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Driver’s Edge Picks its Favorite Cars for Teen Drivers
Sep 01 2009 by Kristin Varela
As a parent of a 9-year-old girl, my biggest concern is fending off the occasional “how-old-do-I-have-to-be-before-I-can-get-a-cell-phone” inquiry. For parents of new teen drivers, life is exponentially more complicated: Which boys can she date, which college can she get into and what car should she drive that’s safe, cost-effective yet still cool enough to park in the commons? Our friends at Driver’s Edge have done all of the legwork when it comes to choosing a safe car for teen drivers.
Driver’s Edge is a nonprofit organization that specializes in giving teens real-life driving skills, which are taught behind the wheel as opposed to in the classroom. Their annual Top 10 Vehicles for New Drivers list can help parents make the right choice for their teen driver.
“The good news is that now, more than ever before, there are more cars to choose from with a variety of active safety features as standard equipment,” said Steve Tepper, president of Driver’s Edge. “This advancement in standard equipment makes more cars eligible for our annual list. It makes choosing our top 10 a bit harder, as you can see by the 11 we’ve chosen, but that’s a good problem to have. In years past, we’ve sometimes had trouble finding 10 that could even meet the criteria.”
Without further ado, the Driver’s Edge Top 11 Vehicles for New Drivers are:
• Ford Fusion
• Honda Civic
• Hyundai Sonata
• Mazda6
• Pontiac Vibe
• Subaru Impreza 2.5i
• Subaru Legacy 2.5i (2010 model year yet to be tested, but passes 2007-2009)
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Matrix
• Volkswagen Jetta
To make the Driver’s Edge Top 11, the cars had to meet the following criteria:
• Each of the selected models scored at least a four-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for both front- and side-impact crash tests in each of the last four years and received no less than an Acceptable rating in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
• Each car has a base price of less than $20,000 and offers an array of active safety features as standard equipment, including antilock brakes, airbags, stability control, etc.
• Each car has a wheelbase greater than 100 inches.
• Each car can meet these requirements for a period of four years (2007-2010 model years)
• Cost, reliability and vehicle styling have been considered but safety considerations weighed more heavily in determining the cars to recommend.
For more information about Driver’s Edge or to enroll your teen in one of their free real-world driving education programs in a city near you, visit DriversEdge.org.
User Comments
Ditto. My brainiac hubby bought my daughter a 82 Ford Econoline Shag Wagon van! And he wonders why I nag.
Great list, Driver’s Edge is such a great organization and the skills taught at their courses are invaluable. Unfortunately I do not see the 1995 Camaro on this list. A big thanks goes out to my ex-husband bought one for my 17yr old son this summer.