Civic Named Among Best Cars for Teens by AAA

According to John Nielsen, director of Automotive Engineering for AAA: “Teen drivers see their first vehicle as a step toward independence; parents and teens seeing eye-to-eye on the best vehicle can be tough. Safety behind the wheel should be a priority. Finding a reliable vehicle that has top safety features and fits into the budget will make you and your teen’s vehicle ownership more enjoyable.”And that’s especially the case if said vehicle is a Honda Civic, recently chosen by AAA as one of this year’s best cars for teens. The Civic was called a “perennial and parental favorite” by AAA and also was lauded for its handling, maneuverability, fuel efficiency—the Civic HF can attain 41 mpg on the highway—and a robust body structure developed according to Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) guidelines. As is the case with most Honda models, the Civic relies on an ACE design that leverages a network of interconnected structural components to help distribute crash forces away from the cabin.
The Civic also boasts standard passenger-protection features like Honda’s Advanced Vehicle Stability Assist technology with traction control, electronic brake-force distribution and dual-stage airbags, all of which helped the car achieve Top Safety Pick status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Teen drivers can choose a Civic in both sedan and coupe body styles, with three different powertrains on tap: A standard 140-hp 1.8-liter I4 engine, a hybrid setup that delivers 44 mpg in all EPA testing procedures, and an I4 that’s been tuned to run on clean-burning compressed natural gas.
Take care with the Civic Si, though, since its high-performance engine “may be too powerful for younger drivers.”
The 2012 Honda Civic family is on sale now starting at $15,755.