Sean P. Diddy Combs recently attracted a lot of attention when he gave his son a new Lamborghini valued at $360,000 for his 16th birthday. The presentation was held in front of MTV cameras and a celebrity crowd gathered in New York in part for a Haiti relief fundraiser.
Consumer Reports didn’t pass judgment on Combs’ actions. Instead, it compiled a list of cars it has determined as “appropriate for young drivers.”
In part of story detailing its selection, the Consumer Reports’ reporter wrote:
“We did not consider cars with 0-to-60-mph acceleration times faster than 8 seconds or slower than 11 seconds, those with braking distances longer than 145 ft. in dry conditions, or those with mediocre emergency-handling scores. Many vehicles that have been tested in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) side-crash test without side air bags have been rated poor, the lowest rating.
“Therefore, we recommend that you look for a vehicle with head-protecting side curtain air bags. You can see all IIHS crash-test ratings at www.hwysafety.org. Vehicles with electronic stability control (ESC) should be your first choice for less experienced drivers. ESC is a proven device that keeps cars from sliding, thus preventing crashes in the first place.”
Here are the vehicles Consumer Reports recommends as appropriate for young drivers. The list was compiled just prior to the recall of certain Toyota models:
Acura TSX, Ford Focus sedan (2003 or later), Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (4-cyl.), Honda CR-V EX (2005 or later), Honda Civic EX, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Sonata (4-cyl., 2006 or later), Kia Optima (2006 or later), Mazda 3 (with side airbags), Mercury Milan, Pontiac Vibe (2006 or later), Scion tC, Subaru Impreza (not WRX), Subaru Forester, Toyota Camry (4-cyl.), Toyota Matrix (2006 or later), Toyota Prius, Toyota RAV4 (2001 or later, non-3rd row).
Article Last Updated: May 28, 2013.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to this site, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and a monthly auto review column for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, James has co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast since 2017.