Question Best car for teen?

My daughter is turning 16 and i really need to start thinking about what car to get her. I want something that is safe, reliable, and has fair fuel economy. I heard that you cant really trust the crash safety rating because they simulate what would happen with an object equal or smaller than itself, is this true...? i also heard you want to get a newer car not older than 10 and you want it to be mid size or larger. I dont know where to start do you think you could give me the top 3 cars that meet these requirments but wouldnt make her embarrassed to drive? i also would like to keep it under $6000 but i will go up to $10000 because she is willing to pay half. Please and thank you!!!

Unregistered said:

I want something that is safe, reliable, and has fair fuel economy. I heard that you cant really trust the crash safety rating because they simulate what would happen with an object equal or smaller than itself, is this true...? i also heard you want to get a newer car not older than 10 and you want it to be mid size or larger. I dont know where to start do you think you could give me the top 3 cars that meet these requirments but wouldnt make her embarrassed to drive? i also would like to keep it under $6000 but i will go up to $10000 because she is willing to pay half. Please and thank you!!!

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Well, you can trust the crash tests, just understand that weight plays a huge part in occupant protection. When you look at any crash test results that are into a fixed-barrier, that simulates a crash at the same speed into the exact same car as the one being tested. For example, the IIHS tests at 40% and 25% offset into a fixed barrier at 40mph. That correlates to two identical cars hitting each other at 40mph (not 80 mph like many people misunderstand) however, head-on crashes with both vehicles going 40 mph is a quite severe accident none the less.

The reason they test this way is that it would be nearly impossible to test every imaginable combination of vehicles against one another, not because they're trying to hide anything. The IIHS did a great piece about it back in 2009 that I think does an excellent job explaining vehicle weight mismatches in collisions, so I recommend you review that as you're making your choice.
http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr041409.html

Let me think a bit about what I'd personally recommend and I'll post my "top 3" for your price range. In the meantime, check out iihs.org for a place to start looking yourself. I like IIHS over NHTSA because IIHS has a history of "pushing the envelope" in testing rather than just ensuring minimum standards like the NHTSA does. Every time IIHS comes up with a new test, the vehicle manufacturers invariably whine and complain that it's too stringent ... and then magically within a couple of years they all pass it with flying colors.

OK, so here are my Top 3 for you to take a look at with some pro/con:

1) 2006-up VW Jetta. Was an IIHS "Top Safety Pick" (TSP) for 2006, good mid-size weight, and fun car to drive. We owned a diesel one that I loved, but it wouldn't hack the hill we live on in the winter so had to get rid of it. You'd probably have to settle for the 2.5 gas motor version for your budget, but if you happen to find one with the TDI you'll be getting 38city/45highway. Not sure if kids these days think a TDI is cool, but if they're at all interested in energy conservation they will.

2) 2009-up Ford Fusion. 2008 IIHS TSP. Great overall car, based on the Ford Mondeo, which has been beloved in europe for years. Fun to drive, looks good, decent fuel economy.

3) 2006-2008 Subaru Legacy or Outback. 2006 IIHS TSP. Threw this in in case you were interested in AWD (didn't say what part of the country you're in) and/or a wagon.

And lastly, pretty much any Volvo you can get your hands on, although I'm leaving that off since I'm guessing most 16yo girls won't think they're particularly "cool"

After you do some looking around why don't you come back with your "top 3" and we can go from there?

Here are some ideas:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...index.htm?loginMethod=auto&copyrightYear=2013

My son is a year away from a permit, and probably a few years away from a car. I"m thinking something like a 2006 Hyundai Sonata fits the bill for being relatively inexpensive but also does reasonably well for crash safety.

Or maybe DW will be ready to hand down the Prius and get something new! (not likely)

Our oldest is 16, he doesn't want to drive until he is 18 though. My DH drives a 1997 Taurus and I have a 2005 Kia Sportage. The idea is he will learn in the Taurus and eventually he will get my Sportage.