Safe and Cheap: The Best Cars for New Grads

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Washington DC May 29, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that the WSJ said it's that time of year—high schools and colleges are handing out diplomas, which means a swath of parents will be considering whether to hand out car keys to send their new graduates into the world.

Joseph B. White at the Wall Street Journal writes that the challenge of finding a safe and practical car that is still in the price range of today's parents can prove to be something of a challenge.

He suggests implementing his plan, the Eyes on the Road "Teen Car Search System" using safety and crash-test information from the Web sites of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and quality and reliability scores from Consumer Reports, the nonprofit product-analysis publisher.

Additionally, he suggests filtering out vehicles that have already been labeled unsuitable for young drivers, such as pickup trucks, high powered sports cars, and very small cars.

So which vehicles make his cut? Used midsize family sedans like the 2004-06 Toyota Camry and the 2005-07 Honda Accord offer a good blend of safety and affordability.

He also mentions the 2006-09 Subaru Legacy and the Toyota Prius as viable options.

To read his full analysis on his methods for picking a vehicle for new grads, click here.

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