What car would you recommend to a first time buyer?

When looking for a new car I like to start by seeing which cars got a top safety pick because safety is important to me. [https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks) I also check out the Consumers Report web site to see what they suggest and read their reviews. It is behind a paywall but you can likely see it for free at your local library or pay $10 for one months access to it. Here are some comments I have posted before for first time car buyers who do not know where to start. >A couple of points; >Check out the Consumers Reports web site for information about cars. It is behind a paywall but you can likely get it for free through a library or pay $10 for one months access. >If you will not be paying cash then get your financing set up at some place like a bank or credit union before you go car shopping. Dealers will often take advantage of people who need to finance through them. If you set of the financing ahead of time but there is something like a 0% manufacture financing special you can still use that. >When you are working on a deal focus on the "out the door price". Dealers will often try to quote a good price but then add on all sorts of extra fees and junk options. >Never ever buy an extended warranty or service plan especially a third party one which is not by the manufacturer. The third party extended warranties are often little more than a scam which is difficult to use and the companies often go out of business. I would also not recommend a manufactures extended warranty but if you do want one of those there is no reason to buy it when you buy the car since you can buy it at any time until the full warranty expires , typically three years. >A generic recommendation would be to get a new Corolla, Civic, or Mazda 3 which are all safe choices if they fit your needs. The used car market is crazy and bad right now so it is reasonable to buy a new car. >If you do decide to buy a used car always get a pre purchase inspection done by a mechanic even if it is a CPO car being sold by a dealership. >It is just me but these are the major brands I would not even consider. Jeep, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia, and Nissan. They have all had major reliability problems and there have been rumors of Nissan going into bankruptcy. >Get quotes for car insurance for the models you are considering since the cost can vary a lot with the model.