If you’re the parent of a teenager, you might be looking for a vehicle for your son or daughter to drive. Buying a vehicle for a teenager isn’t exactly the same as buying one for yourself or your partner. When you’re looking for a vehicle for your teenager to drive, they’ll likely have plenty of ideas on what would make a good first car. But since you’re the parent, you have the final say about what your teenager drives, and you probably have different criteria when you’re trying to find transportation for your child. Here are some of the most important features to look for when buying a car for a teenager.
No Outstanding Recalls
A manufacturer makes a recall when it’s determined that there’s something defective about the way that a certain vehicle was made, and you should determine if the vehicle that you’re thinking about buying has an outstanding recall. You’ll need to know the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the vehicle that you’re thinking about buying. According to Autotrader, you should then go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to type in the VIN. This site will give you information on all recalls for the vehicle, and you don’t even need to give out private information. If you find out that there’s a recall on a vehicle, you can still buy the car, but you should get the vehicle fixed right away. You would hate for your teenager to be in an accident because of faulty brakes, but you can have a recall fixed without even pulling out your wallet because the manufacturer pays for the fix.
Bigger and Heavier Is Better
To a certain extent, it’s better for your teenager to be in a larger vehicle because according to Boohoff Law, bigger, heavier vehicles tend to provide better protection in the event of an accident. But the absolute biggest on the road isn’t necessarily the ultimate goal. Large and heavy often means less fuel-efficient, which can be tricky for new drivers with after school jobs to afford. Too large is also hard to park if street parking is typical where you live. You don’t want your son or daughter to be in a vehicle that will crumple on impact, but you also don’t want your child to be driving a vehicle with a higher risk of rollover. A midsize sedan is a great car that is often recommended for new drivers.
Less Horsepower
This might be a point of disagreement between you and your teenager, but your child’s first car shouldn’t have race car levels of horsepower. It’s a temptation for many teenagers to test the limits, especially with speed. If your teenager has a car that has high horsepower and they give into temptation to go fast, they could put themselves or others at risk.
Buying your teenager’s first vehicle is exciting for your teenager even if it’s nerve-wracking for you. Take the time to think about what you’ll be happy about buying your teenager a couple of years from now, and think about what will make you feel confident that your teenager is safe today. You can also use a list of vehicles for teenagers to get some ideas.