When it comes to selecting an appropriate car for your teenager, it may not be in your budget to afford the latest new car with the most up-to-date safety technology. Considering how many used cars there are to choose from, parents are often left wondering which ones are the safest for their fledgling young drivers to operate. Fortunately, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has some great information on this topic. The IHSS says that when selecting a used car for your teenager, you want to find a balance between price and the latest safety features like electronic stability control, multiple airbags and anti-lock brakes. According to IIHS, parents usually expect to spend less than they should on a used car for their teens, but paying a little bit more to buy a safer car is money well spent. IIHS has published a complete list of cars that it recommends, and the list is quite long. It includes different types of models in different price ranges. At the top of the safe used car list in the category of large vehicles is the Volvo S80, model year 2007 or later. In the category of midsize vehicles, they recommend a 2010 or later Subaru Outback. In the category of small SUV, the organization recommends the Honda Element, model years 2007 through 2011. Our children are the most important things in our lives, so when it comes to keeping them safe when they are first setting out as drivers, parents may want to consider spending a little more on new safety features. An ounce of prevention is worth about million pounds of cure in such cases -- especially considering how many unlawful and negligent motorists we share the roadway with every day. Source: Today, "Safest used cars for teens: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's top choices," Jonathan Welsh, Oct. 19, 2015