Best Car for Teen Drivers
For parents, when their teenager first starts driving it can be very traumatic. Parents wonder if their kids are going to be responsible in the car. But the greatest stressor is choosing the perfect car for them. Well since autonomous cars aren’t here yet and there are plenty of teens that are getting on the road by themselves for the first time, I have chosen the 2016 Chevy Malibu as the best car for first drivers.
Power in the car is enough for the teen to have some fun while not making the parents have a cold sweat. The turbocharged I4 in the L, LS, and LT trims produces 160 HP. The I4 has enough power to handle modest acceleration and provides snappy responses. For the Premier trim, there is an even snappier V6 that makes 250 HP while the hybrid is generating 124 HP. That hybrid is designed for cruising around town and is the safest bet.
Oh, by the way, the hybrid gets 47 MPG in the city and 46 MPG on the highway! Even the gas V6 gets 22 in the city and 33 on the highway while the I4 gets 27 in the city and 37 on the highway. For teens paying for their own gas, the Malibu is your savior!
Teens feel that they always have to trade the styling they desire for the safety that their parents want. Chevy eliminated this trade off by designing the new Malibu with the teen in mind. Outside, the Malibu features a crisp, aerodynamic design. The lines take inspirations from Audi and there is even a little Tesla flair when looking at the wheels in the Premier trim.
Inside, there is a simple cabin with leather surfaces if you option in the LT trim. It’s pretty standard and classic Chevy with everything easily accessible. Better yet, teens can hook up their phones and use a slick interface with the optional Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The car also comes equipped with Wifi in the midrange trims.
Safety is also a biggy in this baby. It has an impressive five star NHTSA crash rating and a cool gadget that lets parents make sure that their little teens are driving like they should. Powered by OnStar, it is called Teen Driver. It scores teens on their driving and sends the results to their parents. The system can also mute the radio when seatbelts aren’t buckled and can blare reminders to teens that feel the urge to speed.
There is also a multitude of preventative safety measures in the car. Lane Keep Assist, front and rear Automatic Braking, and Cruise Control are available on the Malibu. Pretty astonishing for a sub $35,000 car!
Speaking of price, the Malibu starts at $22,500 for a basic L trim. If you want all of the tech and safety goodies, I would suggest the 2LT trim for $28,495, but make sure to add the Convenience and Technology pack for $895 and Driver Confidence pack for $1,195. Leases are also pretty good when it comes to the Malibu.
