Best vehicle for beginners?
Okay, so I'm 24. Lived in Montreal since I was 16. No one I know here drives - it just isn't really the thing to do. I never took driving lessons and don't know anything about cars. In a few months I'll be moving to a small town, and I'll have to learn how to drive and buy a car.
I've done a bit of searching questions similar to mine about good first cars. It seems the general consensus is whatever's low-maintenance and cheap on insurance, so I'll do a bit more research on those things when the time comes. But right now I'm wondering about vehicle types.
I have a few pets, and we move around a lot, so a bigger vehicle seems more practical for our living conditions. Like a van, jeep, truck, etc. But they seem pretty hard on gas costs. There's a lot of little cars I read about that are pretty good with mileage and general costs, but the size might be a problem.
So that's my question. What's the best type of vehicle for a beginner? Cost and handling-wise. Van, SUV, punch buggy, etc? Is it possible to get a bigger vehicle like a truck that's cheap on gas? Sorry if I'm wordy, the car world is intimidating!