The best cars of 2007 for teenagers

The first time we published this annual feature, we received such comments from readers as, "Who can afford to buy their kids new cars?" While we understand this concern, and are aware that the same model is ordinarily a better deal as a used car than a new one, the aim of this section's editors is to provide readers information about the newest vehicles on the market. Because this is an annual look, we need to focus only on new cars in order to make the piece newsworthy.

Insurance also plays a role in the cost of giving your kid wheels. Different vehicle types generate different levels of insurance rates. Sports cars, for example, cost more to protect than hatchbacks because they tend to be driven more aggressively. Boys cost more to insure than girls. Newer cars, also, are generally more expensive to insure. So, parents, make sure you comparison-shop insurance as much as you do cars.

Another thing to consider is leasing instead of buying. Many customers find leasing deals on new cars rewarding because they often make for monthly payments that compare to those of buying, but with much better option packages. You might find that leasing deals help a new car such as Ford's Escape for example, or the more upscale Honda Accord, fortify your kids in safe, relatively luxurious accommodations for reasonable payments.

And while we're talking about how to proceed at the dealership, we must say it again: get side airbags and traction/stability control. Our research shows time and again that these are not only the most-effective safety modifications you can add to your car (if they're not standard), but also considered vital. Toyota Motor's entry-level Corolla sedan, minus side bags, is one of the least-safe cars on the market, in terms of crash-test performance; with side bags, it is one of the safest.

We would also be remiss if we did not explain the lack of SUVs in the slide show, given that some parents favor those vehicles for their commanding views of roads. In fact, when we set out to write this piece we intended to include SUVs. But we found that in addition to a dearth of cheap SUVs on the market, only two SUVs came close to comparing favorably with the passenger cars on our list. Concerns with fuel efficiency and safety tended to keep SUVs off the list.

While we understand some parents' bias toward the tall trucks, SUVs do not measure up quantitatively under the criteria we feel are most important in selecting cars for teenagers.

After all, while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, there is safety in numbers.

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