If the time has come for your teen to start driving, finding the safest, most reliable vehicle for them means careful planning and weighing several options. You may want to indulge their whims and let them take the wheel, but doing so isn’t exactly the smartest move. Before dropping by a car dealership, here are a few things you should factor in when making a buying decision.

Why Picking the Right Car Is Important

Not all cars are built with safety as a priority; some are made to be fast, furious, and fancy. You don’t want to spend money on something that will likely harm your child, so it’s best to first determine which cars are the highest-rated overall. Once you've drawn up a list of possibilities, read car reviews online, get advice from friends and family, and visit a car dealership for a test drive.

What Should Be Your Top Considerations

When deciding, consider these four factors: safety, size, reliability, and affordability. Begin your search by going over the compiled list of safest cars from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Check their safety features, such as curtain airbags and electronic stability control, and verify crash test ratings at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website as well.

And when it comes to size, mid-sized sedans strike the right balance between protection and maneuverability. Sedans are smaller and easier to handle than SUVs but provide a substantial amount of protection against crashes, something that compact cars lack. If you have safety down pat, you’ll then need to decide whether to buy used or new, which primarily depends on reported reliability of car models. It’s okay to buy pre-owned, but be sure to purchase from a trusted car dealership. Doing so ensures that your teen driver won’t run into some mechanical failures down the road that would cost you a lot in repairs, maintenance, and fuel.

Choosing the right car for your teen can be intimidating. But the team at FacilDeal Auto Center can ease your stress by offering sound advice and showing you your best options. As the leading car dealership in Polk County, FL, they carry a wide selection of reliable certified pre-owned cars to meet your budget. Call (863) 588-2159 or visit them online to view their impressive inventory.