My 16 year-old son wants a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder, and I am concerned
about SUV rollovers, crash safety, handling, etc., so what are the
safest, reliable, used vehicles to consider for a teenaged driver's
first auto, a list of such vehicles generally available for less than
$10,000?

I suggest you go to the Consumer Reports Web site, pay $4.95 for a
one-month subscription, and find out all you want to know about any
particular car:
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/home.jsp
Good luck!

I second mvguy-ga's suggestion.  In researching cars several months
ago, I found that the Consumer Reports web site had more useful
information than any other source.

I know of teenagers who turned over SUVs in the 1990s as the high
center of gravity makes them prone to tipping in a high speed turn.  I
agree that Consumer Reports is a great place to look. Based on your
criteria, I would recommend a Nissan Altima.

There's some interesting safety information about SUVs in today's NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/27/weekinreview/27HAKI.html

This AP article suggests ways to manage the risk of teenage drivers:
http://www.s-t.com/daily/01-02/01-08-02/a13wn077.htm

Thanks for the suggestions.  I do subscribe to Consumer Reports and
have researched their information, but they do not yet have a rollover
resistance rate for SUVS.  I appreciate learning about the NYTimes
articles which I will check out.  I know the rollover rate for SUVs is
offset some by their size and weight comparable to injury rates for
small cars, etc.  I just thought some expert or insurance study may
have calculated vehicle type with driving patterns and behavior for
inexperienced, young, male drivers (most of which is likely negative).
 Thanks again.

The NHTSA government safety site shows ratings for crashes/rollovers by vehicle

this page is for all nissans tested  http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/SList2.cfm