this is my take. Kids are going to drive crazy no matter what vehicle you give it to them. So as parents, you should do this.
-
Don't get your kid a car with HP/TQ more than 200. This minimize the risk of kids flooring the gas pedal and the car getting out of control because of the power. Cars with good low-end torque doesn't help either. Also, such low horsepower vehicles usually come with low top-speed.
-
Don't get your kid a $3000 garbage car. Chances are, these cars are very un-safe. If they get into an accident, they'll die. Buy them something safe. The vehicle your kid is driving should be just as safe as your wife's. dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, etc DON'T TELL THEM HOW TO DISABLE THESE SYSTEM!!!
(though chances are, they'll find out)
-
Don't get them a RWD car. FWD, in general, are easier and safer to drive for novice drivers. Understeer is, again, in general, easier to deal with than over steer to newbies. RWD cars are now just as easy and safe to drive, but law of physics exist. When these kids learn how to disble those traction/stability controls, chances are, they'll try to do some fast and the furious action. aka, drifting or power-sliding. which 99% of them don't even know what the hell it really is. One more thing, FWD cars are proven to be easier to drive during extreme weather conditions compared to RWD. (when chains aren't available)
-
NO convertible! "Top-down baby" scene might be appealing to the little girls they are in love with, but not in terms of safety. Driving top-down during the summer when weather is extremely nice, will make these kids really hyper. The word "Driving" and "Hyper" shouldn't go together.
-
Stay away from SUVs. Higher center of gravity can easily cause tip over situation when corner or curve is taken too fast. You can tell your kid billion times to NOT take those corners fast, they wouldn't remember a single word you said the next day. Kids will prefer sedan/coupe anyway. two birds at once.
-
Smallest car you can find = Bye bye my son. Studies show(common sense anyway) bigger car > smaller car in an accident. Such cars as Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris might sound like it fits into all the categories above, but won't really look pretty when an accident occur. An impact caused by a bigger car to a smaller car will simply call for a sandwich party, including your precious child inside of them.
Conclusion: An entry level Volvo sounds good.
Anything else?
Please add anything that you think its necessary.