For parents, having their teen get their driver's license can be a frightening moment since no one likes to think of their son or daughter heading off behind the wheel alone for the first time.
Yet, many teens are very excited to learn how to drive, and it may be very convenient for your teenager to be able to drive himself or herself to school, to activities and out with friends.
In order to make sure your teen is able to drive safely, you'll need to be very careful about what type of car your son or daughter drives.
A flashy new car can be a big expense, can raise your insurance rates significantly and can make it more likely your child will take unnecessary risks.
Instead, it is far better to get your son or daughter a safe and reliable used car that will work to get him or her safely to the desired destination and back.
The first step in choosing a car for your teenage child is to do some research into what types of used cars are available in your area.
Buying a used car allows you to get a better, safer car for your money since you won't pay the premium on a new car.
Not only that, but you can get added features on a used car for far less than on a new vehicle and your insurance costs will not go up as much when purchasing used instead of new.
You should look at reliable used car dealerships and make a list of potential cars in your price range that might work for your teen.
Next, you should look up the models of cars that you are considering to find out their safety records and how they were reviewed.
Did the cars get good crash test ratings? Were they found to get good gas mileage, which is important to a teen who may not have a lot of money to pay for his or her own gas? Did the cars have an overall positive rating as being long lasting vehicles that are easy to drive? You should eliminate from your list any car that didn't get top marks in safety since teens are far more likely to get into car accidents than older adults are.
Once you have narrowed down your list of potential vehicles, you can consider contacting your insurance company to find out what the premiums might be for the cars you are thinking of.
Safety features on the vehicle can bring the premium price down while certain other factors can make it more expensive.
It is always helpful if your insurer will give you an idea of which car would be most affordable to insure.
Next, compare prices at your local used car dealership with prices on the Internet to make sure that the price of the vehicle you are considering is reasonable.
Once you have found that the price makes sense, you can go visit the dealership and negotiate a deal for the used vehicle of your child's dreams.