Best Used Cars for Teenagers

If you have a new teenage driver in the home, we know how important it is for them to have a dependable and safe vehicle to learn on and gain experience driving until they feel safe and secure. If you live in or near Chalmette, Houma, or Jefferson, you can find a great selection of used vehicles at Premier Clearance Center Metairie. Following are some recommendations, but whether these models are your first choice for your teen or if you have an idea already, you can explore our inventory of used vehicles for the one that is perfect for your new driver.

Safety First and Foremost

Let’s face it, driving can be dangerous, and for new drivers driving is more dangerous because they lack experience. Choose a vehicle that is safe; most newer vehicles have amazing technology and are equipped with some high-tech safety features to help keep your teen driver safe. When making the decision about what vehicle your teen driver should driver, here are some features to look for that will help keep them safe:

• Blind Spot Monitoring: Using sensors or cameras, this feature scans a vehicle’s blind spot for other vehicles and if you attempt a lane change when a vehicle is detected, an audible and visual alert warns you of the potential accident.
• Forward Collision Monitoring: Using sensors located at the front of the vehicle, this feature scans the road ahead for obstacles or vehicles and alerts the driver if they get too close to the object with an audible or visual alert. In many vehicles, if the driver doesn’t respond in a timely fashion the system will automatically apply brakes to avoid a collision.
• Stability Control System: A safety feature tied to a vehicle’s anti-lock braking system (ABS) to apply braking to corresponding wheels to correct a vehicle slide.
• Traction Control System: Also tied to ABS, this feature uses ABS to control acceleration to avoid spinning wheels when reduced traction occurs on a driving surface.
• Anti-Lock Braking System: This feature pumps the brakes to maximize stopping power in an emergency.

Recommended Used Vehicles for Your Teen Driver

Starting out, it’s good to know what models to look for, many of the following models may have several or all the recommended safety systems for your new driver. The following models have high safety ratings and are a solid recommendation for first-time drivers.

• Toyota RAV4
• Honda CR-V
• Mazda3
• Mazda CX-5
• Subaru Crosstrek
• Ford Taurus
• Toyota Prius
• Honda Civic
• Toyota Camry
• Hyundai Elantra
• KIA Forte

These vehicles represent some of the safest models for new drivers with high safety ratings for multiple airbags, large side curtain airbags, or driver-assistive safety features, especially in vehicle model years 2014 or newer. For the best vehicles for your teen, consider Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles. Usually, these models are less than six model years old, and many will still have the original manufacturer warranty intact. This choice also improves your chances of having some cutting-edge Driver-Assistive Safety Features onboard to help protect your new teen driver.

If you are ready to get your teen’s first vehicle, check out our inventory and set up a test drive so that you both can have more peace of mind about the vehicle you selected.