Your first car is often a big deal and must fill a checklist of factors for it to suit you. Most often factors can include price, safety features, gas mileage, and insurance cost.

A great first car that passes the checklist for the average teenager is the stylish Mazda 3. The Mazda 3 has nearly all the safety features your parents could ask for such as surround air bags, while still looking stylish and sporty with its intense body lines and chrome wheels. The car comes in two models, the four door sedan or the five door hatchback.

The sedan starts at $17,845 and the hatchback starts at $18,545 for the 2016 year models. While the new year models are great, the older and affordable model years starting in 2005 to 2012 are also a good option. Prices can range from $2,000 to $5000 for a mid range milage car (about 55,000 miles) in good mechanical condition. Often used, mid-year model Mazda 3’s can be found at local dealerships for a comparable price.  

The Mazda 3 is a great first car with an average 35 mpg rating that won’t break the bank in gas fill ups and seating for five passengers to fit all your friends.

The car comes in a variety of exterior colors and interior materials. With choices of Soul Red, Blue Reflex, Deep Crystal, Jet Black, Liquid Silver, Meteor Gray, or Snowflake White to choose from, you are able to select a color that best fits what you want. The Mazda 3 also comes with a choice of black or sand cloth seats that are well ventilated for hot days, but also keep you warm in the winter. The car’s fully equipped with a high quality stereo system and a sunroof for those nice summer days while jamming out to your music.

The Mazda 3 is also a great first car for its amount of possible upgrades and customization options. From an easily upgradable radio and speaker system for the hard core jammers to a sporty trunk spoiler that will add a “wow factor” to the rear of the car, the Mazda 3 may just be the perfect car for new drivers