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Oct 2009  |  By Jill Ciminillo  |  Comments

Baby's First Wheels

Safe and practical cars for every teen.

The thought of your teen driving is enough to give you gray hair. Sure, the government says they’re old enough and they’ve passed the test … but still. The fear is there. So, even if your son or daughter wants a hot little Nissan GT-R or a fast-and-sassy BMW Z4, if you’re buying anything, you’re buying a tank. Failing that, you want the safest, most reliable and most cost-effective car you can buy.

Fall is a great time to get a good deal on 2009 models that dealers are trying to unload. I’d recommend new over used simply to get the most up-to-date safety features.

Here are three super-safe cars with comparables, to put your mind at ease about having your teen at the wheel. Even better, I’ll tell you how to pimp these rides—à la MTV—for your teen.