Kelley Blue Book Offers Parents Tips on Buying Cars for Teens

Buying a car for a teen can be agonizing decision. Understanding that overall cost, safety and reliability are top concerns among parents buying a car for their teen, the new and used car experts at Kelley Blue Book have compiled a few tips to help parents find the right vehicle for the young driver in the family.

Buying a 'used' car is often the more desirable and affordable choice among today's parents and with the recent drop in used car values, two-to-five year-old vehicles are more affordable now than they have been in decades. According to the editors at Kelley Blue Book, parents today can find a good, safe, used car for their teen for about $7 -- 10,000.

Kelley Blue Book's Executive Editor, Charlie Vogelheim recommends that parents looking for a used vehicle for their teen look into a certified used vehicle. Today, most manufacturers offer some kind of vehicle certification program. This means the vehicle has been through an extensive inspection by the manufacturer and carries some kind of limited warranty. Even though certification is provided by the manufacturer, certified used vehicles are only sold through franchise new car dealers. "Usually the better, low-mileage vehicles are the one's that become part of a certification program," says Vogelheim.

Whether you are looking for a new or used vehicle for a teenager, following are a few tips to keep in mind as you begin your journey to find the 'right' vehicle for your teen.

   Do's
     1. Do your homework before buying anything!
     2. Get vehicle ratings.  Make sure to check the following on kbb.com:
          --  Safety Ratings/Crash Test Results/Rollover Ratings
          --  JD Power Quality Ratings on new cars
          --  IntelliChoice Five-Year Cost-of-Ownership on new cars
     3. If you are considering a used vehicle, have it checked out by a
        local and reputable service shop
          --  If the car will be purchased from an individual, print the
              private-party value from kbb.com as well as Kelley Blue Book's
              27-point vehicle Condition Quiz to take with you.  These items
              will help you determine the 'actual' condition and value
              of the vehicle.

   Don'ts
     1. Don't let your teen talk you into buying a vehicle you are not
        comfortable with
     2. Don't buy a car without driving it yourself

Additional Kelley Blue Book Tools to Assist in Finding a New or Used Car for Your Teen

Where to Start?

Comparison shopping is easy with any one of kbb.com's three Decision Guide tools

   --  The Kelley Blue Book Recommendation Tool provides suggestions for
       those who still have not decided on a make or model yet
   --  The Auto Choice Advisor will show you cars based on price, use and
       other attributes you choose
   --  Use the Side-by-Side Comparison guide to view the features of new and
       used vehicles side-by-side

   Cost-to-Own:
   --  Cost-of-Ownership information from IntelliChoice
          *  Depreciation -- every car depreciates, some more than others
          *  Financing
          *  Fuel -- fuel economy can be a burden on the parent as much as
             the teen -- check mpg
          *  Insurance costs -- teenage drivers often have higher premiums
          *  Maintenance
          *  Repairs

   Reliability:
   --  J.D. Power Quality Ratings
          *  Information on the vehicle's mechanical quality
          *  Quality of the vehicle's interior and exterior
          *  Ratings on the vehicle's performance

  About Kelley Blue Book

Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com has been named first visited and No. 1 automotive site according to J.D. Power and Associates five years running and is the most trusted vehicle information resource, providing comprehensive automotive research tools and up-to-date pricing on thousands of used and new vehicles. Since 1926, car buyers and sellers have relied upon Kelley Blue Book for timely and accurate information to make well-informed automotive decisions. The company also offers objective vehicle pricing via products and services for both the auto industry and consumers, including the famous Blue Book Official Guide, software and the Internet. Rated No. 1 automotive information site by Nielsen//NetRatings, no other medium reaches more in-market car-buyers than kbb.com; one in every four people who purchase vehicles visit Kelley Blue Book.

SOURCE: Kelley Blue Book

CONTACT: Robyn Eckard of Kelley Blue Book, +1-949-770-7704, ext. 8349,
reckard@kbb.com

Web site: http://kbb.com/