The Cool Thing: Choosing the Right Car for Teenage Drivers

As a parent, one of the most significant decisions you'll make is choosing a car for your teenage child to drive. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which car is best suited for their needs. In this article, we'll explore some of the factors to consider and look at some of the top cars that are suitable for teenage drivers.

Samuel's Story

Samuel, a 14-year-old, has already started thinking about getting his driver's license and what kind of car he wants to drive. His father, Mike, is happy to help him choose a car that meets their criteria. They feel like the enthusiasm for getting their license and driving has waned in recent years, so it's great to see Samuel taking an interest. Mike offers to look up Consumer Reports' best cars for teenage drivers, which his daughter Jennifer Stockburger has a lot of influence on.

Quincy's Pick

After researching, Quincy suggests that Samuel consider a 2012 to 2013 Nissan Rogue. He notes that the car has decent reliability and fuel economy, making it a solid choice. The Rogue is smaller than other SUVs like the Pilot, which Mike was considering for Samuel. However, Quentin mentions that three-row big SUVs are not typically recommended for young drivers due to their size and potential for accidents.

Jen's Alternative

Jennifer Stockburger, who has experience with her 15-year-old son, suggests an alternative option. She notes that the Pilot is a great car, but she would recommend something smaller due to concerns about electronic stability control. The problem is that cars in the $5,000 to $7,000 price range are hard to find with this feature as standard.

Consumer Reports' Recommendations

Quincy and Jennifer agree that it's essential to consider reliability and fuel efficiency when choosing a car for teenage drivers. They recommend checking Consumer Reports' best cars list for recommendations. Some of the top picks include:

* Hyundai Tucson (2011-2014) - standard stability control, great reliability, good value

* Mazda 6 (2009-2012) - 4-cylinder engine, good reliability, fun to drive

* Honda Fit (2011) - ESC was standard on the Fit, good reliability, spacious interior

The Importance of Safety Features

Both Quincy and Jennifer emphasize the importance of safety features when choosing a car for teenage drivers. Electronic stability control is a must-have feature, as it helps prevent accidents by intervening if the driver loses control of the vehicle.

Red Turn Signals: A Common Question

John asks a question that may seem simple but has an interesting answer. Why do some cars have red turn signals and others have yellow? It turns out that yellow or amber makes more sense because there's a bigger transition between the red brake lights and the yellow or amber turn signals. Different laws exist in different countries, which is why some cars still allow red turn signals in the US.

Conclusion

Choosing the right car for your teenage child to drive can be overwhelming, but by considering factors like reliability, fuel efficiency, and safety features, you can make an informed decision. By exploring options from Consumer Reports' best lists and considering Quentin's and Jennifer's recommendations, you'll be well on your way to finding a car that meets your teenager's needs.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enOn this week'sepisode, we answeraudience questions, including,is topping off your tankwith fuel harmful to your car?Is rust proofing still a thing?And why are some turn signalsred and others are yellow?Next on Talking Cars.Hi, everybody.Welcome to another episode.I'm Mike Monticello.I'm Mike Quincy.And I'm Jennifer Stockburger.Well, we're doing it again.It's another one of ourall questions episodes.This is where wedig into our backlogof the wonderful questionsthat you folks have sent to usand we try to getthrough as many of themas we possibly can.For those of you thatare new to the showor maybe you'veforgotten the bestplace to send those questions,comments, 30 second video clipsis TalkingCars@icloud.com.So let's get rightto it and let'sstart with the video question.Let's see what Williamis asking us today.Hi, Talking Cars.This is Williamfrom South Jersey.I was at the tapingoff here 100th episode,and I have a questionbecause since then, Ipurchased this blue Mazda 3.And one thing thatI've noticed recentlyis the brakes are gettingdown below five millimeters isthe radar cruise is not reactingto cars in front as quickly,and it's making mea little nervous.And my question is whenthey replace the brakes,does the system automaticallyrecalibrate or dothey have to do somethingwith the computerwhen they replacethe pad lining?Is that something thatmodern systems account for?Do they accountfor the lining lefton the brakes andtheir sensitivity?I look forward to hearingback from you, thank you.So thanks for thequestion, William.So keep in mind with anadaptive cruise control system,the first thing it does, itactually cuts the throttle.So when you know, when itsenses a car ahead of it,it's going to cut thethrottle first, notnecessarily hit the brakes.Now if a car were tocut in front of him,then it would haveto hit the brakes.And there couldbe an issue thereif your brakes were really low.I mean, if you're to the pointwhere the pads are grinding,squeaking, meaning youreally need a new brake pad.You can hear it.Yeah.Then maybe there could besomething related to the brakesthen.But the way that the dashof cruise control works it'sa sensor.So it's sensing the cars.And again, so firstthing is throttle.So if he's sensingthere's somethingwrong with the system,there could actuallybe something wrongwith the sensor.That's the first thing.And also, his questionabout, do theyhave to recalibratethe system whenyou change your brake pads?And the realityis you don't haveto recalibrate your brake pads.So basically, probably-- maybe--he's being a littlesensitive to what's going on.Basically, probably, maybe.Well, since he didn'tsay exactly whenit's been sensitive.But the first thingit's going to dois cut the throttleand that has nothingto do with the brake system.So anyway that's what wethink is going on with that.Right.And ultimately, whenthe brakes kick in,that's automaticemergency braking,exactly not necessarilyadaptive cruise control.And your brakes would haveto be literally almost goneto not give you a solid brake.Right.If you still fivemillimeters of pad left,it should still beworking perfectly fine.So thank you for the question.Let's dig into ourmailbag and let'ssee what Anthony has to say.I recently bought anew pair of headlightsfrom a 2005 Hyundai Elantra.They work well but I'm not sureI'm satisfied with the bulbsthat they came with.Are more expensive powerfulbulbs worth the money?If so, are there anyyou can recommendthat aren't too expensive?Well, how luckyis Antony that wehave Jen here, who happensto run our headlight program.So Jen, what canyou say to Anthony?Right, so we have testedaftermarket bulbs a coupleof times, same results.It depends a littlebit, Anthony,what you're dissatisfied with.If it's the brightnessof the new headlight,then you can probablyget a brighter bulb.But if it's the distanceyou're concerned with,that is really dictatedby either the reflectorbehind the bulb or thelens in front of the bulb.And you can'treally change that.The bulbs have specificationsof where that filament sits.And depending on what'sreflecting or projecting itthrough the lens, you're notgoing to change the distance.You can change the brightness.OK.But also to make your headlightperformance overall better,you need to polish upthe headlight coverage.We've written about this before.A little cloudyor something like.You know, there'ssimple things that youcan do to improve yourown headlight performance.That's a good point,particularly on a 2005 vehicle.They may have cloudedslightly, and worthchecking the alignmentto add to Mike's point.If the alignment is low, thatmay be another attribute,so make sure that's set.They brought mehere for a reason.Yeah.Good points.I knew there was a reasonMike Quincy was here.We couldn't think ofit, but we found it.Also, use your high beams asoften as you possibly can.Absolutely.That's a given.That's really important.OK, next question is from Alex.We bought a 2018 VolkswagenTiguan new from the dealerand we're told not to rustproof it from anywhere elsebecause it's already coatedand would void the warranty.Are they trying to sneaksomething around usor is the car protectedagainst rust from the factory?Quince, what do you haveto say to Alex here?Well, the answer is yes, ifyou use an aftermarket rustproofing system, youcan void the warranty.So the dealer was being astraight shooter right there.I mean, today's vehicleshave really good correct--sorry-- corrosion protection.Easy for Alex to say.And even according to ConsumerReports' own reliability data,rust issues have gone way,way down over the years.So that's actually goodnews for most consumers.The standard rushedthrough warrantiesfor most cars runfive years or longer.And dealers used to pushthese aftermarket addon rust proofing.You'd spray it all over the car.They were never as good aswhat you're getting today.They've kind of maybegiven up on that.They're still going topush fabric protection,and paint seal, andstuff like that,which you also don't need.But yeah, definitely don't worryabout not getting a decent rustproofing job from the factory.Yeah.And you know, asQuince was saying,these rust proof or rust throughwarranties are pretty long.Like, seven years, 100,000miles for a Volkswagen Tiguan.And the thingsthat would happen--you could get anelectrical malfunctionif you were to spray stuff on.That being said, onceyour new car warrantyis up, if you want to add someof these aftermarket systems--I talked to John Ibbotson,our chief mechanic.And he kind oflikes this system,it's called fluid film, whichis kind of like a lanolin or waxthing, and you canactually spray thaton the underneath of a car.This is if once yourwarranty is over,and now you are going to affectanything, you could do that.But if you were todo it beforehandand there was anelectrical malfunction,they then may not fixwhatever happened to the car.What's all thisstuff put under here?This is not us.Exactly.So think about it maybe afterthe car is out of its warranty.Yeah, Big John saidsame thing to me.A lot of people thatrun their own snowplows,take pickup trucks,they are out therein the snow, and the salt,and all that other stuff.And they'refrequently-- and I thinkJohn said you have todo it like once a year.That's the thing.You do have to doit once a year.So anyway, there's severalproducts out there.Look into that.Our next questionis from Richard.Hi, love the show--thanks Richard.I have a 2019 SubaruForester and planon buying a wintertire wheel package.My dealer offers apackage, but I alsochecked the localtire distributorthat has a wider selection,some of which are quite stylish.Would these generic wheelsfit as well as Subaru wheels?Also, is there a differencebetween CUV and SUVspecific tires, oris it marketing hype?Jen, what's going on here?All right, so first, weagree with you, Richard.Going with a-- ifyou can afford it--tire and wheel packagefor your winter tiresis a good way to go.Couple of reasons,you don't haveany damage from the mountingand dismounting process.There's tire pressure monitoringsensors and everything now,so you can get one set ofthose and kind of leave themin place, multiple things.But what we say isjust like the plow guyyou talked about with saltand sand and all these thingsthat are kicking up underyour tires in the winter,why don't you go withthe least expensive?A steel wheel is whatwe often do here.Put an inexpensive hubcap wheelcover over that and run that.So you may not even wantto go with the stylish,just because all this stuffis potentially coming up.Right.Go with a nice strong, sturdy,but inexpensive usually they'reblack steel wheels.Everyone knows you'rerun in your winter tires,nothing wrong with that.You're going to be runningaround and all the saltand dirt anyway.Right.And sometimes, those aftermarketwheels that look all stylishdon't have the quality ofthose original equipment wheelsas well.So that's another reason to justget these basic steel wheels.They're usually pretty sturdy.And a good habit, whetheryou're getting new wheelsor not, when youhave a tire change,a couple days later,it's not a bad ideato just go around make sure allthe nuts are still on tight.Because things can wobbleor feel tight to a dealer,and maybe not be.Good thing to do.And SUV versus CUV,the main differencethere is the size lineup.CUV is really just largersizes, maybe shorter sidewall,wider version of passenger.Right, So passenger cars.So they're not marketing.It's really justwhere the sizes lie.Meant for different cars.Yeah.So get those black steelwheels for your winter tires.They'd be stylish all of sudden.OK, John says, hi, CR, longtimelistener, first time caller--I like that.It's like .Thank you, John.I'm seeing great dealson used Nissan LEAFsI see a 2014 with 40,000miles for $10,000.Seems like a great deal.Are there any concerns withbuying early generation EVs.Thanks.Quince, what do you think?Go with the early EV or?Well, when you're thinkingabout a used Nissan LEAFthey're not all created equal.For example, theearliest versionsjust had about a 75mile range, whichis kind of pitiful compared towhat we're getting these days.The 2016 models havepoor reliability.So again, you have to reallybe very careful when you'retempted to buy a used LEAF.The LEAF also scored a poorin the IHS small overlap crashtest, which applies tothe 2013 and 2017 models.Right.So it's all of a sudden gotmuch more complicated than I canget a cheap used Nissan LEAF.We would say if you'reinterested in this,look for second gen model,which is kind of new-ish--I mean, 2018-- which got arange of about 140 miles.And then getting the onewith the 60 kilowatt batterywill get you closerto 200 miles.So that the timing to buya used EV is really good.In fact, we have an articleon this very subjectand on ConsumerReports.org,because a lot of themare coming off leases.We've seen listings of threeor four-year-old used LEAFsfrom $10,000 comparedto maybe $30,000 new.We'd also say considera 2017 Chevrolet Bolt,which has a 250 mile range.Fun little car.Right.But definitely, a usedEV can be a great buy.Yeah.Cool, great.Giovanni has anotherquestion here.Hi, CR, I recently boughta 2019 Toyota Camry SEand have been searchingthe owner's manualfor break in information,but can't find itwhat do you recommend.Well, we got the answer for you.So did a little digging.You want to go to page 193 ofthe your 2019 owner's manual.You really did that?Yeah.Wow.I'm here for the people.Holy cow.You earned your paycheck today.And it says breakingin your new Toyota.To extend the lifeof the vehicle,observing the followingprecautions is recommended.For the first 186 miles--because that's 300 kilometers,that's why it's 186--avoid sudden stops.Now that may soundweird, but the reasonis that because it'sfor the brake pads.You know you want to bea little gentle on themfor that first period.It's actually kind ofa bedding in process.When you actually bed inbreaks, you do like, half brakepressure from 40 miles an hour.And you don't haveto worry about that,but the main thingfor you guys isjust don't break really hardright during that first period.For the first 621 miles--1,000 kilometers-- do notdrive at extremely high speeds.Avoid sudden acceleration.Do not drive continuouslyin low gears.Do not drive at a constantspeed for extended periods.And basically, I mean,the rule of thumb hereif you don't want to followall these things to the tis basically, driveyour car kind of easy.Gently.And try to vary everythingyou do as much as possible.Try not to be on thehighway for like 200 milesstraight when it's brand new.Because when Isaw this question,that's the firstthing I thought of.Because I remember years agoreading that you shouldn'tbe using your cruisecontrol in a brand new car,going at a constantspeed, blah blah, blah.And I thought, wellmaybe that's change.But obviously, it hasn't.The other thing is, it'sjust worth mentioning thatwith all of the testcars that we buy here,we do a break inprocess, as well.It's a little more involved thanwhat the owner's manual says.We break him in for2000 miles before westart our test program.So that's just a littletidbit about what we do here.With all different drivers.So we get away from thatcontinuous or all of that.So yeah, good question.Yeah, absolutely.So next question is from Daniel.I own a used 2016 Mazda6 with 39,000 miles.The last time I gassedup out of curiosity,I wanted to see ifthe pump would let meadd more gas after it stopped.It did.I only added anextra 0.15 gallons.I then read about howtopping off the tankcan damage a car's components.Is there any way to knowif I've done any damageor if doing this just wantswould have negative effects?Jen, what do you haveto say about this?Right, so this is kindof cool, because Iused to work for afuel system supplier.And there's actuallya lot more--She pumped gas.I did.There's nothing-- I wasa refueling specialist.I wish the whole servicegas station would come back.Jen's out there cleaning thewindshield and everything.Sometimes, I think in myhead, I think about that.I would love to open afull service gas station,just be out there--In uniform.Checking people's oil, andchecking the tire pressures.But that's not whatyou're talking about.When I retire, I'mhaving a mobile tirechanging station thatcomes to your houseand changes themin your driveway.Are you serious?Well, don't give awayyour million dollar thing.Anyway, yes.So there's a lot more going onin the tank than just a tank.So what the damageof topping offis to the onboard refuelingvapor recovery system, ORVR.The ORVR system, which is reallya charcoal canister that'smanaging during refueling,the vapor that gets generated.And it's collecting itin a charcoal canister,and then it condenses back out.And that ultimately is fedback into the fuel system.Adding more fuelafter the click offis putting fluid ordamaging that charcoalcanister of the ORVR system.So that's the component you'repotentially in this case.And then going back to myhistory of tank buildingis 0.15 gallons,you're probably fine.But it's this weird thing ofwhy we feel that that pump needsto show all zeroes.Do you do that?OCD.I asked Big John, ourmechanic, about this.And he said, you know, people,they want to get it to--I don't know.Just even numberfor some reason.And you know, John isa man of few words,and he said look,here's the rule.If it clicks, you stop.But I have to make anadmission right now.What?I've been doing iswrong my whole life,because what I would always do--I would let it stop.And then I'd waitfive seconds and thenhit it again, justin case the pump headslightly malfunctioned.Every once in a while,you won't get a full fill.And I've learnedsomething today.I realize now I need to just,when it clicks, you stop.Right.And there are issues.Because in there, in thepaper system is the shut off.So you can have apremature shut off.And that's somethinggoing wrong with the car.OK, thanks, Jen.I think that's areally good tip.Moving on to Samuel.Samuel says, hi, Talking Cars.I just started watching theshow and I really like it.I'm turning 15 in ayear and have alreadystarted looking at cars.I like my mom's2008 Honda Pilot,but I'm wondering if there areany other good options thatare reliable, have low mileage,and costs under $7,000.Thanks.Quince, you always haveinteresting picks for ushere on the show.You're kind of known for that.So let's start with you.He's like a lot ofteenage drivers.I want something that doesn'thave a lot of miles on it,doesn't cost a lot.It's not always easy to find.But here's the cool thing.You know, he's 14 andalready thinking about it.Already talking about that.Because we feel like that'sgoing away a little bit.Seems like the enthusiasmfor getting your licenseand driving has gone away.So this is great to see.Samuel, that's my boy.Good job.So Quince, what doyou have for Samuel?Well, I looked up ConsumerReports' best carsfor teenage drivers,which Jennifer Stockburgerhas a lot of influence on.You're involved in everything.I know, I know.She really is the MVP here.I mean, it's the Mikesand the MVP, right.So I'm going with a 2012to 2013 Nissan Rogue.Decent reliability,decent fuel economy.It's going to be more agile,smaller than the Pilotlike you're usedto with your mom.But still overallpretty solid car,and hopefully not too expensive,depending on finding onewith not too many miles.All right.I think that's a good choice.Jen, what do you have?So also having a15-year-old son,I'm going to be right herewith you Samuel in a minute,but a couple of concernsabout the Pilot.We typically don't thinkthat three row big SUVsare a great choicefor a young driver.So I get why you likeit, it's a great car.But I would go, goingwith that idea, somethinga little smaller.The problem for Samueland other young teenagersis we really wantyou to get vehiclesthat have electronicstability control,but at that price point thatthey're comfortable with,the $5,000 to $7,000, it'shard still to find themwhere it's standard.So the good thing for you,Samuel, is two years from now,or you know, whenyou're actuallyready to purchase thatcar, that will get easierat that price point.Do you have a pick or areyou just going to go off?So I have some thing to say.We're in suspense here.So similar to Mike, I looked atthe small SUVs, 2011 to 2014.Hyundai Tucson, standardstability control,great reliabilityin those years.Good value, both new and used.So something to look at.And I had an option.If sedan was OK and youweren't necessarily homeright in on a SUV, 2009 to'12 Mazda 6, 4 cylinder.Good one.Good one.I like that one.Those are good choices.I was leaning more towardthe 2011 Honda Fit.Now ESC was standard on theFit-- standard started in 2011.And it has verygood reliability.Should be able tofind one under $7,000without too much of a problem.It has a lot of interiorroom considering its size.But its size is oneof the reasons whyI think it's so good,because as a rookie driver,you don't want a big vehicle.You don't want to beable to run into--when you're parking,the smaller the vehicleis, it's going to beeasier to not kind of grazeinto other herbs or trees whenyou're backing up or whatever.Not trees.I mean, when you're backing intothe garage or whatever it is.I hit my family's garage--See?Learning to drive, andjust didn't judge the arc.And the notch is still there.And occasionally, myfather will point it out.That's what happens whenyou're a new driver.You don't judge thosethings too well.The other thought I hadit was 2011 2012 Mazda 3.Again, a car with very goodreliability, a small car.But the nice thing aboutthis is it's fun to drive.It has really precisehandling if Samuelis into that kind of thing.I was thinking, Samuel, ifhe goes within your picks,you can either one withmanual transmission.Exactly.Which means no onewill borrow his car.Yes.Yes.So hopefully, that helpsyou out there, Samuel.Moving on to John.John says, why do somecars have red turn signalsand others have yellow?Yellow seems to makeso much more sense.Thanks.Quincy, I'm going tothrow this to you.I think this is actually areally interesting question,because I've wondered aboutthis for years myself.It is, and I did a bunchof research on this.And it turns out that yes,yellow, or as they say,amber, makes moresense, because there'sa bigger transition betweenthe red brake lightsand say, the yellowor amber turn signals.So there's different lawsin different countries.In the US, they still allowred turn signals, whichis not necessarily that common.The National Highway TrafficSafety Administrationdid a study about thisand determined that,and I quote, \"amber signalsshow a 5.3% effectivenessin reducing involvementin two vehicle crasheswhere a lead vehicleis rear struckin the act of turning left,turning right, merginginto traffic, changing lanes,or entering/leaving the parkingspace.\"So they said the advantageof amber rear turn signalsis shown to be statisticallysignificant, whichis not easy to say.They have this wholereport on NHTSA.gov.And as you say, amber isa sharper contrast, easierto pick up.But a great question.And you were right, John.And we all learn.Right.I mean, because when youthink about it, if youhave a red tail lightor red brake light,and then another redlight flashing, that'snot that noticeable versus ared tail light or brake light.And then suddenly, thisother caller has shown up.And I've always felt that itjust makes more sense to me.And I don't know why theydon't all do that justfor safety on the road.They should all havethe sequential taillights in the Mustang.Animation they call it.Some of the Audis have it.The turn signals are animated.We're going to move on.I don't know what'shappening here.I'm losing control.I'm losing control of the show.Let's go to--Did you have it?No.I'm sorry.OK.It's a free for all.Jacob says, hi, TalkingCars, love the show.I recently moved from Georgiato northern New Jerseyand took my 2013 ToyotaCamry XLE with me.The car has low profile235/40 18R all season tires,and I'm not sure they'llsuffice a Northeast winter.Should I get new winter tires?If so, there isn't much ofa selection for that size.What should I get?Jen, I'm going tothrow this to you.But first, Jacob, recheck thesize of those tires, because--That was the first thing.I did a little research andactually what came on your carwas a 235/45 R18, not to 235/40.Whether you have thefour cylinder or V6 XLE,that's the tire thatyou really want.But anyway, Jen, specificto his question, what do youhave to say?Right, so just sohappens that this week,we have new tire ratings,including performance wintermodels on ConsumerReports.org.So yes, a lot of peoplewere surprised, I think,that a Camry had a 235/45.I found the same thing.So Jacob, check,235/45 18 V rated.Certainly a performance tire.Probably not thatgreat in the snow,so it's a good idea foryou to get winter models.Also, don't forget, wehave a tire selectorwhere you can putyour car in and findthe models that have your sizeavailable in those new ratings.So check out those new ratings.It's fantastic.It's really--Good idea.Really helpful.All right, next question.Max from Hawaii says, I havea 2018 Subaru Forester 2.5i.The owner's manualstates that if youdrive on mountainousroads, which I do,I should replace the oil underthe severe conditions clauseevery 3,000 miles.Is this really necessary giventoday's advance synthetic oils?Shouldn't I be OK changingoil every 6,000 milesper the regularnon-severe intervals?Thanks.Max, follow the manual.Change your oilevery 3,000 miles.OK, next.That's almost like a dad.Yeah.Go to bed!If you're driving insevere conditions,you want to follow that manual.That's what it says to do,that's what you got to do.Next question is Nicholas.I live in the TampaBay Area, whichis prone to flooding,even when it doesn't rain.More and more, I findmyself navigatingaround or throughflooded streets.I feel I must consider groundclearance in choosing a car.I would prefer a sedan like aChevy Impala or Toyota Avalon,but they seem to ride much lowerto the ground than my sister'snew Honda CRV.Are SUV is better able tohandle mildly flooded streetsthan sedans?What do you say, guys?Well, I mean, don't risk--I mean, sometimes peopleare in a situationwhere they have to cross water.But generally, our adviceis turn your car aroundif you encounter waterin the road that looksto be six inches or deeper.Yeah.Because you don't knowwhat's under the water.Don't know if there'sa pothole, youdon't know ifthere's a wire down.If you go throughthe water quickly,the water can rushup over your hood,it can get inside yourengine, the intake,and completely seizethings, and makethings absolutely horrible.Yeah.And in light of it beinghurricane season and thingslike that, we have some storiesup on ConsumerReports.org.It talks about how flooded roadscan be more dangerous than theyappear.So please check that out.And if it's deep enoughthat you feel like an Avalonor Impala is going to be overthe frame rails or something,absolutely turn it back.That shouldn't be adifferentiator that oh, I'min an SUV, I can go.I used to live inAustin, Texas whereit's generallypretty dry, but theyhave all these dry riverbeds.And when they wouldget an intense rain,they get a flashflood that comesrushing through down theriverbeds and over the roads.And every year,the news stationswould do stories, if you seewater rushing over the road,don't go across it.And they put up an imageof full sized pickup trucksget lifted up andcarried downstream.So even if you haveground clearance,you have a vehicle thatyou think is big and heavy,forget about it.Yep.A couple extra inchesof ground clearanceis not going to make adifference in a floodingsituation like that.OK, James says, I'm consideringa used Toyota Prius.With the 2016 redesign,am I better off lookingat a 2017 or 2018 model?Or should I look at it 2015?I'm really interested inthe Safety Sense package,and I'm not sure ifthe 2015 offered that.Jen?Yeah, so 2015, you could getoptional forward collisionwarning, automatic emergencybraking, but city speed.So it also had--Mike was talking about--the Insurance Institute forHighway Safety's small overlaptest was only acceptable.So I think, yes, go withthe two later years.The forward collision warningautomatic emergency brakingSafety Sense was in place.All speed on the automaticemergency braking.Now a good IHS small overlap.But do note that the blind spotwarning was still optional.A lot of people are assumingthat that Toyota safetysense has the blind spotwarning, it does not.So you would have topick that up separately.But yes, look at it 2017or '18 over the '15.Yeah.Know the other interestingthing about that,though, is that the2016 and 2017 modelshad top reliability scores,whereas the 2018 wasa four in our reliability.Right.But four is still pretty good.But as far as usedcars go, Priusesare tough to beatfor reliability.I know they're notfun to drive, they'renot like an enthusiast car.You say that, but ownersatisfaction on the Priusis stellar.Yeah.Not everybody needs fun.My aunt thanksfor a Toyota Priusis like, the most funcar she's ever had.Well, it has a lot oftechnology into it.And for 20 years Toyotahas been making thiswith all the batteries,electric motors,and they still hold togetherreally, really well.They speak to thetechnology a lot.OK, times a tickin'.I know you want to talkabout Priuses all day.One more.Let's go to Hunter.Hunter says, hi, Talking Cars.I daily drive a 2002 MustangGT that's well past its prime.I still enjoy it, but it's notthat comfortable or practical.I want a new car that'scomfortable to driveeveryday, fun, sporty, ideallywith a manual transmission.Yes!And more practicalthan a Mustang.My budget is around $30,000 new.I'm considering the new HyundaiVeloster N, Volkswagen GTI,the Honda Accord Sport 2.0t.Which one would you recommendor is there somethingelse I haven't considered?All right, whowants to go first?I'll go first.OK.So to me, when Huntersays practicality--to me--You are Ms. Practicality.Let me guess, Kia Sorento.No, not Kia Sorento.He said fun to drive.Mustang GT--Your answer isalways Kia Sorento.I'm not that bad.Anyway, that saysto me four foors.That's to me where thepracticality-- non-coupe--so I kind of ruled out theBRzs, the FRSs, the Veloster Ns.So I think of hislist, the GTI, thatis one car where ownersatisfaction way outscoreseven reliability.People love their GTIs.Optional safety, 29miles per gallon.Not on your listhunter, Honda Civic SI.Four door practicality--I thought about that too, buthe mentioned the Accord, whichis bigger than the Civic SI.I'm just saying, hesaid or an alternative.That's a great choice.Something else, there'sa something else.34 miles per gallon.And also, with the GTI,which is a really fun car,the main transmission isfantastic in that car,you can get the plaid seats,which is just so cool.Quince, did you have a pick?Yeah, we're going from--we're talking a Toyota Prius.My pick is a DodgeChallenger RT.Why?Oh, because I'm thinking, he'scoming out of a Mustang GT, OK?He's grown up, Hunter has.But he's thinking about-- it'sV8, it's a manual transmission.Listen, the Challenger has asmoother, more comfortable ridethan the Mustang.It's a little bitbigger, bigger trunk.You might spend a littlebit more than 30 grand.You've got to go really,really easy on the options.But these are carsthat have a lotof wiggle room interms of pricingwhen you get to the dealer.They're super fun,they sound great.And you talk aboutowner satisfaction,the Challenger has among thehighest owner satisfactionin Consumer Reports surveys.Hunter, go with your gut.You wanted the Hyundai VelosterN, that's what you want.All the choices that helisted were really good.Go with Hyundai VelosterN. Super fun to drive,sounds fantastic.Has electronicallycontrolled suspension.That means you can adjustit between soft and firm.And you're going to havea blast in that car.So Hunter, go with your gut.Well, that's going todo it for this episode.If you want to learn moreabout the topics and the carswe talked about inthis episode, clickon the links in the show notes.Don't forget to sendthose questions, comments,30 second video clips toTalkingCars@icloud.com.As always, thanks forwatching, and we'llsee you all next week.\n"