What’s The Best First Car

What’s New And What’s Leftover

Like the redesigned Civic, the new Accord rides on the same underpinnings as its predecessor, but styling is all new. Honda’s chrome unibrow look is gone, replaced by slim LED headlights and a crosshatched grille. The new car shares its 111.4-inch wheelbase with the 10th-gen car yet is longer overall, a dimension emphasized by a sharp continuous crease along its profile running from each headlight to each taillight.

Around back, the Accord has new LED taillight arrays, each housed under a single curved surface. This isn’t a full-width rear light, but rather, narrow strips of glowing red that frame a dainty Honda badge at the center of the Accord’s rear end. Speaking of, Honda sculpts a convincing take on the four-door coupe trend onto the bones of the old Accord, punctuated by a cute duckbill spoiler integrated with the trunklid.

There’s a hint of the original Audi A7 and the elegant California-only, hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered Toyota Mirai from the rear three-quarter view. This isn’t an exceptionally beautiful car, but the design and detailing communicates a mature elegance lacking from some others in the segment and from the previous Accord’s excited surfacing.

Honda is pushing the hybrid system as its premium powertrain you can’t get leather upholstery with the 1.5T setup, and range-topping trims are hybrid-only. Not to mention, among gas Accords, neither trim offers the midsized Honda’s most impressive feature.

What Are The Best Seats Youve Ever Experienced In A Car

This weeks question to you, members of the Hagerty Community, is based on your experience while ensconced in the cars of your past and present. Which one had the best seats?

I came up with this question after buying new seat foam for a pair of bucket seats in an old Mercury. Holy cow, the difference between 50-plus-year-old foam and its modern replacement simply cannot be put into words! What can be explained are reasons that inspire you to choose a seat for multiple reasons, as theres a fair bit of science in these critically important components.

A well-sorted seat is crucial to having a pleasant experience in an automobile. Saab knew this, and went into painful detail in its sales literature in the 1980s. It ensures you know why its seats are soft at first but supportive till the last mile. Saab explained how the chairs adjust for everything, including a variety of thigh lengths.

Seats must do a lot of things while appealing to a wide cross-section of body types and safety regulations. My choice for the best seat Ive ever sat in comes from a vehicle I neither own nor have spent a significant amount of time with: the Mercedes-Benz W124 E-Class.

/10 Toyota Corolla Compact Sedan

Without a doubt, the Toyota Corolla wouldn’t have the distinction of being the best-selling car of all time if it wasn’t the best in its class. Pound for pound, the Corolla is up there with one of the best for its functionality, everyday performance and its legendary reliability.

Throughout its twelve generations, the Corolla just keeps on getting better, with the way Toyota never stops in improving what’s already a great car. It is such a dependable car that would just rack up the mileage without a hitch.

Read Also: How To Put Freon In Your Car

/10 Honda Fit Hatchback

When it comes to owning a subcompact car, the Honda Fit is definitely one of the best out there. It has class-leading interior space, thanks to Honda’s ingenious ULTR seats that are multi-functional, perfect for your needs for cargo space, or simply for stretching your legs when you need to take a nap.

Best of all, the 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine in the Fit has plenty of pep in its step to go with its excellent fuel efficiency, regardless if you wanna have the CVT or the 6-speed manual. Suffice to say, it’s a sporty little hatchback for the daily commute.

What To Look For When Buying Your First Car

Car insurance is one of the biggest cost considerations for new drivers first time car insurance typically costs more until youve gained some experience, as youre considered a higher risk driver in your first year on the road.

Thankfully, you do have some control over your insurance costs, and you can keep them as low as possible by choosing a car thats cheap to insure.

Cars are grouped in categories from 1-50 based on how expensive they are to insure .

You can learn more about car insurance groupshere.

The good news for new drivers looking for a cheap first car is that cars in lower insurance groups are typically more affordable to buy.

Read Also: How To Build A Drift Car

Combine Safety And Style

Your teen’s vision of their first car is probably based on a specific make, model, color, and ultimately, the cool factor. Meanwhile, you simply want them to be safe. The good news is that new cars have great safety features, so you can balance the two and see your teen drive away as happy as they are safe.

Best First Cars For Any Driver

Besides buying a house, purchasing your first car is a huge decision and one of the largest purchases you will make. Purchasing your first-time car is an exciting experience and will lead to a pathway of new adventures however, this is only the case if you buy the best first car for your needs and budget. Buying the wrong vehicle could be a costly mistake and will only take you down a path of regret.

Your first car needs to do a lot of things besides fit into your budget. Your first vehicle, and every car after that, need to safely transport you and your passengers as well as all your cargo. Your car should be an extension of your personality and should offer you many years of trouble-free and enjoyable rides. Taking the time to shop around carefully will be a rewarding experience, so enjoy the car buying experience if you want to fully enjoy your first car and get the most out of it.

To help you find a good first car, we have compiled a list of some popular options for good starter cars. Sit back and enjoy the read your new car may be on this list you just don’t know it yet.

You May Like: How Do I Register My Car In Colorado

Car Shopping For Your Teen In Todays Market

If you began shopping for a car, you may be keenly aware that new and used car inventories look ridiculously tight. The semiconductor chip shortage, supply-chain disruptions, and other factors have hamstrung car manufacturers, reducing production and strangling inventories.

The trickle-down effect even crippled the inventory of used cars, though its beginning to ease up some. Without new cars to sell, dealers dont generate trade-ins. Consequently, used and new car prices skyrocketed higher than usual, and dealers are less likely to bargain on price.

RELATED: Is Now the Time to Buy, Sell, or Trade-in a Car?

What all of this translates into for you as a shopper is that you must work harder, research more, remain patient, and be willing to compromise. The odds of finding exactly what you want at the price you want to pay are not in your favor. In other words, any feature, including color, that isnt a basic need is something you should be prepared to trade off. When you find that vehicle for your teen that you can live with and afford, buy it. Chances are good that it wont linger on the lot for long.

The 15 Best Cars For Beginners And Young Drivers

In this section, we will review the safest cars for teens and the best cars for first-time drivers. For each vehicle, we will review its specs and compare its pros and cons. We will be reviewing the base level model for each vehicle. As prices are subject to change with your region we will use the following price guide.

Price Range: $

Specs: 1.5 liter engine with 130 horsepower

Pros: The Honda Fit is a great little car with a lot of personality for a steal of a price. This car runs on the smell of an oily rag but has a large enough interior to comfortably fit five people. Its practical, reliable and will cost you barely anything in maintenance.

Honda cars are notoriously built like tanks, so expect to have this car until it literally falls apart around you. With a touchscreen in the base model and a host of safety features, this would be our pick .

Cons: The Honda Fit is practical, but it isnt pretty. If you are looking for a car with style you might not be impressed by what the Fit has to offer. The speakers in this car are also not very impressive, but those are easily swapped out for a little extra time and money.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of Spiders In Car

/10 2019 Toyota Corolla

Theres a reason Toyota has wound up on this list twice! They have a reputation for safety as well as durability, which is why the classic Corolla is a great choice for anyone whos looking for a practical sedan. Toyotas Corolla built its reputation by offering great value for the money, solid fuel economy and industry-leading quality. It retains these attributes for 2019 while also adding a great package of safety features,Kelley Blue Book explains.

The publication adds that Corollas offer a smooth ride and are easy to navigate, making it a great choice for anyone whos still a bit nervous while hitting the road.

Aeb Yescrash Safety Four Stars

Kias compact Picanto is a winner when it comes to affordability, with an auto S able to be driven home for less than $20,000. Easy to drive and spacious for its size, it’s a cinch to park thanks to its ultra-compact proportions. Those after a hot hatch on a budget could do much worse than the peppy turbo-triple GT manual.

AEB is standard as well, minimising the chance of front-to-rear accidents, however the Picanto only scores four stars in ANCAP testing due to low results in pedestrian protection, safety assist and child occupant protection. Adult occupant protection, meanwhile, was rated highly.

Don’t Miss: How To Set Up Garage Opener In Car

Lexus Nx 450h+ Premium Pack

List price £54,100Target price £53,434

Our current favourite plug-in hybrid offers a tempting blend of frugality, practicality, competitive pricing and a plush interior

Heres your starter for 10: what does a plug-in hybrid have in common with the humble octopus? Answer: multiple hearts. You see, rather than having a single heart to perform all of its circulatory systems duties, the octopus evolved with three hearts to take on individual assignments, enabling it to not just survive, but thrive, in various environments.

And its much the same story with PHEVs. By having both a petrol-powered heart and an electric one, these machines are the masters of different environments. Theyre capable of zero-emissions running around town, but their internal combustion engines mean longer journeys dont have to be planned around stops for charging up.

And some PHEVs are evolving particularly quickly. Take the Volvo XC60 Recharge T6. When it was launched in 2020, its official electric range was 33 miles. Since then its risen to 48 miles not only cutting petrol bills for private owners, but also dropping the model into the appealingly low 8% company car tax bracket.

Were testing both cars against the Lexus NX 450h+, which comes into this contest as the dominant species. It was named Plug-in Hybrid of the Year at our 2022 Car of the Year Awards, thanks to its impressive efficiency, competitive list price and great interior.

What Makes A Good First Car For New Drivers

When youre learning to drive it makes sense to get a small car that youll find easier to place on the road and squeeze into parking space. That said, even a tiny car like the Volkswagen Up has enough space to squeeze in four adults, and the larger Polo feels genuinely roomy.

Most small cars come with a choice of petrol and diesel engines that cost buttons to run, and insurance costs are low. Small cars are much better equipped than they used to be. Most come as standard with air-con and some form of an infotainment system. Many even get autonomous driving aids like active cruise control and lane assist.

Don’t Miss: Where Was The Car Invented

Aeb Yescrash Safety Five Stars

The Mazda CX-3 has been updated many times since its 2015 release date and is still very much in-vogue. Sure, others have moved on in infotainment terms, but the CX-3 retains an affordable purchase price and quality cabin feel. Its a shame the boot is so small.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder thats plenty adequate for the CX-3s spry 1185 kilogram kerb weight. The six-speed manual is a sweet thing, and an auto is only a small up-charge of $2000.

What Are The Best First Cars For New Drivers

Buying your first car is a very special moment, but with so many options out there how do you choose? Heres our guide to the top 10 cars for a new driver.

25 September 2020: 10 June 2022

Learning to drive is a major milestone in life. Once youve finished your lessons, passed your theory test and aced the practical exam, youll finally get to the good part getting your first set of wheels.

Choosing your first car can feel like a challenge, however. You have so many things to think about, including how much itll cost, how you plan to use the car and whether this one or that one will best meet your needs. With all of that in mind, heres our guide to the 10 best first cars you can buy.

Read Also: How To Get Into Car Racing

The Best Cars And Suvs For Teens

Heres how we broke down our selections. If your budget allows for a new car, you can visit Kelley Blue Book to research the trim level that comes with the greatest number of safety features. But for most people, buying used is the most cost-effective way to go. Thats why we focused on vehicles that are broken down by price, from below $20,000 to those that cost less than $5,000.

We based pricing on the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price range. Where a model offers both a sedan and hatchback, we used pricing for the sedan.

All of our picks for the best used cars for teens under $20,000 come with the advanced safety and driver-assist features listed above. They all have at least a Good rating in at least five of the IIHS crash tests, but almost all the vehicles here are a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. Also, these vehicles get lauded for their reliability, as well as their fuel economy.

Older vehicles are often not available with all of these features, but the ones we selected have many of them and performed very well in NHTSA and IIHS testing. And generally speaking, the higher the trim level you can find, the more safety features the car is likely to have. If you arent sure which trim level to look for, you can always refer to Kelley Blue Books Expert Reviews for more detailed information.

The New Vs Used Car Dilemma

The benefits and drawbacks of buying a new car vs. buying a used car for your teen are simple to explain but potentially difficult to choose between them. A new car costs more upfront but requires less maintenance and fewer repairs. A used car can bring the vehicle cost down but may pose more repair costs sooner.

Even if a used car is cheaper to insureit could end up being more costly in the long run if it breaks down. You may find an excellent middle ground in a used car that’s a newer model with minimal mileage. Learn more about insurance when buying a used car.

You May Like: Can I Register My Car Online In Ma

What Is The Best Engine Size For A First Car

Insurers will want you to buy the smallest engine you can, so its probably best to stick to a 1.0-litre unit. Thankfully, the latest 1.0-litre engines from the likes of Ford, Volkswagen, and Renault are much better all-round performers than they used to be, so venturing out onto the motorway isnt an exercise in endurance.

What To Consider When Buying A First Car:

When youre buying a first car, for you or someone else, its a unique purchase. Youre buying for someone who doesnt have much experience, which changes their needs. With a higher chance something could go wrong, a first car should be safe, cheap, and easy to fix.

Here are some general rules for buying a first car:

If youre buying your own first car

• What can you afford? One limitation on what your first car will be is how much you can afford to spend. If you cant afford a new car, or dont want to drive a cheap vehicle, check the second hand market.
• Your driving ability: If youre not a confident driver, dont drive a car with a V8 engine! If youre a P-plater, youre also probably restricted to low powered cars.
• What your needs are: Your first car shouldnt be the car you really want, but it should be the car you actually need. You can always get something fancier later in life.
• Do you need a car? Its not so strange to live without a car these days a combination of public transport and GoGet can replace owning a car and save you thousands each year. Its worth checking out whether GoGet works for you.

If youre buying for a first car for a teenager

Also Check: What Type Of Battery Is A Car Battery