Top 10 First Cars of 2011

Driving your first car is a memorable experience, whether you are lucky enough to buy a new one, or like many people, decide to save a little money by purchasing a used car. First time car buyers are somewhat unique people. They have quite a few specific demands. For example, first time car buyers usually keep their first car longer than cars they will own in the future. Additionally, first time car buyers are a bit pickier about maintenance and cleaning. It's hard to undervalue the pride of ownership when it comes to a shiny new car, no matter what it is!

Buying your first car is an exciting moment, but it can also be complicated and intimidating. What should you buy? What do you really need? Should you shun reliability and fuel economy for flash and style? Is there such a thing as a car that does everything? Determining what car is right for you can be a difficult thing to accomplish for a first time buyer. What you need a is a car buying edge, and that's what we're here to give you.

Each car on our list was compared and contrasted against many others and we made our choices based on several areas that are important to most first time car buyers. For instance, we compared the initial purchase price as well as the total cost of ownership to develop a comparative picture of what it costs to own any of these cars. We also compared warranty coverage, fuel economy, style and the reliability of the vehicles in question to create a list that reflects 10 good potential buys. As always, buy the car that is right for you, even if it doesn't appear on one of our top 10s!

• Initial Purchase Price (MSRP)
• Cost of Ownership
• Warranty Coverage
• Fuel Economy
• Expected Reliability
• Features and Style