Best First Cars for Teens & New Drivers in 2024 (2024)

Price: $31,625

Few cars offer a mix of approachable performance, practicality, and fun like the Volkswagen GTI. It's a daily driver that's as fun as many of the best sports cars on the market. The the latest version is a sweet spot as it offers a turbocharged four-cylinder and a choice of manual or dual-clutch automatic transmissions. It's quick, but not too quick for an inexperienced driver.

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Price: $29,895

Everyone knows that the Honda Civic offers practical, efficient, reliable transportation for the masses, but many of them are genuinely fun to drive too. That's especially true for the Civic Si. Every generation Civic Si is manual-only, and it's a great car for learning to drive stick. Over 200 hp from a turbocharged inline-four keeps things fun too.

HERE'S WHY WE LOVE THE INTERIOR

Price: $33,690

One of the most practical ways to make sure your first car isn't oppressively boring is to buy one that you can take on off-road adventures. It might not be fast or luxurious, but you can't deny how fun a Wrangler is to drive just about anywhere. Even one that's unmodified will get you much further away from civilization than you might expect.

WE ONCE TOOK A RENTAL WRANGLER OFF-ROADING

Price: $32,515

Starting out driving a brand new 5.0-powered Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a recipe for disaster for most drivers. The EcoBoost inline-four powered 'Stangs provide some surprising performance, making as much power as a V-8 from a decade ago. You can have plenty of fun in this affordable rear-drive coupe, despite it not having a manual transmission this time around.

HERE'S EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEW MUSTANG ECOBOOST

Price: $29,615

Want a fun balanced sports car, but don't like Miatas? Luckily for you, Subaru has just the car. The Subaru BRZ is a lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupe that produces plenty of smiles behind the wheel, that, thanks its 228-hp naturally aspirated boxer-four, keeps speeds to a minimum.

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Price: $31,625

The Subaru WRX might not be at the cutting edge of affordable AWD performance cars, but its available turbocharged boxer-four and manual transmission mean it ticks all the boxes for most people looking for a year-round enthusiast car. Plus, it's not insanely quick, so first-time drivers won't be overwhelmed.

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Price: $32,695

It would be easy to dismiss the Acura Integra as nothing more than a tarted up Honda Civic, but doing so would mean missing out on the enjoyment of driving one of the most talented front-wheel drive sport sedans in the last 15 years. Even though the power goes to the "wrong" wheels, it's still a precise handler that any new driver could enjoy immensely.

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Price: $29,215

If a list of fun cars doesn't include the Mazda MX-5 Miata, it better be called "10 Fun Cars That Aren't the Mazda MX-5 Miata." It's that much fun to drive. In fact, the Miata is so good, it's almost cliche to include it because it's such an obvious choice. Driving one will make you a better driver, but it may also ruin other cars for you.

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Price: $24,395

Minis aren't as "mini" as they used to be, but if you're a new driver, that's a good thing. There's modern safety equipment and more space to put your stuff and carry people around. But Minis are still quirky, so if you want to stand out—and what young driver doesn't?—it's a great choice.

CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OF THE MINI JCW GP

Price: $25,335

It may not be as exciting as the Miata, but the Mazda 3 is seriously fun for what it is: a practical, economical, reliable hatch with plenty of space and a surprisingly nice interior. So if you want a Miata but need room for more than yourself and one person, the Mazda 3 is the car for you.

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Price: $29,495

Whether you choose the Subaru BRZ or the Toyota GR86, you can't go wrong. But slight differences in suspension means we actually prefer how the '86 drives. It's easier to slide and more balanced on the limit—perfect for those looking to get into performance driving for the first time.

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Price: $32,680

Want a GTI, but don't want to deal with all the hot hatch hype? Pick up a GLI instead. They're essentially the same underneath, except the GLI uses the Jetta's more traditional sedan body style. And delivers the same amount of fun.

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