Planning to buy your teen their first car? It's an exciting time for both you as a parent and for your teenager, to have his or her very own car. These days, teenagers aren't willing to hop in just any old car. And buying your teenage kid the best car there is in terms of comfort, style, economy, and of course, the safest car in the bazaar is crucial to allowing them to familiarize themselves with car ownership.
Most first-bought cars for teenagers are often second-hand because it makes more economical sense for them to drive a cheap car, especially if they are still learning how to be better drivers.
So, this is likely to be a time where you’d be searching for used cars, but the best cars under $10,000 for your teen’s first buy because that’s a good price range to start and also likely to get you some good options. Here go our picks, but always remember to test drive it before you put down your money.
10 2016-18 Kia Soul: Practical, And Under $10,000
The Kia Soul makes for a good buy for your teen’s first car considering it's nicely styled, fun-to-drive, and comes in a compact hatchback format, perfect for a city commuter. The boxy shape ensures there is plenty of room for your teen and their friends, or stuff, and even as a second-hand car, it retains good fuel economy.
Another reason why is it is one of the best cars under $10,000 is the upright seating position that will give your teen a great view of the road.
9 2012 Hyundai Tucson: Perfect Teen’s First Buy
The Hyundai Tucson is double-edged in its appeal: comfortable as a daily driver and perfect for long road trips. It comes with high safety ratings and makes for a decent but not thrillingly fast ride, which in this case, is a good thing.
Since it can easily be found for under $10,000, it makes a lot of sense to give it to young and new drivers, given its lowest top speed. Call it a plush beater, but when it comes to a teen’s first buy, Tucson’s Clark-Kent personality holds plenty of appeal.
8 2014 Onward Nissan Altima: Safe Car Under $10,000
The Nissan Altima is a mid-sized sedan that has earned an NHTSA five-star rating from its 2014 model onwards, and 2016 onwards models also boast a rear-view camera, which many first-time drivers will find to be an absolute life-saver. Plus it comes with commendable fuel economy and boasts Bluetooth connectivity as well as a host of other modern creature comforts.
It makes for a great choice for your teen’s first buy and is rated as one of the best cars under $10,000 on the used car bazaar, with plenty of life in it to serve you for decades.
7 2000s Jeep Wrangler TJ: Teen’s First Fun Buy
Teenagers do deserve to have some fun, even if yours ends up boasting about his 1997-2006 “classic” Wrangler. A classic it is not, but the 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ generation comes safe, reliable, and are especially fun if you get the AMC 4.0-liter inline-six under the hood.
It makes for one of the best cars under $10,000 because Wranglers also hold on to their value, so once your teen is grown and moves on to his or her next ride, you can sell it off for almost the same money you bought it for. Plus, they are easy to fix.
6 2015-17 Ford Focus: Safety Conscious Under $10,000 Buy
From 2012 onwards, every Ford Focus model got a five-star rating from NHTSA, be it the sedan or the hatchback. But it’s from 2015 onwards that every Focus got a backup camera, with blind-spot detection and lane departure warnings, as a standard across all models.
Another cool bit is MyKey, a program that lets parents add limits to the car’s speed and radio volume, and also seatbelt alerts. This way even if your absent-minded teen forgets about safety, you have proof in hand for the lecture.
5 2013 Onwards Honda Accord: Japanese Perfection Under $10,000
The Honda Accord has remained the best and best-selling car in the U.S. since 1985, some nine generations down. In 2013, it was the second best-selling car in the U.S. with more than 360,000 units sold.
It comes as a coupe or a sedan, with two engine choices of a tame four-cylinder that makes 185 horses, or a 278-horsepower V6. It also holds a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS, so it makes for a safe and best car for your teen’s first buy.
4 2012 Onwards Toyota Camry: Safety Is Number One Pirority
The Toyota Camry is another Japanese car in the U.S. that falls in most best-selling lists, and most who buy one new tend to keep it for the long haul. This means that your under-$10,000 Camry is likely to be well-ridden, but even so, it makes for a good teen’s first buy.
Its high safety crash-test ratings make it one of the best-used cars under $10,000 and can put your mind at ease, as can the NHTSA's five-star ratings. It also gives great mileage and can be bought on a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
3 2016-2017 Volkswagen Jetta: Plush, Small Teen’s Buy
When it comes to VW and its sedans, the Jetta is the smallest on offer, making it a plush buy for teens who are worried about driving vehicles that are too large. Both the 2016 and 2017 models were IIHS's Top Safety Picks and both come with vehicular front crash prevention, which should make nervous parents a lot more relaxed.
Another reason why the Jetta makes for one of the best cars under $10,000 is that it gives great mileage and comes feature stuffed as well, enough to keep your teen happy with their first buy.
2 2011 Onwards Mazda3: The Best Car Under $10,000
The Mazda3 is nigh well unbeatable as one of the best-used cars under $10,000 of 2021 for your teen’s first buy, considering it has excellent crash test scores and that it comes in a compact, easy-to-manage size.
It's fuel-efficient, reliable, and fun to drive as well, so it won’t be a boring car for your teen either. They are also spacious on the inside and give good mileage. Plus, being a decade old, they have plenty of tech in them to be a good teen’s first buy.
1 2014 Onwards Subaru Outback: Spacious Teen’s First Buy
The Subaru Outback was one of the first crossover vehicles back when it first debuted, although now, this segment has mushroomed into a massive salesforce of its own. The good thing about the Outback is its ruggedness and both it and the Legacy come with standard all-wheel-drive, allowing them to venture just about anywhere.
Most come with a four-cylinder engine for enough power, but not too much; although, there’s a V6 engine in there as well. Overall, these make for comfortable, safe, and reliable cars for your teen’s first buy.
Sources: KelleyBlueBook, Forbes