The 23 best used cars for young drivers

VolkswagenThe 2015 Volkswagen Golf.For most young people and their parents, buying a first car is a major step.

One great option is to look at used cars, which can often be had for a fraction of the cost of brand-new models.

We came up with 23 used cars we think are the best for the young car buyer on a budget.

To make our list, we focused on cars that are available on the market right now for under $15,000. We looked for ones that are reliable, fun to drive, comfortable, attractive, economical, practical, and most of all, safe.

For safety, we checked out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) moderate front overlap crash test ratings for the cars we selected. Prices are based on current values available from Autotrader.com and reflect the lowest price we think a decent example with fewer than 75,000 miles on the odometer may cost.