance and often break down. On | | | | teen to a family package than a separate |
| the other hand, insurance and taxes will be | | | | insurance program. |
| less. Many students prefer to go for a used | | | | |
| car and later customize it to their | | | | All teens must have knowledge about the |
| requirements, but they tend to go overboard | | | | fundamentals of driving before taking to the |
| and the cost eventually gets out of hand. It | | | | roads. |