If you want a reliable, safe, good vehicle -- go for an Accord, Camry, or preferably a Toyota Avalon.
As a guy who gives talks and writes about auto safety, and is constantly getting asked about what car to buy a high schooler, I've always felt there are some very important issues to consider.
- Pickup trucks don't have to meet the same safety standards that cars did in 1975. They fundamentally are not as safe as cars. Now, large trucks, like F250s, which are usually used for farm duty actually have a pretty good safety record. Small trucks, such as the Ford Ranger (and its Mazda platform mate,) and the Chevy S10 have statistically done very poorly in wrecks. Part of the problem is that people tend to drive pickups poorly -- especially in the snow.
-The safest vehicles tend to be large sedans (on average.) The Toyota Avalon is a good large sedan, being both safe and reliable. The old body styles are not cool, nor fast -- perfect for a 16 year old.
--Other than crashworthiness, the two most important factors in a vehicle for a new driver are stopping distance and stability in cornering -- which is why pickups and SUVs are horrible in the hands of kids. Basically, the most likely accidents for kids are single vehicle and rear enders. THe first happens when the child exceeds the limits of the car OR swerves to miss an obstacle (usually another vehicle that they didn't see because they weren't paying attention.) The second is from following too closely.
-- Get a car with as many airbags as possible, specifically side-impact, if available.
--Front wheel drive is definitely what you want for a child in a winter climate. Figure that if one cannot get through the weather in a FWD car with snow tires, you simply don't want your child driving that day. An SUV/Pickup leads to overconfidence in winter driving -- as once the 4wd helps the vehicle go, the driver thinks it will help him/her turn and stop (which, of course, it actually hurts, since there's more weight, plus an extra set of wheels under power to increase the amount of understeer.)
Plus, I've always felt that kids should always have uncool cars, because it makes them appreciate nice cars when they can buy one for themelves. (Coming from a guy whose first two cars were a '77 Buick Lesabre and a '77 Chrysler Lebaron, both which broke down frequently.)