6 best fresh cars for teenage drivers: safe, efficient, and all less than $20,000
Lots of fortunate teenagers get a fresh car in the summertime, either because they’ve graduated from high school or because they’re heading off to college in the fall. If you’re a parent and you’re thinking of getting your kid a fresh car this summer, this list of the six best cars for teenage drivers is an essential read. Before you take a look at our recommendations, however, it’s significant to understand how we determined the finalists.
Each of the six vehicles listed below had to meet the following criteria:
- Under $20,000* with an automatic transmission
- “Top Safety Pick” or “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and 5-Star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash test rating
- Tooled with Bluetooth at the price requirement
- Suggested with text-messaging support capability as an option or on a higher trim level
- Weighs more than Two,700 lbs. for better crash compatibility with larger vehicles
Now that you understand how we define a safe vehicle, let’s take a look at the models that meet these criteria:
2016 Chevrolet Sonic LT Automatic
Chevrolet got the Sonic’s recipe just right, blending style, value, practicality, efficiency, technology, and spectacle in one affordable vehicle.
Chevrolet’s second-smallest suggesting (the pint-sized Spark being the runt of the litter) is certainly not puny on upsides, garnering a Top Safety Pick rating and suggesting a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, and Siri Eyes-Free for iPhones at a price that starts at well under $20,000. You can have your Sonic in sedan or hatchback form, and with a manual or automatic transmission.
Top it off with a respectable twenty eight mpg in combined driving, and you’ve got possibly the best all-around compact for youthful drivers.
- $Legal,420 (sedan), $Nineteen,020 (hatchback) plus $875 destination charge
- 28 mpg in combined driving (sedan and hatchback)
- Two,753 lbs. (sedan); Two,726 lbs. (hatchback)
2016 Honda Civic LX Sedan CVT
The redesigned Civic is one of the most sophisticated cars in the compact segment.
The country’s best-selling puny car is back and better than ever for 2016, and offers the same combination of safety, reliability, and value we’ve come to expect from Honda. The base LX model starts at $Nineteen,440 with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), but adding an extra $1,000 gets you the Honda Sensing safety package, which includes forward collision warning, lane departure warning, a collision mitigation braking system, and road departure mitigation system, and industry best for safety tech on such an affordable trim level.
If you can budget in the extra grand for Honda Sensing, we very advise that you do so.
- $Nineteen,440 plus $835 destination charge
- 35 mpg in combined driving
- Two,751 lbs.
2016 Kia Soul +
Base Kia models have 130-horsepower, a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Not fairly a hatchback and not fairly a puny crossover, the Kia Soul is the oddball of the group, but that hasn’t stopped it from being a surprisingly-popular vehicle. With a Top Safety Pick rating and an extraordinaire list of standard features – not to mention more style and attitude than many entrants on this list – there are few reasons not to consider buying a Soul as your teen’s very first (or next) fresh car.
- $Eighteen,420 plus $850 destination charge
- 26 mpg in combined driving
- Two,714 lbs.
2016 Mazda3 i Sport Automatic
The Mazda3 is stylish, refined, joy to drive, fuel-efficient, safe, and loaded with technology.
The Mazda3 is our dearest puny car of an amazingly competitive segment, and achieved the two thousand sixteen Daily News Autos Award for Best Puny Car. Naturally, it’s safe, fun-to-drive, efficient, and excellent value, and could be the right car for your child. With up to thirty four mpg in combined driving and available in sedan or hatchback form, it seems there’s a Mazda3 for everyone, especially at a base price of less than $20,000.
- $Legitimate,895 (sedan); $Nineteen,595 (hatchback) plus $820 destination charge
- 34 mpg (sedan), thirty three mpg (hatchback) in combined driving
- Two,930 lbs. (sedan); Two,931 lbs. (hatchback)
2016 Subaru Impreza Two.0i
The Subaru Impreza comes tooled with 148-horsepower, a Two.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 5-speed manual or continuously variable transmission, and a standard AWD system.
Subaru has spent the past few years setting fresh sales records for their company, and when you look at the numbers, it’s not hard to see why. The affordable all-wheel drive Impreza is a large part of their success, and with a winning combination of efficiency, value, and practicality, it’s hard to go wrong. The base Two.0i is available with a CVT and in sedan and hatchback form, and gives you the peace of mind that weather-ready all-wheel drive provides, especially for fresh drivers.
- $Nineteen,295 (sedan); $Nineteen,795 (hatchback)
- 31 mpg in combined driving
- Trio,032 lbs. (sedan and hatchback)
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T S w/Technology Automatic
For 2016, Volkswagen made the Jetta even more appealing, especially if you’re planning to spend less rather than more money on a fresh set of wheels.
The Jetta has been a staple of youthfull drivers for decades, and not much has switched in that department for 2016. With the available technology package on the base S trim, you get VW’s suite of apps, Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera, and the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick + designation, all for a total price of less than $20,000 for the 6-speed automatic. Talk about good German engineering.
- $Nineteen,775 plus $820 destination charge
- 32 mpg in combined driving
- Trio,025 lbs.
*Price cap does not include the destination charge
Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share it using the “Join the Conversation” buttons below, and thank you for visiting Daily News Autos.
6 best fresh cars for teenage drivers under $20, zero – NY Daily News
6 best fresh cars for teenage drivers: safe, efficient, and all less than $20,000
Lots of fortunate teenagers get a fresh car in the summertime, either because they’ve graduated from high school or because they’re heading off to college in the fall. If you’re a parent and you’re thinking of getting your kid a fresh car this summer, this list of the six best cars for teenage drivers is an essential read. Before you take a look at our recommendations, tho’, it’s significant to understand how we determined the finalists.
Each of the six vehicles listed below had to meet the following criteria:
- Under $20,000* with an automatic transmission
- “Top Safety Pick” or “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and 5-Star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash test rating
- Tooled with Bluetooth at the price requirement
- Suggested with text-messaging support capability as an option or on a higher trim level
- Weighs more than Two,700 lbs. for better crash compatibility with larger vehicles
Now that you understand how we define a safe vehicle, let’s take a look at the models that meet these criteria:
2016 Chevrolet Sonic LT Automatic
Chevrolet got the Sonic’s recipe just right, blending style, value, practicality, efficiency, technology, and spectacle in one affordable vehicle.
Chevrolet’s second-smallest suggesting (the pint-sized Spark being the runt of the litter) is certainly not puny on upsides, garnering a Top Safety Pick rating and suggesting a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, and Siri Eyes-Free for iPhones at a price that starts at well under $20,000. You can have your Sonic in sedan or hatchback form, and with a manual or automatic transmission.
Top it off with a respectable twenty eight mpg in combined driving, and you’ve got possibly the best all-around compact for youthful drivers.
- $Legitimate,420 (sedan), $Nineteen,020 (hatchback) plus $875 destination charge
- 28 mpg in combined driving (sedan and hatchback)
- Two,753 lbs. (sedan); Two,726 lbs. (hatchback)
2016 Honda Civic LX Sedan CVT
The redesigned Civic is one of the most sophisticated cars in the compact segment.
The country’s best-selling puny car is back and better than ever for 2016, and offers the same combination of safety, reliability, and value we’ve come to expect from Honda. The base LX model starts at $Nineteen,440 with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), but adding an extra $1,000 gets you the Honda Sensing safety package, which includes forward collision warning, lane departure warning, a collision mitigation braking system, and road departure mitigation system, and industry best for safety tech on such an affordable trim level.
If you can budget in the extra grand for Honda Sensing, we very advise that you do so.
- $Nineteen,440 plus $835 destination charge
- 35 mpg in combined driving
- Two,751 lbs.
2016 Kia Soul +
Base Kia models have 130-horsepower, a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Not fairly a hatchback and not fairly a puny crossover, the Kia Soul is the oddball of the group, but that hasn’t stopped it from being a surprisingly-popular vehicle. With a Top Safety Pick rating and an awesome list of standard features – not to mention more style and attitude than many entrants on this list – there are few reasons not to consider buying a Soul as your teen’s very first (or next) fresh car.
- $Legal,420 plus $850 destination charge
- 26 mpg in combined driving
- Two,714 lbs.
2016 Mazda3 i Sport Automatic
The Mazda3 is stylish, refined, joy to drive, fuel-efficient, safe, and loaded with technology.
The Mazda3 is our dearest puny car of an exceptionally competitive segment, and achieved the two thousand sixteen Daily News Autos Award for Best Petite Car. Naturally, it’s safe, fun-to-drive, efficient, and excellent value, and could be the right car for your child. With up to thirty four mpg in combined driving and available in sedan or hatchback form, it seems there’s a Mazda3 for everyone, especially at a base price of less than $20,000.
- $Eighteen,895 (sedan); $Nineteen,595 (hatchback) plus $820 destination charge
- 34 mpg (sedan), thirty three mpg (hatchback) in combined driving
- Two,930 lbs. (sedan); Two,931 lbs. (hatchback)
2016 Subaru Impreza Two.0i
The Subaru Impreza comes tooled with 148-horsepower, a Two.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 5-speed manual or continuously variable transmission, and a standard AWD system.
Subaru has spent the past few years setting fresh sales records for their company, and when you look at the numbers, it’s not hard to see why. The affordable all-wheel drive Impreza is a large part of their success, and with a winning combination of efficiency, value, and practicality, it’s hard to go wrong. The base Two.0i is available with a CVT and in sedan and hatchback form, and gives you the peace of mind that weather-ready all-wheel drive provides, especially for fresh drivers.
- $Nineteen,295 (sedan); $Nineteen,795 (hatchback)
- 31 mpg in combined driving
- Trio,032 lbs. (sedan and hatchback)
2016 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4T S w/Technology Automatic
For 2016, Volkswagen made the Jetta even more appealing, especially if you’re planning to spend less rather than more money on a fresh set of wheels.
The Jetta has been a staple of youthfull drivers for decades, and not much has switched in that department for 2016. With the available technology package on the base S trim, you get VW’s suite of apps, Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera, and the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick + designation, all for a total price of less than $20,000 for the 6-speed automatic. Talk about good German engineering.
- $Nineteen,775 plus $820 destination charge
- 32 mpg in combined driving
- Trio,025 lbs.
*Price cap does not include the destination charge
Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share it using the “Join the Conversation” buttons below, and thank you for visiting Daily News Autos.