What is the Best Car to Lease for Teenagers?
The Best Car to Lease for Teenagers
Deciding on the best car to lease for teenagers depends on who is deciding — the teen or the parent?
Teens and their parents usually have different priorities when it comes to choosing a first car. As long as they are both willing to compromise, they can come to a mutual agreement.
What Do Teenagers Want?
Most teenage boys prioritize a car’s appearance, style, performance, features, and accessories. They prefer sporty, fast, and cool cars with great sound systems. Most teenage girls like cute, practical cars that reflect their personality and are fun to drive.
What Do Parents Want?
All parents prioritize safety and reliability when it comes to cars for their teens. For parents, the best car to lease for teenagers has the least maintenance and insurance costs. GPS technology is also a priority that will let the parents know where their teens are.
First Car Budget
An important issue for most teens and their parents when it comes to the best car to lease for teenagers is the cost of the car, which largely depends on whether the car is used or new.
A used car is usually going to be cheaper than a new car because new cars have high value depreciation during their first few years. On the other hand, older cars may be less reliable, have unexpected repair expenses, be less fuel efficient, have fewer safety features, and may not be as attractive as a newer model. Used cars should always be inspected by a professional mechanic prior to purchasing because they are often sold “as-is.” On the other hand, used cars have lower insurance cost and lower taxes.
A new car is usually going to be more expensive than a used car. It will have the latest electronics and safety features, have a manufacturer’s warranty, and be protected by lemon laws. Depending on the car, a new car may also get better gas mileage than the older model of the same car. Safety features are especially important, and new models normally have improved safety features such as stability control and all wheel drive (for colder climates).
The Best First Car to Lease for Teens
Because of the wide range in availability of used cars, our list consists of new car comparisons only. Keep in mind that used cars will have many of the same features as the new cars of the same make and model. The newer versions will typically have better safety features, more reliability, and improved gas mileage.
Honda Civic – Most people will agree that the Honda Civic is the best car to lease for teenagers. One of the most popular new cars among teens AND parents, the Civic has tons of desirable qualities including: economy, style, safety, reliability, low insurance costs, performance, and good size. Honda even produces a fuel-efficient hybrid version at a slightly higher price point. Used Civics are also reliable and retain their value well. A similar vehicle with more interior space at a higher cost is the Honda Accord.
Toyota Scion – The Scion is just one of the line of popular vehicles that Toyota has targeted towards young drivers. The Scion has many standard features, is inexpensive, fuel-efficient, and has great performance. The Scion also has great safety features such as side air bags.
Toyota Corolla – The Corolla shares many of the same characteristics as the Civic, and is popular among teenagers as both a new and used vehicle. It’s reliable, has good performance, and a roomy interior. Consider adding the stability control option when available, because it is one of the most effective safety features being offered on cars today.
Ford Mustang – The mustang is an iconic perennial favorite with teens due to it’s low cost, sporty good looks, and large variety of model and engine options. Consider that insurance costs are quite high for these models.
Nissan Sentra -This is a sensible car for teens, having many of the attributes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, but with a little less style. It is not as roomy in the rear, but it gets good gas mileage, is reliable, and has relatively low insurance rates.
Ford Focus – The Focus is a fun and sporty car that teens like. It has a firm yet comfortable ride with a number of engine options. There are no less than 12 different variations of this model that should allow almost any teen to be satisfied. Ford’s reliability and styling have improved in the last few years as well.