The 10 Worst Cars For First Time Buyers You'll Regret & The 10 Best
Be Smart About Your First Car
As a first-time buyer, it's especially easy to get caught up in the excitement of owning your first vehicle. Let us be the first to tell you that this purchase can either be the biggest headache or one of the greatest joys of your life. Doing your due diligence before you buy will save you from tears of frustration down the road. When shopping around, your biggest indicators should be reliability and safety scores, cost, and fuel efficiency. That's not to say your car has to be nothing but practical. If driving fun is a priority for you, there are many options that straddle the best of both worlds. Here are the 10 worst cars for first-time buyers to avoid and the 10 best.
1. Chevrolet Camaro
The Camaro looks and drives like a muscle car. In other words, lots of horsepower, sticky tires, and poor handling make it unsuitable for new drivers. Wait until you're in your "dad car" era.
2. Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet has a knack for making hot, thrilling cars with a lot of power. The Corvette is known for being a smoother, more agile drive than the Camaro; however, a 755 horsepower racecar with a massive spoiler is still not the right choice for a newbie.
3. Dodge Challenger
The Dodge Challenger drives like a classic muscle car: lots of power, very stiff handling, raw, unmatched straight-line speed, and terrible on tight corners. If you're an experienced racer, you're probably thinking, "That sounds awesome," but put yourself in the shoes of a new driver, and you can see how it's a recipe for disaster.
4. BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 series is a good-looking sedan with professional appeal. However, being a luxury car, it's high-maintenance and expensive to repair, especially older models. That's why even if you find a used one at a steal, we'd advise against purchasing it.
5. Jeep Wrangler
Known for its off-road capabilities, the Jeep Wrangler is the stuff of dreams for many teenage boys. But be careful what you wish for, kid. The ruggedness of the Wrangler makes it a rough drive, uncomfortable, with poor fuel economy and an even poorer resell value.
6. Porsche 911
We don't know what kind of first-time buyer is in the market for a Porsche, but even if you are one of those lucky ones, we'd advise against it. This car is high maintenance and comes with a steep insurance price. Not to mention, it's fast, making it not very safe for new drivers.
7. Nissan GTR
The Missan GTR is an alluring, reasonably priced sports car. However, it scores low on handling, is expensive to repair, and (just a thought), maybe a 570-horsepower machine with lots of torque isn't the best idea for a new driver.
8. Dodge Ram SRT-10
Imagine a Dodge Viper in truck form, and you have the Ram SRT-10. It's a rear-wheel drive with a Viper engine: that's a lot of power concentrated on the back of a truck. Needless to say, it's not a good option for a new driver.
9. Hummer H1
If you were the type of kid who grew up playing with G.I. Joes, chances are you've dreamed of owning a Hummer, the civilian version of a military Humvee. However, there's a long list of reasons why this shouldn't be your first car, including that it's hard to drive, has a fuel economy so poor it'll make you broke, and has terrible visibility.
Giuseppe Patriarchi on Unsplash
10. Chevrolet Aveo
It's a good thing the Aveo was discontinued in 2011. While it was generally reliable, it scored low on safety measures, felt cheap, and lacked power. It's been replaced by the Sonic, which is a huge improvement.
Now that we've covered the vehicles that will leave you face-palming as a first-time buyer, let's talk about the ones that'll have you cruising in bliss.
1. Honda Civic
You've probably heard time and time again all the praises that go out for the Honda Civic. Well, those praises are well-deserved. The Civic is cheap to maintain, reliable, fuel efficient, and comes with some of the cheapest insurance rates.
2. Toyota Corolla
Another compact sedan with a stellar reputation, the Corolla has long been touted as one of the most reliable cars on the market. It has a five-star safety rating, great fuel economy, is a smooth drive, and will last you until you have kids of your own who need a ride.
3. Mazda 3
If you're looking for something that's still practical but has a little more driving pizzaz, the Mazda 3 gives the company's "Zoom Zoom" slogan a good name. It might set you back a few thousand more than the Corolla, but it's a lot more fun to drive, has a better infotainment system, and is arguably cooler-looking.
4. Mazda Miata
If you have your heart set on a sports car, the easy choice for the first-timer is the always splendid Mazda Miata. It's got the look and agility of a classic sports car without all the extra power. What's more, it's inexpensive to maintain and insure.
5. Subaru Outback
The Outback has garnered a reputation for being the top choice vehicle for outdoor adventurers, and for good reason. Its off-road capabilities are unmatched amongst cars in its class. It's also cheap to maintain and insure, reliable, and scores high on safety, making it an excellent first car.
6. Honda Fit
The Hoda fit is reliability, affordability, and driving ease all wrapped up in a cute little package. It also offers great fuel economy and a surprisingly spacious interior.
7. Honda CR-V
If you're on the market for an SUV, the CR-V is one of the most starter-friendly options out there. In addition to being one of the safest SUVs on the road, it's reliable, cheap to maintain, and has a spacious interior.
8. Honda Accord
One midsize sedan that's earned itself royal status in its class for its reliability is the Accord. It has a similar safety rating to the CR-V, is one of the cheapest used cars to buy and maintain, and is surprisingly powerful.
9. Kia Soul
Remember those ads of all the hip-looking youngsters looking like they were having the time of their lives in a Kia Soul? This car prides itself on its uber cute design, but that's not all it has to offer. It's also practical, reliable, spacious, and has a user-friendly infotainment system.
10. Hyundai Elantra
The Elantra has had a couple fewer decades to build its reputation as compared to the Corolla or Civic, but if giving those old faithfuls a run for their money is the goal, it's doing a stellar job. The Elantra is very affordable to buy and maintain and offers great fuel economy, reliability, and excellent standard features.
