Shopping for your teenager's first car can be tricky and difficult for parents. How does a parent know what to look for in their teen's first vehicle? What is the proper balance of desirability, practicality, and safety? By following these pragmatic rules amassed from the leading specialists, you will make certain that your teenager's first vehicle is practical, affordable, and above all else, very safe.

When shopping for your teenager's first car, a good rule of thumb is to purchase the safest car you can afford, and never scrimp on safety features. It is a sad statistic that car crashes are the number one killer of teenagers in America. According to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's 2008 Report:

"In the United States, teenagers drive less than all but the oldest people, but their numbers of crashes and crash deaths are disproportionately high. In the United States, the crash rate per mile driven for 16-19 year-olds is 4 times the risk for older drivers. Risk is highest at age 16. In fact, the crash rate per mile driven is twice as high for 16 year-olds as it is for 18-19 year-olds."

Safety should be the number one factor in choosing your teen's first vehicle when you consider that the crash rates for teenagers is so high (especially 16 year-olds). Look for an automobile with electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brakes (ABS), curtain air bags, and good crash-test results (found on the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's website). A Long Island car accident lawyer is vigilant to point out that traction control is not the same as ESC. ESC is tough to find on vehicles made before 2006, but will be a required feature starting with 2012 model-year vehicles.

In a perfect world, every parent would be able to afford to go out and purchase a new family car with the latest and greatest in safety features, but this of course is not the case. A Long Island car accident lawyer recommends purchasing a car with the greatest number of airbags available.

Consumer Reports put out a listing of their "Best Cars For Teen Drivers" for 2010. The Consumer Reports' list contains several small, lightweight cars, even though the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety warns against vehicles fitting that description. However, both groups do advise against larger SUVs and pickup trucks ("clumsy handling, poor fuel economy", prone to roll over) and sports cars (higher rate of accidents compared to other cars). The Consumer Reports list appears at the very end of this piece.

Contrary to popular belief, a bigger car does not equal a safer car. Larger cars are harder to manage than smaller cars, which are more nimble. Larger cars typically do not brake or steer as well as a smaller car.

A Long Island car accident lawyer and a Manhattan auto accident attorney (who know a thing or two about auto accidents) agree that bigger does not equal better when it comes to a teenager's first car. According to them, an ideal vehicle is a mid-size family sedan. This type of car posses a good blend of handling, fuel efficiency, and size. Mid-size family sedans are typically available with all the latest safety features.

After accumulating the top reports out there today, it turns out that the midsize vehicle your teen grew up riding in is now the perfect choice for their first automobile. But as stated above, do not just hand them the keys to a ten year-old vehicle, try to buy the newest and most safety-feature laden automobile that fits your budget.

2010 Consumer Reports Best Cars For Teen Drivers

Small cars: Hyundai Elantra SE (2008-present) $11,775-$18,695; Mazda 3 (2007-) $13,025-$19,070; Scion xB (2008-) $14,075-$18,630; Scion xD (2008-) $13,675-$16,620; Subaru Impreza (2008-) non-turbo, $13,700-$19,106; Suzuki SX4 Crossover (2007-) $10,150-$17,519

Family cars: Acura TSX (2004-) $13,725-$29,675; Honda Accord (2008-) 4-cyl., $17,725-$22,795; Kia Optima (2007-) 4-cyl., $9,900-$20,365; Toyota Prius (2004-) $11,750-$22,950; Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 (2006-) $12,825-$22,965

Small SUVs: Honda CR-V (2005- ) $13,300-$25,805; Nissan Rogue (2008- ) $16,550-$25,850