Your Kid’s First Car… The Steps to Ease Your Mind of Worries
- February 16, 2009
- Other
- Posted by Runde Auto Group
- 1 Comment
Buying a first car for your kid can be a nerve-racking process and making up your mind about how much horsepower is too much can definitely cause stress. Worries of them being in a safe, reliable car can lead to an endless search of what you should buy and with what features. To ease the process a bit, here are some quick tips to follow while making a decision on purchasing your kid’s first vehicle.
1. Size (buy a tank)
Several people may think that mid or small-sized cars are the way to go in terms of a first car as they are the “common” type of car that people are comfortable driving. In actuality, however, having a larger car might be a better bet for your kids if you are thinking safety. Larger cars often absorb more force impact from accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration these beasts score significantly better than compact or small sized vehicles.
2. Be Modest (don’t let them have that high speed sports car they dream about)
It is best to be simple when it comes to buying the first car for your kid. Don’t go for the sleek looking racer with the loud exhaust and wing, or a 2-door coupe (2-door cars are considered sports vehicles by most insurance companies). Not only will you save money with insurance by not having a high-performance/sports vehicle, but you can also be more assured that your kid is not out trying to be Speed-Racer with his or her set of new wheels. In the end, you’ll save money and avoid reckless driving accidents by going for a simpler vehicle.
Cars manufactured after 1995 generally have ABS and airbags implemented as a safety feature. ABS (antilock brake system) prevents the vehicle from skidding around and going out of control in the event of an emergency stop. Essentially the ABS feature allows the driver to steer the car while slamming on the brakes because it prevents the wheels from locking up by using a pulsating brake action. Keep in mind, however that ABS can eventually malfunction on an older car as it is an electronic feature. So be sure to keep the car well maintained and checked frequently. The airbags are installed generally in the vehicle dashboard or steering wheel. Upon impact, the air bag deploys to absorb the impact force of the human driving. You may not think about the airbags when you get in your car everyday to drive it, but you should probably give it a thought or two before buying a car for you teenager. Airbags have prevented countless injuries in the Tri-State area over the past decade and a half.
4. Front or all-wheel-drive (show the road that your kid can handle all environments)
Front and all-wheel-drive cars offer greater traction control in harsher road conditions such as snow or rain than rear-wheel-drive cars. Not only will your kids be better prepared in the event of unpredictable weather, but it will also prevent over-steering (fishtailing) if the car begins to skid as front/all-wheel-drive will under-steer which is easier for the new driver to deal with. There aren’t too many cars out there nowadays that are strictly rear wheel drive, but remember you can always give us a call at 800-947-8633 if you’re wondering if a certain model is FWD, AWD, or RWD.
One of the most important things to do before buying a vehicle is to make sure you do the proper research before committing to one particular car. After selecting something that you may be interested in, be sure to look up reviews of the vehicle, check out comparable vehicles that might have better features, and make sure it lives up to the safety features that you are looking for your kid to have.
6. Have the car checked out (don’t buy a ticking time-bomb)
When you have picked a car out for your kid that seems like a winner, the last step should be to actually have the car checked out professionally. Take the car to a mechanic you trust and have them do an inspection of the vehicle to make sure everything is properly working and are no signs of potential future problems. Yes, you’ll probably have to pay for the inspection … but it’s better that walking blindly into a money pit.
7. Let us help you (we can provide you with what you need)
We will be more than happy to provide you with the best car for your children. Remember that the cheapest car is not always the best car and it almost goes without saying that you usually get what you pay for. Accommodating to your needs is very important to us and we want what is going to be safest for your kids. You can check out our inventory 24/7 on the Runde Auto Group website.
Here is a quick list of cars we found to be safe and reliable as a first car for your new driver. All of these cars are highly rated in crash tests according to www.safercar.gov
- Buick LeSabre
- Chevy Lumina
- Chevy Impala
- Ford Contour
- Ford Focus
- Ford Taurus
- Mercury Sable
- Saturn SL-4
- VW Jetta & Passat
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