AAA Green Car Guide Reveals 10 Best Green Cars For Teen Drivers

Hawaii teens and adults have very different opinions on what is a desirable vehicle so buying or leasing a car for Hawaii teens can be tough. Hawaii’s desire to be on the cutting edge of automotive and green technology adds to the check list of what vehicle local teens and parents should look for, but AAA Hawaii can help with its list of top 10 green cars for teen drivers.

During National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 21-27, AAA Hawaii, reminds teens who drive and their parents who supervise them to review what it means to be a safe and responsible driver since car crashes are the number one cause of death and injury for teen-agers.  Parents should highlight no alcohol use, “intexticated” driving and advocate seat belt use.  They can also share with their teens Hawaii’s plan for an all-electric future.   

“When car shopping for your teen, avoid cars with a lot of horsepower, which encourage teens to speed, and large SUVs, which can roll over more easily,” said Megan McKernan, manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center (ARC), which shares insights with AAA Hawaii. “Instead consider a midsize green sedan or a compact/midsize crossover with a four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission and high crash-test scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many vehicles on the research center’s top ten green car list are hybrids, which will help to save gasoline and reduce emissions.”  

The ARC’s 2018 list of 10 Best Green Cars for Teens in included in the AAA Green Car Guide.  The list can help guide parents with buying or leasing a vehicle for their teen driver or determining which existing family car to let their novice driver use. More information can be found at www.aaa.com/greencar. 

A four-cylinder engine limits a car’s ability to accelerate, gets better fuel economy and produces less pollution. Automatic transmissions are easier to driver and allow a novice to focus on steering, proper speed and braking. Crash-test scores are from NHTSA’s web site, https://www.safercar.gov/; The ARC only selected vehicles that scored a maximum 5 stars overall.  The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) listed is for base-model vehicles with automatic transmissions.

2018 AAA Green Car Guide 10 Best Green Cars for Teens: