Many families purchase pre-owned cars for new drivers. These vehicles offer reliable modes of transportation without a high price range. Here are four pieces of advice to select the perfect vehicle for your teen.

4 Tips for Finding the Right Car for a New Driver

1. Size

Many adolescents use their vehicles to get to and from school and only need a small car. Those who play sports might want an SUV to carry softball bats, hockey sticks, and football padding. Teens who hunt and fish might want trucks to transport their catches, firearms, and fishing poles.

2. Safety

Some vehicles feature safety amenities that will help your teen behind the wheel. Consider rides that offer extras like backup cameras to make it easier to park. Search for pre-owned cars with anti-lock braking systems (ABS) to provide traction, keep the wheels on the road, and prevent skidding. Also, research air bags.

Read the Consumer Reports about the pre-owned vehicles you’re interested in to see which has the best safety rating during road tests. You can also check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ratings to learn how car models performed in rollover, side, and front crash testing.

3. Fuel Economy

Once they’ve purchased a pre-owned vehicle, many parents and guardians require their teens to pay for their gas. Select a model that offers the most mileage per gallon to save the teenager money and lower their environmental impact. You can learn about fuel efficiency by checking CarFax®.

4. Maintenance & Insurance Costs

Vehicles require maintenance to ensure they’re running efficiently and last for many years. Luxury and newer models will have more expensive parts, requiring additional maintenance and incurring more yearly costs.

Those with special features like navigation screens and backup cameras will also incur higher monthly insurance fees because these amenities are costly to replace. Keep all of these factors in mind when weighing their expenses with their benefits.

Families interested in purchasing pre-owned cars should visit Cornerstone Motors of Alliance in Stark County, OH, to browse their inventory. The dealership offers affordable trucks, SUVs, and cars. Call the Alliance-area company at (330) 680-9066 or visit the website for information on their CarFax® reports providing in-depth information about each available vehicle.