MichealMottiff Posted September 25, 2017 Share Posted September 25, 2017 Anyone is here who can tell me about cars? which one should i use as a newbie when i am starting to learn driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juilletmercredi Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 I'm not sure that there's any particular make or model that's especially good for "new drivers." One set of things you may want to consider are safety features that help people (especially new drivers), like rearview cameras and/or sensors, collision avoidance, warning, or mitigation systems, lane departure warning systems, etc. Those do tend to drive up the price of the car and are only found on later-model cars that tend to be more money (rear view/backup cameras are a bit older). I've read that midsized sedans are recommended for new drivers (think Toyota Camrys, Honda Accords, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, etc.) They're big enough to offer safety protection in a collision but not big enough to worry about handling or rollover like SUVs. Some sources also recommend small SUVs (like the Honda HR-V or CR-V, Mazda CX-3 or CX-5, etc.) for the same reasons. Several outlets advised against smaller cars because of less protection. I would also take this advice with a grain of salt. I'm willing to wager that most new drivers probably get compact sedans (Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla) or midsized sedans and do just fine. This Edmund's article recommends some cars that they say are the best for new drivers, but I think the list is subjective: https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/top-10/10-best-cars-for-teen-drivers.html. Keep in mind that outlets like Edmund's and U.S. News are trying to sell cars (and new cars, especially) and some of them have advertisement deals with certain marques. I like Consumer Reports' more comprehensive list a bit better, and I think for money's sake you can probably look at older models of these same cars as well: https://www.consumerreports.org/new-cars/best-new-cars-for-teens/ I drive a Nissan Sentra. It was the first car I drove on a regular/daily basis, and I bought it when I was essentially a new driver (I had been licensed for several years but only drove sporadically before now). It's fine. It has a backup camera but no sensors, which I wish I had when I was newer but don't really need now. A forward collision warning and/or mitigation system (where the car either warns you when you are about to hit something in front of you, or warns you AND applies brakes if you get too close) is also a nice touch for a newbie learning to drive, especially when you're first calibrating how to slow your car down to a stop behind other cars particularly in stop and go traffic or in places with lots of stoplights. It takes a bit of trial and error to learn how to slow your car down to the desired speed without yamming on the brakes all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakeruK Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 If money isn't an issue, then all the fancy features that @juilletmercredi mentioned are great. My only concern would be that while these are great features to have as an early warning system, it might not be a good idea to rely on them since, chances are, you'll end up having to drive cars without these features at some point. I would agree with @juilletmercredi that compact sedans are a great choice for new drivers. They are big enough to handle like a typical car, cheap enough for most first-time drivers, and easy enough to maintain for new car owners. My first regular car was the Chrysler Neon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Neon) but they don't make them anymore. My next car was a 2002 Chrysler Sebring (2nd generation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Sebring). I am now driving a Honda Civic. I learned to drive in a much bigger car though, which meant learning to park was a lot harder, but now that I'm driving smaller cars, it made the transition super easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskratsam Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 I'd look at safety ratings for sure if you are new driver. I like Subarus. An Impreza would be a good first car, or a used Subaru with ~50K miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now