8. 2006 BMW 3 Series

Buyers age 23 and younger: 3.8 percent
Base price: $30,900

Why young drivers like it: It’s the brand, baby. BMW’s clout makes the 3 Series an obvious winner for the 23-and-under set. Though the base price is reasonable, they’ll have to beg for the flashy options — Bluetooth, Sport Package, leather seats — that will skyrocket the cost. Brand clout aside, few sedans, coupes or wagons — at any price — are as fun to drive as the long-running 3 Series. Only sports cars can do better.

What mom and dad think: Maybe mom and dad are owners of a 5, 6 or 7 Series, making it only natural that their children drive the baby in BMW’s lineup. There’s also plenty of choice, from a sexy convertible to a sensible wagon. Safety-wise, the car is a good choice: It received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Silver Top Safety Pick award in 2006 for high marks in side-impact and frontal offset collisions.