Originally Posted by akrogirl
I would never buy a new car for a teenager. Go for an older Volvo - they don't get much more solid than that.
I bought a used Volvo last month and I am amazed at all the wonderful safety features it has. My favorite is the red sensor that tells you if someone is in your blind spot. The car will also stop automatically if you are about to rear-end someone or something and you are going under 20 mph. There are warning sounds if someone walks behind your car when you are backing up, like in a parking lot (my worst fear!). It was not inexpensive, but I feel it was well worth the money.