The last thing that Jenny Kutner, a senior at Carnegie Vanguard, expected from her parents was a new car.  But when her parents suggested taking a look at a Volkswagen dealership which was having a deal, she certainly didn’t object. 

“I knew I wanted something small, something gas-efficient, and just something cute, not something that was too – mom-ish,” Kutner said with a laugh. “One of my friends has a Sequoia and he says he always feels like a mom when he drives it.”

All over the world, teens and their parents have varying requirements when it comes to purchasing that first car.

Parent Joel Joselevitz said that safety was his biggest concern when he was looking for a car for his daughter.  Joselevitz purchased a Saturn Vue.

“I decided to buy a car that is safe, stable and also a car that has potential to locate her if I need to.  It gives me peace of mind that she’s in a very stable car,” Joselevitz said. “It has the OnStar system so in case of an emergency its connected to emergency services.”

            For parent Latrecia Broussard, it was imperative that the vehicle be large enough to accommodate her son, who is 6”1.

            “Other than size, the two things I was looking for in a car were reliability and price,” Broussard said.    

CarMax salesman Walter Shattenkirk, General Manager of the Houston North Store, said that there are three main things that parents look for when choosing a car for their teen.

“Price is very important along with safety and reliability,” Shattenkirk said.

According to Shattenkirk, what varies most between a teen’s desires in a car and a parent’s is that teens are often much more concerned with the car’s appearance.

“The teenagers want to buy a car that is stylish – that’s important to them, and the parents have to sometimes make sure that they are looking for a car that’s going to fit them best in terms of cost of operation, reliability, safety – those kinds of things,” he said.

Shattenkirk said that there are specific cars that many teens have been purchasing as of late.

“The Toyota Corollas are very popular, the Honda Civics are very popular, and the Pontiac Grand Am is very popular too,” Shattenkirk said. “We have a large selection of those. My advice to teens and parents looking to buy a car is to do some research.”

Broussard, whose son influenced her decision to buy a Pontiac Grand Am G.P.P. by crying for it, advised that parents and teens spend a lot of time searching and don’t make any rash decisions.

“I would look around a little bit more than we did.  We really didn’t spend that much time looking around but I would definitely look around more for my money,” Broussard said.

While many hold “16” as the magical age, where they will wake up on their birthday to find a brand-new beautiful car outside – complete with the big red bow – not all teens get a car on their 16th birthday.

“I think that the right age for a teen to get a car really depends on the teenager,” Joselevitz said. “There are some who are very mature and can handle responsibility and the privilege of driving and there are some teenagers who are not mature enough.”

Kutner said she believes one should wait to get a car until they feel truly comfortable behind the wheel.

“I think you should probably wait a little while before you get your own car –until after you get your license,” Kutner said. “When you have your permit you’re driving your parent’s car and if that’s the car you’re used to, I think you should drive that one until you’re really comfortable with it. Then, once you’ve been on the road for a while, I think you can have your own car. “

The cost of the car can be a big issue for many families. There are many questions that parents and teens oftentimes disagree upon. Should one buy a new or used car? Who should pay for the car? And what about gas and insurance?

Shattenkirk said that many parents opt to get their teen a used car.

“In a used vehicle there is an opportunity to spend less money and get more value – it’s a more popular choice,” he said.

Broussard said she is a big believer in buying a used car for a teenager.

“I wouldn’t buy an expensive car for a kid. I would set a definite price range as far as what I want to pay for a teenager’s first car,” she said. “I would stick to that.”