4 Things to Consider when Buying a Car for a Young Driver

Getting a car for a young new driver is not an easy decision. This is a car they will always remember and you want them to be happy. At the same time, you want them to be safe and you don’t want to break the bank. Cars may also be something you don’t fully understand and you might not know what makes a model good or bad for a new driver. Let’s take a look at 4 things you need to consider when buying a car for a young driver.

The Safety Ratings

One of the first things you’ll have to check is the safety rating for the car. This is probably the most important factor. Cars with high safety ratings usually react better to collisions. The safety checks also look for things like survival space, airbags, and the efficiency of seatbelts among other things.

Not only will your child be safer, but it might also allow them to save on insurance. Speaking of which, we suggest you looking for young driver insurance at the same time as buying the car. Young drivers can use this platform to compare prices between over 100 different insurers in the country. The car you buy will influence the cost of the insurance, so you’ll need to factor this in.

The Type of Vehicle

You will also need to be careful with the type of vehicle you buy. You probably want to go with something with a small engine to begin with. Learn how to read horsepower – anything over 200hp is probably too high, especially if you’re going to go with a smaller vehicle. Superminis are usually the best choice for new drivers since they tend to handle well, are cheap, and generally safe.

The Age of the Vehicle

You might be tempted to go for a vehicle that’s a bit older so that you can save money. But even if you only go back a few years, many new safety features may not be there. New models may have much greater safety ratings too, which means that you could end up paying too much for insurance with certain models.

Reliability

You should also check how reliable the vehicle is. You don’t want your son or daughter to end up stranded on the road and constantly having to pay for repairs. If you want to know how reliable a car is, a great place to start is with a mechanic. They will be able to give you a shortlist of vehicles to consider and vehicles you should avoid at all costs. 

Another great place to look is the Reliability Index. All you need is the car make and model and you’ll get a reliability score along with what you can expect to pay on average for repairs among other things.

These are all things you’ll need to pay special attention to when choosing the right vehicle for a new driver. This will allow you to find a vehicle that will be both safe, reliable, and affordable.