A father putting on his seat belt in his teen son’s first car.

Tips for choosing the first car for your teen to drive

Help beginning drivers enhance their safety by considering these suggestions for their first car.

When your teenager is ready to drive, finding the right car can be a tough decision. Especially, since teen drivers tend to have a higher crash rate. Choosing the right car may contribute to improved driving choices and offer better crash protection. Some of the factors you may want to consider are safety, reliability and price.

You might want to include your teen in this process. They can share their thoughts, as well as understand what should be considered in making the decision.

Safety

Here are some car considerations to help keep your new driver safe:

Reliability

Before buying a car, you'll want to verify that it is dependable. Some things to ask before you buy are:

Price and responsibility

  • If shopping for a used car, consider having the vehicle inspected by a trusted third-party mechanic.
  • See that your teenager is aware of the costs of car ownership including loans, insurance, maintenance and gas.
  • Knowing how much traffic fines can be might be a strong incentive for improving driving safety.
  • Parents could use the costs associated with driving as a bargaining point. For example, a parent can agree to cover gas if the teen adheres to the terms of a parent/teen driving agreement.
  • If you have State Farm auto insurance, you and your teen can watch their driving progress by monitoring the Steer Clear® app, available with the Steer Clear discount program. You may also want to consider Drive Safe and Save® to increase potential savings.

After you've done all the groundwork and you're ready to purchase a car for your teenager, it's relatively easy to get an insurance id card to prove that you have insurance and to add or replace a vehicle on your existing insurance policy.

From Car Seat to Driver’s Seat™, State Farm believes in educating the public about the importance of vehicle, driver and passenger safety. Check out more tips and tools for teen driver safety.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with State Farm® (including State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates). While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. State Farm is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
State Farm Indemnity Company
Bloomington, IL

State Farm County Mutual Insurance Company of Texas
Richardson, TX

Start a quote

Select a product to start a quote.

Find agents near
you or contact us

There’s one ready to offer personalized service to fit your specific needs.

Related articles

Teen driving 101: a step-by-step test of essential driving skills

Before letting your teenager get behind the wheel, consider going over this driver skills checklist.

Teen driver safety tips for prom and graduation season

While helping your teen plan, parents can advise about safe driving on the big night.

What drivers should be ready to do if they are pulled over

It's likely to happen, so advise your children what to do when pulled over by police.

Information about intersection rules and red light cameras

Running a red light is a bad idea, but in some places it can also mean a surprise ticket.