It can be a daunting task buying your teenager's first car once they've passed their driving test. You of course want to find the perfect car that's affordable but will provide safety and security on the road. Here are some things to look out for when you're perusing car showrooms. 

When choosing a car for your teen, it's important to think about the size. A bigger car will generally be more expensive to buy as well as more expensive to run, since things like tyre replacements and fuel costs will all be more than on a smaller vehicle. 

It's essential to choose a car that is safe for your teen to drive. More modern cars will have better safety features, but even if you're not going for a newer vehicle it's worth checking things like crash test reports and other factors to make your choice such as avoiding previously written off cars. 

You'll want to find a car that is easy to maintain. More common cars will be easiest to find parts for, so you may want to avoid very niche style vehicles and imports You'll also want to find a car that doesn't require special gas or oil.

When choosing a car for your teen, it's important to consider your budget. It's not just the cost of the car to factor in, but how much tax and insurance will cost as well. As these can vary greatly depending on the model, even between similar sized and aged vehicles. 

Not all cars are created equal. You'll want to choose a car that is best suited for your teen's needs. For example, if they're going to be using the car for long trips, you'll want to choose a car with good gas mileage. If they're going to be using the car for school and errands, you might want to choose a smaller car that is easy to park.

Before you buy any car, it's important to take it for a good test drive. A test drive will give you a chance to see how the car handles and flag up any potential issues, but also how your teen feels behind the wheel.

It's important to research a car's history report before you make a purchase. It's worth looking through previous MOT history to see if any worrying issues keep cropping up. You'll need to check that it's not been declared as written off and that there's no outstanding finance on it. 

Your teen will be the one driving the car, so it's important to involve them in the decision-making process. Browse online together and look in local car dealers. While it might be you that's paying and gets the final say, you dont want to purchase something that they really dont like so see if you can find a compromise.