What is the Best Car for First Time Buyers?

Buying a car for the first time is an exciting experience, but it’s also a difficult one. You need to make a number of decisions, including whether you want a used or new vehicle, how much you want to spend, and how you will pay for it. More importantly, you need to decide which vehicle you want to purchase.

A car is one of the biggest purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you shouldn’t take this decision lightly. What is the best car for first time buyers? Here are some of the vehicles you should consider:

Honda Accord

There are a number of reasons why a Honda Accord is perfect for first-time buyers. It’s a reliable vehicle, so you won’t need to worry about it suddenly breaking down on the road. This vehicle was built to last, so your investment will go a long way.

It’s also incredibly fuel efficient. You can expect to get about 30 miles per gallon in the city and 38 miles per gallon on the highway when driving an Accord. The interior is roomy, comfortable, and designed with a user-friendly infotainment system that will make your drives more enjoyable.

The Honda Accord is reasonably priced, too. New models start at roughly $26,000, but if you want something a little less expensive, look for a used model with low mileage instead.

Toyota Rav4

If you need something with a bit more space than the Accord can provide, consider buying a compact SUV like the Toyota Rav4. This vehicle offers nearly 70 cubic feet of storage space when the backseats are folded down.

Even though it’s roomier than Accords and other sedans, the Rav4 starts at around the same price of $26,000.

The Toyota Rav4 is also incredibly fuel efficient for a compact SUV. The hybrid model gets an average of 31 miles per gallon, whereas the gas-powered model gets around 24 miles per gallon.

The Rav4 also comes with a wide range of safety features, including lane trace assist, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, pedestrian detection, and forward collision warning.

Kia Optima

Starting at roughly $23,000, the Kia Optima is a comfortable, affordable, and reliable sedan that first-time buyers will love. It may be a sedan, but it is still built with a mighty engine that is capable of producing up to 245 horsepower.

The Optima gets around 27 miles per gallon in the city and 37 miles per gallon on the highway, so you won’t need to spend a lot of money on gas if you purchase this vehicle.

The trunk provides nearly 16 cubic feet of storage space, which is more than many other sedans offer. Some models are also built with a hands-free trunk lid so you won’t need to worry about closing your trunk when your hands are full.

Toyota Prius

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly vehicle, the Toyota Prius is a great option. The Prius is a hybrid vehicle, which means it is powered by both an electric motor and internal combustion engine. Because it is a hybrid, it gets great gas mileage. You should get around 53 miles per gallon on the highway and 58 miles per gallon in the city.

This option is perfect for people who are shopping for a new car that is under $25,000. The base model of the Prius starts at around $24,000, so it falls within this budget. Even though it’s a base model, it still comes with a number of useful features, including an infotainment system, Wi-Fi hotspot, and the entire Toyota Safety Sense package.

Chevrolet Equinox

The Chevrolet Equinox is another SUV that is perfect for first-time car buyers. This vehicle is designed with two rows of seating that comfortably fit up to five adults. It’s a compact SUV, but is known for having a roomy backseat, so your passengers will have plenty of room to stretch their legs.

A new Equinox starts at just over $25,000. This model comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, basic 7-inch infotainment system, Wi-Fi hotspot, backseat seat belt reminder, and other important safety features.

If you want a higher trim level with more advanced features or a more powerful engine, you may need to spend around $30,000. This may seem like a lot to spend on your first vehicle, but the Equinox receives high reliability ratings year after year, so this vehicle will last you for a long time.

Ford Escape

Like the Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota Rav4, the Ford Escape is a compact SUV with two rows of seating for up to five passengers. If you want a compact SUV with a sporty look and feel, this is the right vehicle for you.

This vehicle starts at around $26,000. Even though it’s the base model, it’s still loaded with important features, including Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 Safety package. This package includes a pre-collision warning system, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, and other safety features.

You can get a Ford Escape with a powerful engine for under $30,000. To stay within this budget, choose an Escape with a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine.

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is known as one of the most reliable vehicles on the market, which is why it’s perfect for first-time buyers. Not only is it reliable, it’s also affordable. New Corollas start at just over $20,000, so it’s perfect for shoppers who are trying to stick to a smaller budget.

Like other Toyotas, the Corolla comes with countless safety features. Even the base model is designed with adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and more.

The Corolla is a sedan, so it gets better gas mileage than the SUVs on this list. You should get around 32 miles per gallon in the city and over 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

Nissan Versa

The Nissan Versa is one of the most affordable sedans available. New models start at just over $15,000, but if you can’t spend a penny over $15,000, look for a used model with low mileage instead.

The Versa offers a smooth ride, spacious trunk, and seating for up to five adults. It also gets around 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

Every Versa comes with various safety features, including lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam headlights, and automatic emergency braking. All models are also designed with a user-friendly infotainment system to entertain your passengers during the ride.

Subaru Forester 

The Subaru Forester is a compact crossover SUV that starts at roughly $25,000. If you’re shopping with a $30,000 budget, you will be able to afford three out of the five trim levels, which is impressive for an SUV.

All trim levels are built with Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite. This system includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and other standard safety features. It also includes the Distraction Mitigation System, which monitors the driver’s movements to detect signs of drowsiness or distraction. If the system detects that the driver is distracted or tired, it will immediately alert them.

This system is one of the many reasons why the Forester was awarded a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).