Question 1

New or used car for a teen driver?

Accepted Answer

Used, almost always. A 2–4 year old Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla gives you modern safety tech, known reliability, and a price that reflects the reality that teens are hard on cars. New car depreciation in the first year alone often exceeds $3,000–$5,000 — money better spent on insurance or a larger emergency fund.

Question 2

How much will insurance cost for a teen driver?

Accepted Answer

Expect $2,000–$3,500 per year for a teen driver on their own policy, depending on your state and the car. Adding a teen to an existing family policy is usually cheaper. Sedans from Honda and Toyota consistently come in at the lower end. Sports cars, large SUVs, and European brands all cost significantly more to insure for teen drivers.

Question 3

Does a teen's first car need AWD?

Accepted Answer

Only if you're in a genuinely snowy state — Minnesota, Wisconsin, upstate New York, Colorado. For most of the US, a good set of winter tires on a front-wheel-drive Civic or Corolla is safer and cheaper than AWD on all-season tires. If AWD matters, look at the Subaru Impreza (standard AWD) or Honda CR-V.

Question 4

What mileage is too high when buying a used car for a teen?

Accepted Answer

For a Honda or Toyota, 80,000–100,000 miles is not a dealbreaker if the service history is clean and a pre-purchase inspection comes back clear. These cars routinely go 200,000+ miles with basic maintenance. For less reliable brands, be more cautious above 60,000 miles.