Report Recommends Used Kia Optima Car for Teens

Jul 17, 2014

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued its first list of recommended used vehicles for teens, and the Kia Optima car is on it. IIHS is known for its ratings of new vehicles, but we all know that a new car isn’t cheap. Used cars may be the way to go, especially for your new driver. Classic Kia in Waukegan has the right used car for you and your teen.

The aim of the new report is to get teen drivers behind safe, affordable used vehicles. According to a phone survey conducted on behalf of IIHS, 83 percent of parents who said they bought a vehicle for their children said they bought a used car. With that in mind, the IIHS compiled a list of affordable used vehicles that meet important safety criteria for teen drivers.

IIHS made its choices based on for main criteria:

Lower horsepower. Powerful engines can tempt teens.
Bigger, heavier vehicles. Larger vehicles provide better protection in a crash.
Electronic stability control. ESC helps drivers maintain control of the vehicle on curves and slippery roads and reduces risk on a level comparable to seat belts.
Best safety ratings. The vehicle should have the best ratings possible from the IIHS and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests.

In IIHS’ survey of parents, the mean purchase price for a teen’s vehicle was about $9,800. The recommend list is broken up into two categories of used cars: those starting at less than $20,000 and those starting at less than $10,000.

“Our advice to parents would be to remember the risks teens take and consider paying a little more,” stated Ann McCartt, IIHS vice president for research, in the news release.

The IIHS recommends a 2011 Kia Optima or newer. The Optima brand was completely redesigned in 2011 and is considered by many critics to be one of the best looking, best driving, and most value packed midsize care on the market. Our car experts at Classic Kia near Gurnee are ready to show you the great pre-owned Kia Optima cars on our lot, so come on in with your teen for a test drive today!