Vehicle advice for parents and their teenage drivers

Criteria
In the name of affordability and safety, each vehicle on this list has a starting price below $20,000* (not including destination charges or options), achieves at least 24 while operating on regular-grade gasoline, is ranked a Top Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and scores at least four out of five stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests. Vehicles that didn’t meet these standards, or have yet to be tested, did not qualify. Understanding that vehicle repairs can be expensive, especially for a young driver, we’ve also detailed warranty information. Availability of roadside assistance, which at the very least delivers peace of mind for a parent or grandparent, has also been noted.

*Pricing effective as of August 17th, 2009.