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(ARCHIVE ILLUSTRATION)

By Andrea Coombes

MarketWatch

(KRT)

SAN FRANCISCO – Talk to teenagers about their dream car, and you’ll likely hear Hummer, Mini Cooper, maybe a classic Thunderbird from the 1950s.

But reality more likely comes in the form of a hand-me-down Honda.

Most teens’ first cars are used vehicles, many cost less than $10,000, and parents’ desire for safety and reliability play a big part in the choosing, according to a new survey.

About three-fourths of teens have their own car, and 82 percent of those cars were bought used, according to the survey of 500 parents of students age 16 to 22, conducted for AutoExtra.com, an online site for buying used cars and trucks.

More than half – 54 percent – of those cars were bought for less than $10,000, according to the survey.

And it’s a rare teen who pays the full freight on the purchase of a first car: About half of parents footed that bill, while 23 percent shared the cost with their teen (though 83 percent of teens are responsible for their own gas and 54 percent pay their car’s maintenance costs).

That means parents play a big role in deciding which car teens drive home, and their demands likely differ dramatically from teens’ yen for the ultimate ride: 90 percent of parents cite safety and reliability as key, while 79 percent say price is a concern, and 68 percent are interested in fuel efficiency.

AutoExtra.com developed a list of 10 cars and trucks known for reliability and safety, and available for under $10,000. While many of the cars on the list are likely not teens’ first choice, it turns out reliable cars can spark teens’ interest.

For example, AutoExtra.com recommends the 2001 Honda Civic DX – and the Honda Civic is among the top three autos teens cited when asked, in a separate survey, which affordable new car they’d most like to buy.

The Ford Mustang topped that list, but the Honda Civic scored second and Honda Accord was third, according to the survey earlier this year of about 2,000 teenagers by Teenage Research Unlimited, a market-research firm in the Chicago area.

“Hondas have somehow managed to project an image of youthfulness,” said Rob Callender, trends director at Teenage Research Unlimited. “Although both Hondas and Toyotas are economical and reliable, Toyotas have … a rather stodgy image.”

The following is AutoExtra.com’s list of 10 used cars under $10,000.

“These 10 cars were designed to be reliable and, within their class, safe and efficient,” said Clay Gill, vice president of AutoExtra.com, in Norfolk, Va., via an e-mail message.

“Since safety features are continually improving with each model year, these cars are also as late model year as possible and still remain under $10,000,” she said.

AutoExtra.com also considered the supply of each model in the marketplace. “A large supply of a particular model can translate to lower maintenance and insurance costs because replacement parts are not difficult to find,” she said.

1. The 2001 Honda Civic DX is a “comfortable entry-level car that gets great miles-per-gallon, low maintenance costs, and a good resell value,” said AutoExtra.com. Others agreed. “This would be my top choice,” along with the Toyota Corolla, the Nissan Altima and the Hyundai Elantra, which follow on the list, said Phil Reed, consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com and co-author of Edmunds’ “Strategies for Smart Car Buyers.” All four models are “my idea of a teenager’s car,” because they’re safe, reliable and economical, he said.

2. 2002 Toyota Corolla CE. “All the benefits of the Honda Civic: MPG, low maintenance, good resell,” but in a slightly larger vehicle, according to AutoExtra.com.

3. 2001 Nissan Altima XE. “A comfortable car for five and a large trunk for hauling sports gear,” said AutoExtra.com. Plus, said Reed, “any time you’re able to buy what is considered an overlooked vehicle, you’re going to pay less and get more. This 2001 Altima is a pretty good example of that. As soon as somebody starts thinking I’m going to buy a second car for my kid,’ they think of Honda and Toyota.”

4. 2003 Hyundai Elantra GLS. While the Hyundai Elantra didn’t always score well for reliability, “in recent years they’ve improved things enormously. (This model) is very reliable,” Reed said.

5. 2003 Suzuki Aerio S. “The Aerio is the least expensive all-wheel drive vehicle on the market,” said AutoExtra.com, “which makes it a good choice for snow-prone schools.” Said Reed: “This is not a bad choice for somebody who really wants to have all-wheel drive … this is the most affordable way to get it.”

6. 2001 Mercury Cougar. “This Cougar has a distinctive look inside and out and has plenty of standard features like power windows, four bucket seats, power-heated mirrors, and a detachable audio panel,” said AutoExtra.com. But Reed gave a thumbs-down. It’s a sportier car, he said, and not ideal for teens.

7. 2003 Ford Taurus LX. “The Taurus LX has low-maintenance costs, standard V6 engine and is loaded with options,” said AutoExtra.com. Reed agreed. This car is “a workhorse. The size would be good, and (it has a) standard V6 engine, if people feel that’s important.”

8. 2000 Chevy Blazer. “The Blazer is a good mix of safety, fair MPG (for a full-sized SUV) and insurance costs,” said AutoExtra.com.

9. The 1998 Toyota 4Runner is a “top-selling SUV which translates into better resell and low-cost maintenance. With a larger wheel base it is less prone to roll over,” AutoExtra.com said. Reed agreed the 4Runner is less prone to rollover than other SUVs. “A great vehicle, but again it’s an SUV,” he said.

10. 2003 Ford Ranger (half bed).

AutoExtra.com included two SUVs on the list, the Blazer and the 4Runner, but some warn that SUVs are not a good choice for teen drivers because of rollover risk, particularly among older models.

And there are other concerns. “You don’t want to give your child something with lots of power. It encourages them to drive aggressively at a point when they’re already feeling immortal,” Reed said.

Gill, of AutoExtra.com, said: “While not every student has the maturity or safe driving habits to handle driving an SUV, they can be an appropriate option for students attending snow-prone schools,” or those who haul a lot of equipment, she said.

Still, she acknowledged, “many experts suggest the extra responsibility of SUV ownership should be put off until the student driver has greater experience behind the wheel.”

Teens themselves may be unlikely to seek an SUV. “We’ve seen interest in SUVs decline over the last couple of years,” said Callender, of Teenage Research Unlimited.

“It comes down to wow, if I’m putting all this money into the gas tank, that’s a lot less money to spend on all the other things I want,”‘ he said.

AutoExtra.com also listed a pickup truck – the 2003 Ford Ranger (half bed) – but Reed has reservations about trucks for teens.

“The Ford Ranger is a really good truck, a workhorse, (but) I have a bias against pickup trucks for teenagers,” he said, because pickup trucks’ fatality rates are disproportionately high.

Small cars have a fatality rate of 108 deaths per million registered passenger vehicles vs. a rate of 124 per million for small pickup trucks and 115 per million for large pickup trucks, Reed said.

“That’s my concern,” Reed said. “The caveat is this is good for a teenager that needs to haul stuff around.”

Reed’s teenage son drives the family’s hand-me-down Mitsubishi Gallant. “It’s got 160,000 miles now, and it’s needed no major repairs,” he said. Plus, it gets up to 30 miles per gallon.

Also, “the Mazda Protege is not a bad little car,” he said. A car buyer seeking a domestic model might consider the Dodge Neon, Reed said. “That would be another classic teen car.”

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AP-NY-10-14-05 0616EDT