The best cars for teens often don’t coincide with the cars they actually want. Let’s look at the most popular cars for teenagers from the parents’ perspectives, then from the kids’ point of view, before all these recent grads head off to college.
This has been a staple in college and university parking lots for decades, literally. The Toyota Corolla is a fuel-saving, dependable and practical compact sedan. It has tons of space for the luggage needed to get to college. It also has the relaxed personality that tells a parent that their “child” won’t be out roadtripping to the Vegas strip every weekend with their buddies.
The modern Corolla has a sportier attitude than ever, so it’s not horribly uncool. And the student savings account won’t drain quickly either, because 36 mpg highway and 28 mpg city are quite efficient. A 1.8-liter 4-cylinder with VVT is spunky enough to go to study group, and not too much more.
The VW Golf is a good blend of function and frugality. Even though its stubby tail end makes it look tiny, the Golf has over 52 cu. ft. of cargo space. There’s room for four adults inside the car as you travel from the dorm to town. The interior is quirky enough to satisfy an academic student and toned down enough to make a parent comfortable.
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A turbocharged 1.8-liter gas engine is found in the Volkswagen Golf. Although it’s small, it packs a decent punch of 170 horsepower. Great for the city and highway, and reliable enough that there’s no excuse NOT to come home on school breaks and weekends. It’s definitely one of the best cars for teens.
The Honda Civic has the compact design that every parent thinks their child wants, the tame yet reliable engine options of a 2.0-liter gas engine or 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-banger, and the angelic attitude that will keep their child out of trouble. But that only applies to the Honda Civic Sedan.
What’s even better is an EPA-rated 40 mpg highway and 28 mpg in the city. The Honda Civic (sedan, of course) has the safety features parents want to keep their child safe, much like a bubble.
If the parents are buying, they get to pick the car. When budget is a major factor, the Hyundai Elantra is a top contender. A two-door hatch or sedan can be found for under $15k, equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 137 horsepower. Sorry, kids. If you want a more powerful car, you should’ve started saving your weekly allowance when you were 8.
That said, the Elantra is a decent car for the money. It’s reliable, extremely good on gas at 37 mpg highway, and has a good power equipment package. Kids, it has a radio. Just be happy it has one.
If you’re paying for a parking spot in square footage, pick the Chevrolet Spark. It’s tiny on the outside, yet the interior is surprisingly spacious.
What’s also tiny is the engine bay, holding a 1.4-liter Ecotec engine that spits out just 98 horsepower. If you’re concerned about Junior racing his student car, you can erase that worry with the Chevy Spark. Easily one of the best cars for teens, and one of the most fuel efficient cars.
The only thing more fun that top-down cruising is off-roading with the top down. The Jeep Wrangler is the perfect vehicle to grab a few good friends and spend time in the sunshine.
The 3.6-liter engine and extremely capable 4WD will get you in and out of trouble before your parents even know you left the school parking lot.
It’s iconic, retro, and quite a bit of fun to drive as well. The Volkswagen Beetle is a popular choice, especially among girls. Most Beetle owners and drivers have a similar personality to their car – unique, bubbly and the life of the party.
With 33 mpg highway and 2 4mpg city, the VW Beetle is an economic choice too. But forget the mpg – mash the pedal to the floor and crank up the tunes on the Fender premium audio system.
“There’s no replacement for displacement.” The 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is almost every teenager’s wet dream. The throaty exhaust sound makes the Hellcat go fast when it’s standing still…and then you shift into drive. You’ll rocket to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. You might need to borrow from your student loans for gas money too.
Be careful not to get your college car impounded. It will be hard to explain why your parents need to pick you up from school for Thanksgiving.
You have two choices: the classic pony car from the ’60s or the brand new model. Forget all that junk in between, including the fox body. Get a drop-top Ford Mustang, guys and gals, and you’ll always be the center of attention.
Again, fuel efficiency should not be looked into when you’re buying a Mustang. You don’t actually plan on driving responsibly, so those numbers go right out the window. If you pick the new Mustang with the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 with 435 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, there’s only two speeds: fast and parked. So it’s probably not one of the best cars for teens, but they definitely want one.
Those who want to be different than everyone else yet not fall behind, look at the Subaru WRX STi. This is a compact sedan with 305 horsepower from a flat-plane 4-cylinder. It’s built for the track but meant for the street. It’s a go-fast machine with the astonishing power and performance that will keep a teenager behind the wheel forever.
The unfortunate tendency is the need to drive “Fast and Furious”-style. That results in speeding tickets and bad decisions, so don’t tell your parents that when you’re car shopping.
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