School is out, summer is here, and that means some of the older students are hitting the roads or looking to buy their first cars.

AAA is encouraging parents to factor safety and reliability into picking the best vehicle for their teens, but local mechanics say that a new car may be your best bet, especially with fuel costs on rise.

Wayne Gill of Gill's Auto Repair in Staunton says new cars are more reliable.

"When you buy a used car, you should take it to somebody you trust and not have a 100,000 mile check up, have the 100,000 mile tune up. Just do it because it's going to need it."

Gill recommends you also get AAA for each child, or at least on the car they're driving. He says dependability and gas mileage should be high on your list, so used cars aren't your best bet.