The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Car

In this article of the Hound's, we give a few of our top choices for cars branded towards teenagers. We will have two cars per section - one being used and one being new. The sections covered in this article are financial practicality, performance, safety, and looks / lifestyle.

The first section is financial practicality. Now, for finances, new cars aren't really that good. The car I can recommend is the Hyundai 2026 Venue Essential at a near $25 000 price tag. It has good fuel efficiency, an eight-inch touchscreen, and has the standard Hyundai security features. However, the cons is that it does have a underpowered engine, no AWD (All-Wheel Drive), and very small trunk space (especially for luggage, heavy backpacks, bikes, etc.) But, for the price tag for a brand new car, you can really complain.

The used car that excels in financial practicality is well, a lot. Used cars are bought for teenagers, so feel free to do your own research for the car you like, as used cars sell significantly less than brand new. However, I found multiple 2017 Nissan Altima SV for less than $10 000, so I will go through the pros of this car. It has an amazing fuel economy at 2.5 L, has a spacious trunk, and solid safety ratings. However, there is a lot of interior noise, the interior is obviously subpar from industry standards due to the age, and the steering can be wonky.

For performance, a car that is renowned for its performance is the 2025 Subaru WRX. The 2025 Subaru WRX has amazing engine, with 271 horsepower at 5 600 RPM. It has a tS trim, Brembo brakes, and pretty good safety and technology. Although, it does have a pretty poor fuel economy, the ride quality for passengers can be off due to the car being made for performance, poor styling of the black, textured plastic body is seemed as cladding.

In my opinion, a really good used car that I have been researching long before the Hound is the 2019 Honda Accord. The engine performance on this car is top-tier, having a 2.0T engine with 252 horsepower, or a 1.5T engine with 192 horsepower. It has a spacious interior, having amazing handling, and having impressive fuel economy. The cons is that it makes a LOT of road noise, the connection issues with Apple CarPlay are an issue, and the front bumper being practically stuck to the ground can cause issues with steep driveways.

Now, I personally think safety is one the main reasons to pick a car. The new car I recommend is the 2026 Subaru Forester. It is a very safe and practical compact SUV. It has amazing practicality, with being able to toss in whatever luggage or bike you may want to use. It has phenomenal visibility and comfort on the road, with having a upright driving position with very small blind spots. It has AWD on all trims, which is amazing in snow. However, it has a very poor 180 horsepower engine with a 11.6" screen that many saying it's very laggy and slow, and no complimentary maintenance like other brands do.

The used safe car that I choose is the 2019 Volvo S60. It is a luxury sedan with outstanding seat comfort and even better safety features. It has a stunning design and interior that can rival the newest of cars, it has amazing performance options along with obviously amazing safety, like automatic emergency braking and cyclist detection. Like with all cars, the cons are the quality of the ride can feel stiff off the road, many people say there are a few reliability concerns like battery drain, and the ride won't be as fun compared to say a Honda Accord. Better safe not sorry, right?

Now, the reason I would buy a car in the near future is the pure looks of it. The car that tops this is the 2025 Toyota GR86. It is a fun vehicle with amazing handling, having a manual transmission option, and a true affordable and practical cars on the market. The cons are the cabin noise having a high amount of tire noise, the quality of the ride is similar to the S60, being very stiff, and having very awkward paint quality and poor ergonomics. But, you can't tell me this car doesn't look like it would be amazing to drive.

I had to do some digging for this one, but I found a nice used 2017 Fiat 124 Spider that doesn't look bad. It has an alluring performance, a different look that other cars, and has amazing fuel efficiency, especially for a sports car. And my personal favorite feature, a nice soft top that can be engaged in seconds. This car does have some specific drawbacks, mainly with the limited storage, numb steering, and engine vibration when parked. But, again, this car looks honestly amazing.

So, the car for you? Well, it boils down to personal preferences. I like the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider and the 2019 Honda Accord personally, but we hope you found yourself the car you like in this article of the Hound! Which one is your favourite?