Top Cars for Teen Drivers; CarMax and Driver’s Edge Recommend Best Vehicles for Safety and Reliability

If your teen’s back to school list includes a car, you will want to know which vehicles are recommended for young novice drivers. To help students and parents find the best car, CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, and Driver’s Edge, a national nonprofit organization providing youth driver education, have teamed up to recommend the top cars for new drivers.

“Parents want to be cautious about the vehicle their teen is driving,” said Steve Tepper, president of Driver’s Edge. “Because new drivers are still developing good, defensive driving skills and learning how to handle a vehicle, they are more likely to underestimate dangerous situations or hazardous conditions. The safety and reliability of the car driven may be the difference in saving their life.”

“Parents and teens generally differ when deciding which car to buy for a new driver. Parents are most often concerned with safety and price, while teens generally want the latest features and style,” said Tom Marcey, regional vice president of purchasing for CarMax. “We recommend going online to conduct research before you head to a car retailer to make a purchase – and be sure to find a retailer that specializes in an easy, hassle-free, car buying experience.”

This year’s top cars recommended for teens and new drivers include (In alphabetical order by manufacturer. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is standard unless otherwise noted):
Chevy Malibu
Dodge Caliber (models with optional side air bags and ABS)
Ford Fusion
Honda Civic
Hyundai Sonata
Nissan Altima
Pontiac G6
Subaru Legacy
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Jetta

“When deciding on a vehicle for a young driver, safety has to be a top consideration,” says Jeff Payne, CEO and founder of Driver’s Edge. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of deaths for teens, with those between the ages of 16 and 19 at the greatest risk.”

Driver’s Edge recommends that parents review crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when considering any vehicle, along with the advice and ratings of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Reliability and safety information on vehicles can also be found on carmax.com under the research tab.

This list was compiled with the novice driver in mind, while maintaining the balance between safety and performance, and selecting cars that will both impress the teen and please the parents. Driver’s Edge and CarMax took those factors into consideration as well as the following criteria to select the recommended cars:

1) Each of the selected models scored at least a four-star rating from NHTSA for both frontal and side impact protection in each of the last three years. The exception was the completely redesigned Chevy Malibu, which has only been available since the 2008 model year.

2) Each car is affordable, especially in the used car market, and offers an array of active safety features as either standard or optional equipment (e.g., anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control, traction control, etc.).

3) Cost, reliability and vehicle styling have been considered, but safety considerations weighed more heavily in determining the cars to recommend.

About CarMax

CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2008 “100 Best Companies to Work For,” is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 98 used car superstores in 46 markets. The CarMax consumer offer provides our customers the opportunity to shop for vehicles the way they shop for items at other national retailers, and it is structured around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection; high quality vehicles; and a customer-friendly sales process. During the fiscal year ended February 29, 2008, we retailed 377,244 used cars and sold 222,406 wholesale vehicles at our in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at http://www.carmax.com.

About Driver’s Edge

Las Vegas-based Driver’s Edge is a Nevada 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and public charity. Driver’s Edge offers a free educational program for young drivers aged 15 to 21, teaching real life emergency avoidance and response techniques and overall driver safety. This innovative program is taught on an ongoing basis in Las Vegas, Nev., with annual national tours visiting multiple U.S. cities each year. The program is funded entirely by corporate sponsorship, public grants, and charitable donations. Please visit www.driversedge.org for more information.

Contacts

Driver’s Edge Media Contacts:
Jeff Payne, Chief Executive Officer
702-896-6482
or
Steve Tepper, President
310-850-7750
or
CarMax Media Contacts:
Trina Lee, Director, Public Relations
804-747-0422, ext. 4197
or
Chris Wilmore, Assistant Public Relations Manager
804-747-0422, ext. 4773