It's graduation time again, which means many young people will be getting their first cars, either as gifts from their parents or as the fruit of their new labors as they join the work force.

Whether they're about to head off to college or that first job, this year's grads have more to worry about when it comes to choosing a car than they did even just a year ago.

That's because gasoline prices have climbed to historic highs, reaching the point where fuel economy is becoming just as important as other car-buying factors, such as monthly payments, maintenance and how much insurance will cost.

While cars are popular as graduation gifts, choosing the best vehicle for a young driver can be an agonizing decision for a parent.

Safety is the biggest concern for most parents, but the other key factors include price, economy of operation and reliability.

For teens, the vehicle's styling often is the most important factor.

Some yearn for high-performance vehicles, too, but gas approaching $4 a gallon is putting a damper on that. Cars with V-8 engines and lots of horsepower are notorious gas-eaters, and even six-cylinder vehicles are taking a beating now.

For the best fuel economy, four cylinders generally can't be beat, and that's what's selling.

It's always a good idea to give a teen as safe a car as you can afford, but in the past that also sometimes meant giving up some fuel economy for the benefits of a larger, more substantial vehicle. Safety experts all agree that larger vehicles give occupants better protection in a crash, but the larger (and heavier) a vehicle is, the more fuel it uses.

In the past I've recommended midsize and larger SUVs and full-size pickups as good choices for grads, based on the safety aspect alone. But

I'm backing off that in the light of higher fuel prices. Still, though, these vehicles can be practical in some cases, and they're also priced right because of the consumer shift to smaller, lighter vehicles.

Prices of used pickups and conventional SUVs have tanked since gasoline began its historic climb above $3 earlier this year, and there are some great bargains to be found.

Among the best pickups — if your grad can handle the cost of the gasoline — are the Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-150. If you can find one with a V-6 engine, that's a plus, but those are rare.

SUVs that could work for a teen driver include some Asian models that get fairly decent mileage for their size, including the Suzuki Grand Vitara and XL-7, Kia Sportage and Nissan Xterra.

Crossover utility vehicles, though, generally offer the best fuel economy among the SUV crowd, and some of those are good choices for teens. They include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Chevrolet Equinox, Saturn Vue and Hyundai Tucson.

Most of the crossovers are offered with four-cylinder engines, which usually give better mileage than the optional V-6s.

For pure economy of operation, though, you can't beat small, lightweight cars and hatchbacks, and there are plenty of good offerings on the market that would fit into most young people's budgets.

Among the best of the new small cars are the Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Suzuki SX4, all of which are in the burgeoning subcompact class. They come with four-cylinder engines, and most have fuel economy that ranges from the mid-20s to the mid-30s.

On the used-car market, the perennial favorites for teen drivers still include the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and Mazda 3 compact sedans. Chevy's Cobalt and Saturn's Ion also are good choices.

Small wagon/hatchback models also are popular and well-suited to young drivers, such as the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, Chevrolet HHR, Suzuki SX4 Crossover, Kia Rondo, Scion xA/xB/xD and Subaru Forester.

Midsize sedans are the stalwarts of the offerings for teens, however.

The most popular of these on the used-car market are the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, but good choices also include the Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Malibu. With these models, the best choice for fuel economy always is a four-cylinder engine, although all are also offered with V-6s.

Four-cylinder versions of the Volkswagen Passat also are worth a look, and I also like the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf/Rabbit and New Beetle for young drivers.

Also worthy of consideration are compact/midsize pickups, which usually are less expensive than the full-size models and cheaper to operate. Most of these are offered with fairly fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines.

Among the top choices are the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, known for their long-term reliability and economy of operation. But there also are plenty of Ford Rangers, Chevrolet S10s, GMC Sonomas and the newer Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyons to choose from, as well as the Mazda B-series trucks, which are clones of the Ford Rangers.

Some cars probably aren't a good idea for young drivers. These include the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Corvette. But V-6 models of the Mustang are good for those who want an affordable, economical cool car. These cars aren't going to be as cheap to operate as an Accord, Camry, Corolla or Civic, but they're more fun even if they don't have a V-8 engine.

Sports cars such as the Mazda Miata might not be a good choice for teens, either, as open-top cars such as this are better for more mature, experienced drivers.

Studies have shown that occupants are more likely to survive an accident in a big SUV that has rolled over than in a small car that has smashed into a tree — but only if the SUV's occupants are wearing their safety belts. But in any vehicle, safety belts save lives.

A good safety feature to look for is electronic stability control, which can help prevent accidents. Many of the newer cars and SUVs have this as either standard equipment or a low-cost option that is well worth the money.