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Keep Your Teen Driver Safe with Electronic Stability Control
By : Sheryll Alexander
Date : 10/27/2009

Did you know car accidents are the number one killer of America’s teenagers? That’s a pretty sobering statistic to parents. So what can a concerned parent do? Steve Mazor, an automotive research center manager for the Auto Club of America (AAA), says the best vehicles to buy teens are four-cylinder engine cars with an automatic transmission, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and top safety scores in crash tests.

However, I believe you need to include electronic stability control (ESC) when buying a car for your teen. Why is ESC so important? Because ESC can literally save your teen’s life. In fact, ESC is so important to safety that the federal government has made ESC standard equipment on all cars starting with 2011 models.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates ESC will reduce crashes by as much as 34% (59% for SUVs with a great reduction in rollovers). The exciting part is this: ESC will save between 5,000-9,000 lives and prevent around 200,000 injuries (once all light vehicles on the road are equipped with ESC).

That’s a lot of lives saved and injuries prevented! Wow! See, why you need to make sure your teens 2009-2010 car has ESC?

ESC helps drivers from losing control or going off the road. How? ESC is super complex and uses a web of algorithms, software and sensors to create one of the most life-saving technological advances since the seat belt and air bags.

Need some recommendations on four-cylinder cars with automatic transmission, anti-lock brakes, top safety scores and optional ESC? Here’s my list of top cars for teens:

The redesigned 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 is sporty enough for teens and affordable enough for mom and dad with its low price tag, sophisticated modern design, exhilarating zoom-zoom performance, advanced safety features and top safety scores. Plus, the 2010 MAZDA3 has top notch fuel economy at 33 mpg hwy and 25 mpg city.
All Subaru vehicles come with incomparable all-wheel-drive technology. So, the 2010 Subaru Legacy sedan is a great choice for teens who need to drive in bad weather. The Legacy also comes with lots of standard features, Subaru’s excellent performance, advanced safety technology, top safety marks, lots of room and good fuel economy.
The 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover is a good buy for parents with its low price, standard navigation, zippy performance, ergonomic interior, excellent safety and lots of cargo room. If your teen needs all-wheel-drive vehicle for inclement weather, go for the Suzuki SX4 Crossover, which comes as a five-door hatchback model.
Teens love Mitsubishi’s Lancer models because these mid-sized sedans are so sporty and cool. The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer delivers high-level performance, sports-minded styling, rather good fuel economy, advanced safety features and top safety marks.
Scion just builds great cars with lots of flexibility, zippy performance, lots of teen-friendly technology and advanced safety features at an affordable price. The 2010 Scion xD urban subcompact is a good choice for teens and their parents.
The 2010 Ford Fusion may be a bit boring for your teen, but this sedan has form and function at a low price, excellent fuel economy (41 mpg city, 36 mpg hwy), a roomy and comfortable interior with quality materials and seriously fun performance. Plus, teens will absolutely LOVE Ford’s way cool SYNC connectivity system.
Teens love individuality and the 2010 Kia Soul brings a quirky personality to this very versatile five-seater hatchback. For those who are into truly modern design at a low price, the 2010 Kia Soul is a wonder with its brash styling, fun-to-drive performance, highly customizable interior and exterior, advanced safety features and top safety marks.
Cash-strapped parents will be happy to discover the 2010 Nissan Versa is still the lowest-priced new car on the market today. For 2010, the exterior has been delightfully refreshed and there’s added safety features. For less than $10,000, you can own a new car with Nissan’s top quality, great fuel economy (34 mpg hwy, 28 mpg city) and rather zippy performance.
Got an environmentally-minded teen? The 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI is hot in Europe and for good reason since diesel fuel now has gained ultra clean emissions and lost that noisy ping-ping sound. The 2010 VW Golf TDI offers seriously great fuel economy (estimated 41 combined mpg), safety, performance, quality and design.

Keep your teens safe, America! Buy them ESC!

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande

Top 5 Mid-Sized Sedans Under $25,000
By : Sheryll Alexander
Date : 10/25/2009

Mid-sized sedans are the new bread-and-butter vehicle for the auto industry. With Americans looking for fuel efficiency, versatility, safety and a low price, the mid-sized sedan is an excellent buy for the discerning driver.

This car category just has tons of great competitors such as Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Suzuki SX4, Nissan Altima, Mercury Milan, Kia Forte, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Golf, VW Jetta and Chevrolet Malibu.

As an automotive journalist and road test reviewer, however, I focused on good looks, design, quality and lots of standard features to determine overall good value.

With so many mid-sized sedans from which to choose, I also only included cars that have been award five stars in driver crash testing from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

So, here’s my list of the Top Five Mid-Sized Sedans under $25,000:

No. 1: 2010 Ford Fusion
Who says American car companies aren’t making great cars? The completely re-designed 2010 Ford Fusion is making heads turn and tongues wag with its excellent fuel economy (41 mpg city, 36 mpg hwy), sophisticated design, roomy and comfortable interior, top safety ratings and fun-to-drive performance.
Plus, no other car company can offer Ford’s SYNC system. This integrated connectivity system features advanced tech like voice recognition for texting, Sirius Travel Link with real-time traffic alerts, 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report. Bravo Ford!
The 2010 Ford Fusion comes with a four-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine or a 3.0-liter V-6. The overall drive is smooth with excellent handling, suspension and braking. Front-wheel drive is standard, but you can get all-wheel drive on the Sport and AWD comes standard on the SEL model.
The interior, however, may have been changed the most and definitely for the better. The driver’s cockpit is sporty, the materials have been upgraded and overall it is just comfortable and ergonomic.
On top of everything else, the 2010 Ford Fusion has top safety marks and tons of standard features found in more luxury-minded vehicles such as cruise control, telescoping steering column, 16-in alloy wheels and auxiliary audio jack.
Base MSRP: $19,620
Fuel Economy: 36 hwy, 41 city
Safety: Five star NHTSA rating for driver crash test
No. 2: 2010 Mazda MAZDA3
Mazda just makes fun-to-drive cars with sophisticated, yet sporty design and performance. The 2010 MAZDA3 is undeniably a winner with its overall excellent power and overall driving dynamics, top safety marks, excellent fuel economy and luxury-minded standard features like tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel.
The base 2010 MAZDA3 comes with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine although there’s also a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine option.
Mazda says it re-configured the car’s front grille to capture the best aerodynamics, but some are confused by the car’s smiley faced front. Overall, the MAZDA3 is much curvier and much sexier on the outside.
Inside, the MAZDA3 pleases with its racy design, luxurious materials and ergonomic controls. Unfortunately, leg room in the back seat is rather lacking.
Base MSRP: $15,295
Fuel Economy: 33 hwy, 25 city
Safety: Five star NHTSA rating for driver crash test
No. 3: 2010 Subaru Legacy
All Subarus come with all-wheel drive (AWD), so they make great cars for those who drive in bad weather. For 2010, the Subaru Legacy has been completely redesigned with more power, top safety marks, excellent fuel economy and a new design both inside and out.
The 2010 Subaru Legacy comes with two different four-cylinder engine types: a 2.5-liter engine with 170 hp and a 2.6GT engine with 265 hp. A 3.6-liter inline six is also available in six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmissions. All other driving dynamics such as steering, handling and braking are excellent.
Inside, the 2010 Subaru Legacy is larger than some of its competitors with lots of head and leg room, comfortable seating and loads of standard luxury features such as a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with built-in controls.
Base MSRP: $20,795
Fuel Economy: 27 hwy, 19 city
Safety: Five star NHTSA rating for driver crash test
No. 5: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer
Mitsubishi’s Lancer is a dark horse in the mid-sized sedan segment. So don’t overlook the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer when you are considering a sporty new sedan. Basically, Mitsubishi delivers high-level performance, sports-minded styling, rather good fuel economy and top safety marks.
Yes, the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer has an edge over its competition, especially with its super fun-to-drive 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. The Lancer also comes in a sport-tuned GTS model, turbocharged Ralliart model and the super-tuned Lancer Evolution (also known as Evo).
Base MSRP: $14,790
Fuel Economy: 30 hwy, 22 city
Safety: Five star NHTSA rating for driver crash test
No. 5: 2010 Honda Insight
The 2010 Honda Insight is perhaps the least expensive gas-electric hybrid sedans on the market today. Plus, the 2010 Honda Insight has zippy power, gets great gas mileage, has super stylish design, received top safety marks and has loads of standard features.
Basically, the 2010 Honda Insight is just more fun to drive than the Toyota Prius and has sophisticated, rather than funky retro design. The driver’s cockpit has that rare combination of Euro brash and Asian minimalism. Unfortunately, the back seat can be rather cramped and head room is definitely lacking.
Base MSRP: $19,800
Fuel Economy: 43 hwy, 40 city
Safety: Five star NHTSA rating for driver crash test