When you were a teenager, car priorities might have revolved around flashy styling, powerful engines, and enough space to pile in all your friends. But with hindsight, the ideal first car for a teen should prioritize affordability, dependability, safety, and fuel efficiency. For parents and teenagers seeking the Best Cheap Cars, this list focuses on vehicles that meet these crucial criteria, offering reliable service from the high school parking lot and beyond. While a $10,000 budget doesn’t stretch as far as it once did, these 10 used cars for teenagers represent excellent value and practicality. We’ve organized them roughly by size, starting with the smallest.
1. 2016 Smart ForTwo
Forget about impressing friends with space or engine power; the 2016 Smart ForTwo is about practicality in its purest form. This two-seater hatchback, powered by an 89-horsepower engine, excels in fuel economy, conquering parallel parking challenges, and naturally limiting passenger capacity. Safety isn’t compromised for size; the Smart’s Tridion safety cell is engineered to withstand significant impacts, providing peace of mind for parents concerned about their teen driving the smallest car on the road.
The 2016 redesign brought improvements to the ForTwo, including increased shoulder room, a smoother powertrain, and enhanced safety features like electronic crosswind correction. This updated model is a superior choice over earlier versions and can often be found for under $10,000, making it a surprisingly best cheap car option for its unique niche.
alt text: 2017 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet parked on a city street, showcasing its compact size and open top
2. 2017 Hyundai Accent
Stepping into more conventional territory, the 2017 Hyundai Accent offers a practical and cheap car choice for teenagers. Available as both a subcompact sedan and a five-door hatchback in the 2017 model year (the most recent Accent year commonly available under $10,000), the Accent is known for its ease of driving and fuel efficiency. Finding a used model within budget might even mean inheriting some remaining factory warranty coverage, adding extra assurance.
For those fortunate enough to stretch their budget slightly, the newer 2018 Accent, sometimes available at this price point, offers further enhancements. It boasts improved fuel economy and crash-test scores, along with the addition of a backup camera – a particularly helpful feature for new drivers still honing their reversing skills, making it a strong contender in the best cheap cars category.
alt text: Side view of a red 2017 Hyundai Accent sedan driving on a paved road with green trees in the background, demonstrating its sleek and modern design
3. 2015 Honda Fit
The Honda Fit is a subcompact hatchback engineered for versatility and longevity, making it an ideal best cheap car for teenagers transitioning into adulthood. Its compact size and fuel efficiency make it perfect for city driving and parking in tight urban spaces. Yet, its interior is remarkably spacious for its class, easily accommodating belongings for college moves or even a child safety seat as families grow.
The current Fit generation, launched in 2015, is particularly recommended. This iteration brought significant improvements in safety, fuel economy, and highway driving performance, alongside standard safety features like a backup camera, even on the base model. This combination of practicality and safety solidifies the Honda Fit as a smart choice for parents seeking cheap cars for teenagers.
alt text: Front three-quarter view of a silver 2015 Honda Fit parked in a suburban driveway on a sunny day, highlighting its compact hatchback shape and practical design
4. 2016 Kia Soul
Another small hatchback that defies expectations in terms of space and practicality is the Kia Soul. Widely available for under $10,000 in its 2014-2019 generation, the Soul offers a unique blend of SUV-like and car-like attributes. Its elevated seating position and generous cargo area provide a sense of spaciousness often associated with SUVs, while maintaining the handling agility and fuel efficiency of a car.
This generation of the Soul also stands out for its refined interior and robust build quality. This is a significant advantage for teenagers who tend to keep their first car for an extended period; the Kia Soul won’t feel like a disposable, low-quality vehicle, adding to its appeal as one of the best cheap cars available.
alt text: Angled front view of a blue 2016 Kia Soul parked on a city street, showcasing its boxy yet stylish design and distinctive headlights
5. 2018 Nissan Sentra
Moving into the compact car segment, the 2018 Nissan Sentra presents itself as a compelling option in the realm of best cheap cars. While it may not garner the same attention as the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic, this lower profile translates to better affordability on the used market. You can often find a newer Nissan Sentra for under $10,000 compared to older, higher-mileage Corollas or Civics. The Sentra prioritizes practicality over sporty driving dynamics, offering a spacious cabin, excellent fuel economy, and good outward visibility.
Crucially, the 2018 model year introduced standard safety features that are particularly beneficial for teenage drivers. Every 2018 Sentra includes automatic emergency braking, a system that can prevent or lessen the impact of collisions, along with a rearview camera for safer reversing. For budget-conscious buyers considering older models, prioritizing a 2015 or newer Sentra is advisable, as this year marked an update focused on enhanced crash protection.
6. 2015 Mazda3
Cheap cars for teenagers don’t have to be boring to drive, and the Mazda3 is a prime example of this. A popular choice for drivers of all ages seeking a fun, economical, and affordable vehicle, the Mazda3 is available in both compact sedan and five-door hatchback configurations. While not as spacious as the Nissan Sentra, the Mazda3 compensates with a more engaging driving experience and a touch of premium feel, even in older models within the $10,000 budget.
To reach the $10,000 price point, you’ll likely be looking at a 2015 Mazda3, part of the generation produced from 2014 to 2018. This generation excelled in crash safety tests and offered optional advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking, a backup camera, and lane-departure warning. The Mazda3’s blend of driving enjoyment and safety makes it a standout choice for teenagers and parents alike.
7. 2012 Toyota Prius
For environmentally conscious teens, the Toyota Prius is an outstanding best cheap car option that can be found for under $10,000. This five-door gas-electric hybrid is renowned for its exceptional fuel efficiency, industry-leading reliability, and surprisingly spacious interior. The Prius is not a car that encourages reckless driving, and its hybrid nature avoids the “oops, I forgot to charge it” scenario associated with all-electric vehicles.
The Prius remains highly sought after in the used car market, so finding a model newer than 2012 within this budget might be challenging. While smaller Prius c and larger Prius v variants exist, neither matches the standard Prius’s exceptional fuel economy, making the standard Prius the preferred choice for eco-minded teens seeking cheap and reliable cars.
8. 2015 Hyundai Sonata
While smaller cars offer advantages for novice drivers, sometimes more space and a larger vehicle footprint are desired for added safety and comfort. In the mid-size sedan category, the Hyundai Sonata emerges as a top pick for a best cheap car for teenagers needing more room. You can often find a newer model year Sonata for under $10,000 compared to competitors like the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. The Sonata strikes a good balance of comfort, spaciousness, and driving agility.
The 2015 model year Sonata is particularly recommended due to its redesign, which brought improvements to ride quality and fuel economy. However, the 2011-2014 generation Sonatas still offer many of the same benefits, making them viable options for those seeking even more affordable cheap cars.
9. 2013 Subaru Outback
Another spacious mid-size option for teenagers is the Subaru Outback, a wagon/crossover version of the Legacy sedan. The Outback provides ample passenger room and boasts a cargo area exceeding that of some similarly sized SUVs, all while maintaining better fuel efficiency. Standard all-wheel-drive provides enhanced traction in various weather conditions, a valuable safety feature for new drivers.
Subaru was a pioneer in offering advanced safety technologies, and the 2013 Outback and Legacy were the first to feature Subaru’s EyeSight system. EyeSight includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane-departure warning. While not standard on all trims, seeking out used Outbacks equipped with EyeSight adds a significant safety layer, making it a smart choice among best cheap cars with advanced safety features.
alt text: A green 2013 Subaru Outback parked on a dirt road in a forest setting, showcasing its rugged wagon style and all-wheel-drive capability
10. 2014 Chevrolet Impala
For maximum vehicle size and the sense of security that comes with it, the Chevrolet Impala is a top recommendation in the full-size sedan category for cheap cars for teenagers. Despite its considerable size – nearly twice the length and weight of a Smart ForTwo – the Impala handles surprisingly well. Its substantial size contributes to crash safety, while its agile handling helps in accident avoidance. Engine choices include a fuel-efficient four-cylinder, ideal for encouraging responsible driving, or a more powerful V6 for confident highway merging.
The Impala underwent a significant redesign for the 2014 model year, making it a superior choice to the previous 2006-2013 generation. However, be aware of 2014-2016 “Impala Limited” models, which are carryovers of the older, less refined generation. Opting for the redesigned 2014 Impala ensures a safer and more enjoyable driving experience in a full-size, yet still best cheap car option.
