Giving your teenage son or daughter the keys to their first automobile can be an exciting, and slightly nerve-racking ordeal. However, you and your child can make this monumental event an important learning experience. Just make sure you keep some of these points in mind. 1. Make a list of vehicles that both you and your new driver are interested in. It doesn’t have to be a clear and concise list nor should it be brand-specific. The more options, the better, and the more fun it will be. 2. What is important to both you and your child? Does your kid want a cool, sporty coupe while you want them to have a bigger sedan? Is he or she going to need a pick-up truck for any outdoor activities where a regular car will not work? Can they handle a higher horsepower vehicle? What about gas mileage? All of these are very important to consider to make sure you end up purchasing the right car. 3. Remember, bigger does not always mean better. Simply putting your young child in a monster SUV is not the best idea. An inexperienced driver behind the wheel of a powerful, top-heavy vehicle is a disaster waiting to happen. You are better off placing them in a smaller, less powerful vehicle. 4. Speaking of safety, you must make sure that you check the safety rating of each vehicle on your list. The two main authorities to do your research is the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (www.nhtsa.got.gov) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org). Both organizations have plenty of information on any car that you could possibly be looking at. 5. Reliability ratings are also important to research, but remember that any car you buy (domestic, European, Asian) will have a probability of having some problems during their lifespan. However, certain cars and trucks are known to be much more reliable, so make sure you find out what’s what. The best way is to find out what other owners are saying about their vehicles. It’s a great way to see what the major problems seem to be reoccurring. The best way to find information is to search on the Web for online owners’ forums for a specific vehicle. This is the perfect place to not only find information out about the car, but also communicate instantly with others about any questions or concerns you might have. 6. Find out a budget that works for both you and your child, such as who is paying the payments, insurance, maintenance costs and gasoline. Yes, I said BOTH. Your child should be responsible for some part of owning the vehicle. It will give them a much better reason to take care of the car and be more respectful towards it. 7. Consider both new and used cars. While new is enticing, find a one- or two-year old, low mileage car can save buyers thousands of dollars. 8. When there’s been a decision on everything above, it’s now time to scour the newspaper, AutoTrader.com and dealership Web sites to find cars that you are interested in. Go out there, test drive them and look over every car thoroughly. Make sure the car drives straight and smooth, with no weird noises coming from under the engine. On the exterior, make sure there are not major scrapes, dents or waves in the body panels. Damage is not good, especially if the vehicle was in an accident and repaired poorly. Do the same for the interior and watch out for any stains, tears, smells or scratches. Make sure to ask for a CarFax or similar car history report.Hopefully this has helped you prepare not necessarily yourself, but your child as well, for a very important decision-making process that they will have to do several times in their lives. It’s vital that they know how this works so they can make a sound decision on a very expensive item. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil