Criteria
In the name of affordability and safety, each vehicle on this list has a starting price below $20,000* (not including destination charges or options), achieves at least 24 while operating on regular-grade gasoline, is ranked a Top Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and scores at least four out of five stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests. Vehicles that didn’t meet these standards, or have yet to be tested, did not qualify. Understanding that vehicle repairs can be expensive, especially for a young driver, we’ve also detailed warranty information. Availability of roadside assistance, which at the very least delivers peace of mind for a parent or grandparent, has also been noted.

*Pricing effective as of August 17th, 2009.

2010 Ford Fusion

A Ford sedan may not be the first choice on any young driver’s list, but there’s no denying that the redesigned 2010 Fusion offers a sleek look, top-notch safety credentials, and access to the hands-free SYNC communications system. Buyers with a bit more money to spend can opt for a more powerful Sport model, or a Hybrid variant (pictured) that’s rated at 41 mpg in the city.

2010 Ford Fusion

Starting Price: $19,270
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, tire pressure monitor, stability control, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 22/29/24 (2.5-liter I4 and six-speed manual transmission)
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles (basic); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain and roadside assistance) Teen Driver Parent Tip #1
Slow down, drive safely -- you're being watched (by your kids).
You probably know by now that your kids aren't just influenced by what you say, but by what you do too. How did they learn to curse at the age of four? Daddy took the kids golfing and forgot to bring the earmuffs. Point being, the same principle applies with how you drive in front of your kids. Any poor or reckless driving habits exhibited in front of your teen are a tacit endorsement of bad driving. When you have your teen driver in the car, remember this: Drive how you would want them to drive if you weren't in the car.

2009 Honda Civic Sedan

Interestingly, the Honda Civic Coupe did not meet all of our criteria for this list, though the Civic Sedan did. With countless testaments to its dependability, this entry-level four-door has gained fans aplenty over its long history, and continues to do so with sharp looks, reasonable pricing, and up to 36 mpg on the highway (when equipped with the $800 five-speed automatic transmission). Hands-free Bluetooth technology and a USB jack for audio components are available on EX models.

2009 Honda Civic Sedan

Starting Price: $15,505
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, tire pressure monitor, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 26/34/29 (1.8-liter I4 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty:3 years/36,000 miles (basic); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #2
You aren't just a parent; you're a driving instructor too.
One of the many unpaid jobs that come with being a parent (in addition to garment washer, chef, and juvenile arbiter) is the role of driving instructor. Take an active role in your teenagers' driving practice. Go out of your way to put them in different driving conditions from packed highway traffic to empty roads at night. The more varied the situations, the more they'll be prepared for.

2009 Honda Fit

Honda redesigned its funky little five-door Fit for 2009, adding size, power, and features. Inside, you’ll find plenty of room for passengers and a good bit of gear, all of which is moved along by a 120-horsepower, four-cylinder engine that achieves up to 35 mpg with an optional automatic transmission. Options include a navigation system and a USB input jack for audio devices (an auxiliary jack is standard).

2009 Honda Fit

Starting Price: $14,750
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, tire pressure monitor, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 27/33/29 (1.5-liter I4 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty:3 years/36,000 miles (basic); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #3
Everyone in the car needs to wear a seatbelt, even parents.
Teenagers are quicker to yell "hypocrite!" than a disgruntled voter at political rally, so don't give them an excuse to protest wearing a seatbelt because it's not in your routine to do so. Consider also that 49 states have mandatory safety belt laws, so unless you live in the free-wheeling state of New Hampshire, not only is your life at risk by not wearing one, but so is your driving record.

2010 Kia Soul

There was a day when Kia was known for building rather uninspired vehicles that were noteworthy only because of low prices and a long warranty. Fast forward to 2010, and you’ll see that the long warranty remains, but models like the all-new Soul are anything but uninspired. Love it or hate it, this uniquely-styled five-door Kia definitely has a presence, and with a starting price of less than $14,000, you’re apt to see that presence all over town. Aside from its stand-alone looks, your back-to-school driver will also enjoy standard USB and auxiliary audio jacks, and perhaps depending on how good their grades have been, the optional 315-watt sound system. You’ll appreciate the price, the fuel economy, and five years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance.

2010 Kia Soul

Starting Price: $13,300
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, tire pressure monitor, stability control, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 26/31/28 (1.6-liter I4 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty:5 years/60,000 miles (basic and roadside assistance); 10 years/100,000 miles (powertrain)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #4
Don't skip the drugs and alcohol discussion.
Chances are your child's school has sufficiently enforced the message that drugs and alcohol have no place in the lives of teenagers, and when these items mix with driving, the results are often deadly. Re-enforcing this message for your teen with honest, caring, and non-threatening language is important. Make sure your teen knows that if they are in a situation where the only ride home is with a friend possibly under the influence, you'll be there for them at any time of the night as a ride home, no questions asked.

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

Some may be surprised to learn that, yes, Mitsubishi is still selling cars in the U.S., and no, not just the high-strung Evolution model. Truth be told, the Lancer, on which the Evo is based, is a competent little sedan deserving consideration right along with the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, possibly more so when you consider its 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and roadside assistance plan that spans five years, with no mileage restriction. There are four Mitsubishi Lancer models with starting prices under $20,000: Lancer DE, Lancer ES, Lancer ES Sport, and Lancer GTS. The GTS is considered especially appealing with its sport suspension, 168-horsepower engine, and hands-free Bluetooth compatibility.

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

Starting Price: $14,540
Standard Safety Features: Seven airbags, tire pressure monitor
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 22/30/25 (2.0-liter I4 with five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles (basic); 10 years/100,000 miles (powertrain); 5 years/unlimited miles (roadside assistance)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #5
Tell your teen's friends to take a bus.
What's the first thing every teen driver wants to do when they get a license or a new car? Pick up their friends. Letting a new teen driver navigate roads with a car full of teenage friends is like unleashing a bag of circus monkeys into the car -- the experience can be beyond distracting, and a new driver needs 100% of their concentration while driving.

2009 Nissan Rogue

Priced at about $19,500, the 2009 Nissan Rogue just barely made our under-$20,000 cutoff. We’re glad it did, because like the Kia Soul and others, it offers an alternative to a predominance of four-door entry-level sedans. The model we’re referencing is the front-wheel-drive Rogue S, which features niceties such as a tilt steering wheel, an auxiliary audio jack, and a healthy assortment of safety items. Options include all-wheel-drive capability, Bluetooth, and more.

2009 Nissan Rogue

Starting Price: $19,430
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, tire pressure monitor, stability control, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 22/27/24 (2.5-liter I4 and continuously-variable transmission; FWD model)
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles (basic and roadside assistance); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain) Teen Driver Parent Tip #6
Night driving should be kept to a minimum.
Many states institute graduated license systems that place restrictions on what times of the day the newest of teen drivers can be on the road for the first couple months with a license. According to the IIHS, 40 percent of teen deaths in motor vehicles occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m, and studies have shown nighttime driving restrictions typically are associated with crash reductions of 40 to 60 percent. If your kids are at a friend's house late, encourage them to sleep over (assuming there are parents present).

2009 Scion xB

The xB was one of the first offerings to come from Scion, a brand developed by Toyota and aimed at young drivers. That target audience liked what it saw, but interestingly, an older generation flocked to the efficient boxcar as well, drawn in by the xB’s affordable price, interior space, and promise of Toyota-like dependability. Since then, the Scion xB has been treated to softer exterior styling and a more powerful standard engine. Technophiles will applaud the standard iPod jack and the available seven-inch headrest monitors ($1,599).

2009 Scion xB

Starting Price: $16,420
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, tire pressure monitor, stability control, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 22/28/24 (2.4-liter I4 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles (basic); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #7
Make them drive in a snowstorm…and a downpour too.
When your teen driver is ready (do not rush this one), take them out for a limited period of time in poor weather conditions, and preferably in an unpopulated area. Find a wide-open parking lot covered in snow and safely simulate what a skid feels like. The more you can coach them through these situations, the more confident they'll feel when you aren't there to help them through it.

2009 Toyota Corolla

Toyota’s Corolla has been around almost as long as dirt, and there’s a simple reason for that – the car delivers what owners expect of it. The 2009 Toyota Corolla sedan carries on this tradition with efficient four-cylinder engines, contemporary styling, and available features including hands-free Bluetooth connectivity and an auxiliary audio input jack. Best of all, the entire lineup, from the base Corolla to the sporty Corolla XRS, starts at less than $20,000.

2009 Toyota Corolla

Starting Price: $15,350
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, antilock disc brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 26/35/30 (1.8-liter I4 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty:3 years/36,000 miles (basic); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #8
Keep the cell phone in the glove box.
The last place you want a cell phone in a car is glued to your teen driver's ear. Teen drivers in particular need all the attention they can get, and a phone, even with a Bluetooth headset, is a distraction not worth introducing. A cell phone is crucial for emergency use, and stress to your teen that it's the only situation they should really be using a phone for. Texting, while a natural extension of every teenager's ability to communicate, should be forbidden as well. 

2009 Volkswagen Jetta

Despite its sub-$20,000 price, the Volkswagen Jetta uses quality interior materials that give the impression of a more expensive, almost premium-level vehicle. Backing that up is a Carefree Maintenance plan spanning three years or 36,000 miles, a feature not all that common in the marketplace, let alone in this price bracket. Buyers also benefit from three years/36,000 miles of roadside assistance. Among other goodies, every Jetta sedan is equipped with heated front seats and an auxiliary audio jack, while items such as a navigation system are reserved for the options list. Like the Ford Fusion, the Jetta can be ordered with a more expensive though more efficient engine, in this case a turbocharged diesel dubbed TDI.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta

Starting Price: $17,515
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, stability control, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 21/30/24 (2.5-liter I5 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles (basic and roadside assistance); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain) Teen Driver Parent Tip #9
No sleep, no car.
It probably seems your teenage son or daughter has a scheduled more packed then your own. Swim practice in the morning, study group after school…getting a consistent and healthy amount of sleep can be a challenge for your teen. The problem is a lack of sleep negatively affects vision, hand-eye coordination, reaction time and judgment -- all crucial elements of safe driving. If you don't think your teen got enough sleep to get on the road safely, take the wheel and drive them where they need to go. They'll probably welcome the extra time to sleep in the car.

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit 4-Door

Depending on what year you’re referring to, our final back-to-school car is named either the Rabbit or the Golf. The model we’re including here is the 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit, a vehicle that will be replaced by the redesigned 2010 Volkswagen Golf. A new TDI turbocharged diesel variant arrives for ’10, as well. The less expensive Rabbit 2-Door did not meet all of our required criteria. Like its Jetta sibling, the Volkswagen Rabbit 4-Door delivers an upscale feel at an affordable price, not to mention the Carefree Maintenance program and a surprising amount of interior space.

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit 4-Door

Starting Price: $19,340
Standard Safety Features: Six airbags, stability control, antilock brakes
EPA Fuel Economy Rating: 21/30/24 (2.5-liter I5 and five-speed manual transmission)
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles (basic and roadside assistance); 5 years/60,000 miles (powertrain)

Teen Driver Parent Tip #10
Draft a "Driving Contract"
A driving contract acknowledges that use of a car is a privilege that comes with rules, and a violation of these rules can result in a suspension of privileges. It also can incorporate the reality that operating a car generates many different expenses, and a driving contract should assign responsibility fairly for covering these expenses (think gas, oil changes, repairs, etc.). A good driving contract also acknowledges a parent's role in being an example to teens of exemplary driving.