This:
One trait I notice in a lot of drivers--young, middle, and old--is that they have no clue what is going on around them. A sea of brakelights ahead on the road surprises them...they change lanes and jerk back to the right because they didn't see a car along side of them. As my dad taught me: "Stay away from idiots...and everyone is an idiot". Concise advice, but it's a good mantra. Knowing where people are, how fast they're going, what they're likely to do, and keeping space around you goes a long way towards avoiding accidents. What is that "idiot" ahead of me going to do? Probably the most stupid thing he can...that's what I'll assume...Now, if he does that stupid thing, what will I do? Do I have an escape route? This is the kind of skill that can't be learned in a day, month, or year. It takes a lot of time on the road in real situations.
That's kind of like what my dad taught me, and this is while driving to always think that everyone is trying to kill you. Because of the appalling number of incredibly bad drivers in the D.C. area where I live, I've added that they're either trying to kill you or be killed by you.
Which brings me to my next point, chiming in on the new drivers = bad drivers debate. I think (and have been told by adults) that I'm a
great driver...FOR MY AGE. I think that's the element we've been missing here. The stereotype of all teenagers going out, speeding, driving recklessly and crashing their cars immediately is simply not true, BUT if you're a teenage driver who drives
wrecklessly, obeys all the traffic laws, and stays alert and aware of your surroundings, you're a good TEENAGE driver, but not a good driver, and as so many have wisely said, that comes with experience.
I spent most of my childhood staring out the window of the car. Lo and behold, when I finally got my license, I actually knew how to get to places, whereas some of my friends would get lost and panicked. There's no substitute for being behind the wheel, but as you say, observing other cars when you're a passenger begins to develop the skill I mentioned above.
It's the same situation with me. I learned a lot riding in the car with my mom or dad driving me places around town, like how to get places around where I live and how to anticipate when someone is going to pull into your lane in front of you. I would sit in the front seat and just watch all the cars around ours, and I learned to instinctively know when a driver was going to pull in in front of us, and that's helped me out a LOT when driving.
As for the perfect car, nearly everyone (if they/their parents were at least sort of smart when buying one) will vouch for their own, and I'll do the same. I have a 2002 Subaru Forester that my parents bought me (they bought my older brother a Forester as well), and it's everything I'll ever want or need in a car. Not that quick since it's a 4-cylinder in a small SUV/tall wagon, but it can still easily break the speed limits so it teaches you restraint and self control at the wheel, and a HUGE amount of space in the back for the up to three large musical instruments I have to carry around on a regular basis. The fuel economy isn't great because of its weight, but it's not too bad, and it's fun to drive. I think that you really shouldn't worry about a car being fun to drive for a new driver, because (at least for me anyway) ANY car is fun to drive. The only exciting thing about the way my car drives is that it has a pretty good turning radius, but I just love driving the thing because I love driving. If you have a teenager that hates driving, they shouldn't have a car.
The main reason my parents bought this car, though, is that it's safe, which is the most critical aspect of your kid's first car, so that they can survive in a crash. Most of the cars people have listed - Geo Metro, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tercel, etc., ...mainly compact and subcompact cars, simply aren't safe enough to survive a hard crash with an SUV, and that's why my parents decided mine and my brother's HAD to be an SUV with side airbags, because let's face it, nowadays with the amount of extraordinarily clueless drivers out there, being hit by a big car or SUV is almost more likely than a teenager crashing his/her first car unaided.
Yeah, it will definitely keep you from getting speeding tickets 
