Prius, Civic, Jetta: highly recommended options for teenagers’ first cars

unshine glistens across the fading paint. The fresh breeze flows through your hair from the crack in the window. Your head nods to the beat in your ear only to realize it is the “chugga chugga” of the exhaust. It’s the music of your first car.

In high school we witness the evolution of our own means of transportation: school bus to own car or parent to own car.

For those who have the privilege of progressing, a car is seen as freedom. It doesn’t matter what the car looks or sounds like because it’s yours. Ok, stop. Everything about the car totally matters.

So what is the perfect car for a student in high school? Parents would probably say one that is safe. Well, of course you want one that is safe. When you first get your license, you want a car that can manage your not-so-perfect driving skills, if they can even be called a skill.

But from a high school student perspective, the question still remains. Many of us have watched “My Super Sweet Sixteen” and wished for a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or maybe even a Lamborghini with the spider seats like Chris Brown. But based on affordability, style, fuel efficiency, and features, these are my top three picks in random order.

Honda Civic

he sleek design of the Honda Civic makes it appealing to the eye. The Civic gets 25 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway.

Besides having front and side airbags, the Honda Civic has an Occupant Position Detection System that utilizes sensors in the back of the front passenger’s seat to detect the height and seating position of the occupant; when a person leans into the deployment path of the side airbags, sensor will deactivate it.

The Jetta’s German engineering gives the car a stylish, distinctive look. The Jetta gets 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon in the highway.

Along with many safety features, such as anti-intrusion side door beams designed to absorb and redirect impact, the Jetta offers several features that teenagers who love music will enjoy. Its 2 antennae system allows the antenna with the stronger signal to be used as the receiver, giving the best reception possible. The Jetta also has as an optional Premium VII Stereo that adds a 6-disc changer that is MP3 compatible and satellite ready. There is also a place to plug in your iPod.

These three cars are perfect for the high school student. If you already have a car, that’s great. But if you don’t and are still trying to come up with an argument for mom and dad, the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius, and Volkswagen Jetta should work. For the parents’ sake, these cars are safe and have great gas mileage. For yours, these cars offer cool designs and excellent features.