The Scion tC: the number one choice for teen drivers - at least according to insurer USAA.
It’s that time of year. The kids are graduating and likely dropping hints it’s time to buy them a new car.
Maybe you’ll start them off with something used – or simply tell them to get a summer job. But if you’re looking to hand over the keys to a new vehicle, auto insurer USAA has a few tips.
It’s surveyed parents to find out what matters most to them – rather than their teens – and found 81% put a premium on reliability, 73% focus on safety and 62% say it’s important that the vehicle qualify for affordable insurance.
No mention of having in-car Facebook posting capabilities, we notice, nor a need for a 650-watt sound system with dual subwoofers.
The insurer then used to data to come up with a list of the Top Ten vehicles it would recommend for teen drivers.
“The goal of the list is to help members identify vehicles that offer better safety ratings, lower insurance premium costs, higher fuel economy, better overall reliability and lower MSRP compared to other vehicles in the same category,” said Steve Thompson, an assistant vice president with USAA.
While the list is likely to make parents reasonably happy it also seems to have a cool factor: no dowdy sedans or wagons among the bunch:
1. Scion tC
2. Nissan Cube
3. Honda Fit
4. Scion xD
5. Scion xB
6. Toyota Yaris
7. Honda Civic
8. Hyundai Elantra
9. Honda CR-Z
10. Kia Forte
There is one surprise, however, a complete absence of Detroit metal, no Ford Fiesta or Chevrolet Sonic, the latter one of the hotter small cars on the market right now.
Of course, the USAA isn’t the only insurer putting out a Top Ten list and it’s surprising how much of a difference they can be from one chart to the other.
Meanwhile, the reality is that most parents won’t start their novice driver off with an entirely new car. Most will turn to a used vehicle and as TheDetroitBureau.com reported recently, the list is significantly different when you’re looking at older models . CarInsurance.com focused on 4-year-old models, though it also put affordable insurance – no surprise – as its priority.
And that list had the Audi A3 at the top, with four Motown machines in its Top Ten. (Click Here for that list of the best cars for teens based on insurance rates.)