5 Factors To Consider When Buying A Salvage Car For Your Teen

When a teen reaches the age at which they can legally drive a car, parents have to face the challenge of looking for the best cars for them. With so many different types of options in the market, it can be very difficult to choose a single car which is equipped with all the features that make it suitable to be a teenager’s first ride.

When deciding what to buy, one of the main factors is the budget. At RideSafely.com, we offer a huge range of used and salvage cars that are the fraction of the price of a new car through our online auction.

However, price is not the only thing that counts. When buying a car for your teenager, it is best to focus on critical factors like safety, mileage, speed and reliability.

Size

Some experts believe that the bigger the vehicle, the safer it is for your teen. However, very large vehicles are not a good choice for your teen as kids can have problems controlling such a car. Instead, you should opt for mid-sized SUVs or hybrid cars that are small enough for early drivers to handle them with ease.

Safety

Everyone knows that an image-conscious teenager is hardly the safest driver in the world. Even after your teen passes their driving tests, it is the job of a parent to make a thorough assessment. Some of the things that you need to look out for include:

Inspecting the interior and exterior of the vehicle.
Checking the vehicle’s history to see if it has been in any accidents or suffered from water damage. This can help determine the state of the car’s mechanics.
Checking to see if the vehicle is equipped with safety features like seatbelts, side airbags, brakes and lights.
Obstacle avoidance performance, limited acceleration, blind post warning, electronic stability control, and forward collision warning are also some important safety features to consider.

Make sure that your salvage car has as many safety features as your budget allows.

Speed

Make sure the car you choose isn’t too high-performance. Your teen may want to buy an innovative sports car, but that’s where you draw the line. Buying sports cars for young drivers is a big mistake as many teens, pumped up with their new-found independence, have the urge to race other cars on the road. This can lead to reckless driving and increase the risk of accidents.

Parents should look for a car that is not too slow, but not too fast either. Although this car may not be the coolest, it is a much safer alternative than high-performance cars until your teen gets the experience they need.

Reliability

Even though you may be buying a used car, some may still have a portion of their warranty intact, especially those cars that were in use for only a few months before they were sold. You can still check for reliability even if the car you choose does not have a warranty or guarantee.

Take a local mechanic to check out the car and ask them for a report about its reliability. You can also go online and check if the model ever had any glitches or was ever recalled by its manufacturers. Alternatively, you could also ask for the opinion of your friends who are knowledgeable about cars.

Note that the model and make also tells you a lot about a car’s reliability. Some brands are more durable and long-lasting than other brands, even though they may be bought second hand or with a salvage title.

Repair

When you are buying a salvage car or a used vehicle, one thing to keep in mind is to add the repair costs to your budget. Also factor in whether you will be able to afford the maintenance cost of the car.

There are some brands that can cost a lot of money when it comes to repairs or routine maintenance. However, other brands have a relatively low maintenance cost, thanks to their reliable and durable mechanics. Some companies that manufacture cars that are built to last a very long time and have an affordable repair and maintenance costs include Honda and Toyota.

Once you have decided all the things that you need in your teen’s car, the next step is to find a place with amazing deals on salvage cars.

At RideSafely.com, you can bid on salvage cars online. We offer thousands of makes and models of cars in our inventory at competitive prices. Take a look at some of our amazing options to get a wonderfully safe and reliable salvage or used car for your teen.

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