Affordable, Safe Cars for Teen Drivers
Families looking to balance affordability and safety in vehicles for their teen drivers can look to the updated list of recommended vehicles by IIHS and Consumer Reports.
The new recommended vehicles are all winners of the 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick or Pick+ award, as well as a Consumer Reports safety verdict of ‘best.’
Pexels/Luke Miller
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports have released their sixth annual list of vehicles for teen drivers that they recommend as “good buys with solid safety credentials.”
They named 45 used vehicles starting under $10,000 that they said offer good crash protection, and another 29 vehicles under $20,000 that have highly rated headlights and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
The two reviewers also included 22 new vehicles with advanced safety features that are on the more affordable end of the new-car spectrum.
“We curate this annual list specifically for teens because driving holds extra risk for them,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist Rebecca Weast. “That said, the suggestions are suitable for drivers of any age looking to balance affordability with crash protection and crash avoidance.”
The list doesn’t include vehicles with “excessive horsepower relative to weight” or that are marketed for performance, but it comes with the caveat that some models have high-horsepower versions, so families should pay attention when shopping from the list.
Smaller models like minicars or anything under 2,750 pounds are also excluded because they aren’t rated as safe as their larger counterparts in crashes. But large SUVs and pickup trucks aren’t a good choice for inexperienced drivers, according to the institute, because they can be hard to handle and take longer to stop.
All vehicles on the list have average or better scores from Consumer Reports for braking and emergency and routine handling, and they have good usability scores, meaning their controls and displays aren’t distracting or confusing. They also provide strong crash protections based on IIHS testing.
The new vehicles that are recommended are all winners of the 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick or Pick+ award, as well as a Consumer Reports safety verdict of "best."
Some of the recommended vehicles include:
· Nissan Sentra (2015-2025)
· Chevrolet Malibu (2014-2015)
· Kia Sportage (2017-2025)
· Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2022-2024)
· Toyota Camry (2019-2025, including hybrid)
· Ford Explorer (2020-2024)
· 2026 Mazda 3 hatchback or sedan
· 2026 Honda Passport
· 2026 Volkswagen Atlas
Click here for the full list.
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