Top five cars for young drivers
With summer just around the corner, young people from all over will be evacuating classrooms and looking forward to hitting the open road. That means parents may soon be shopping for a teen-suitable vehicle, and to that end we’ve compiled a best-of list looking at factors including fuel consumption, price and ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
2016 Hyundai Sonata ($24,748)
At a starting MSRP of $24,748, the 2016 Hyundai Sonata is 19 per cent less expensive than other similar vehicles in its class. It’s more practical too, with approximately 3.2 per cent additional trunk space at 462 litres.
2016 Honda Accord ($24,150)
Honda has historically always performed well when it comes to safety, and the current Accord is no exception earning top marks from both NHTSA and IIHS. The latter gave the sedan a Top Safety Pick+ rating, meaning it held up to the five crash test categories of small overlap front, moderate overlap front, roof strength, and head and seat restraints, as well as possessing an above-average front crash prevention system.
2016 Volkswagen Passat ($23,295)
The Passat gets a spot on this list because of a thrifty 7.6 L/100 km combined city and highway driving fuel consumption, which is 3.3 per cent better than its competitors in the mid-size sedan segment. NHTSA awarded five stars for the family car’s performance in front crash, side crash and rollover resistance.
2016 Mazda3 Sport ($19,350)
One-upping the already good Passat in the fuel economy department is the Mazda3 hatchback that uses only 6.9 L/100 km in mixed city and highway conditions. The modest price point makes the five-door quite accessible, and the availability of a fun six-speed manual transmission sweetens the deal.
2016 Volkswagen Jetta ($15,995)
Buyers get a lot of car for the base price of a VW Jetta, clocking in just under $16,000. The efficient 1.4-litre turbocharged TSI engine with 150 horsepower provides plenty of oomph while consuming only a combined 7.1 L/100 km, and is safe achieving an overall five-star rating from NHTSA and recognized as a Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS.
