YONKERS, NY, and ARLINGTON, VA — Consumer Reports (CR) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are teaming up for the first time to recommend safe, reliable and affordable used vehicles for teenage drivers.

In recent years, both organizations have released lists of recommended vehicles for teens, using slightly different selection criteria. By joining forces, CR and IIHS are making it even easier for young drivers or their parents to find a vehicle that checks all the boxes for safety, performance and reliability.

Teenagers are among the riskiest drivers, but they frequently end up with vehicles that don’t provide adequate protection in a crash. Often, they find themselves driving old cars that lack modern safety features like side airbags or electronic stability control (ESC). When teenagers do get behind the wheel of a new car, it’s usually one of the smallest models, which don’t protect as well as larger vehicles in crashes. 

Reliability is another key consideration. A young driver’s first car will probably need to last for years, and parents don’t want their teen stranded because of a breakdown.

The list of 65 recommended used vehicles, ranging from $5,300 to $19,600, shows that safety can be both affordable and practical.

“Our focus has always been safety, as reflected in our vehicle ratings, but we recognize that a lot of other factors go into families’ purchasing decisions,” says IIHS President David Harkey. “This partnership with Consumer Reports will help new drivers and their parents zero in on the best used vehicles overall.”

“We are delighted to be able to team up with IIHS to jointly develop a list of used vehicles for teens that deliver a smart and effective combination of safety technology and reliability, all without breaking the bank,” says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at CR’s Auto Test Center. “Vehicles on this list can help teens stay safe as they gain driving experience.”

Although the list is intended specifically for teen drivers, the organizations emphasize that it can be a resource for anyone looking for a safe, reliable and affordable used car.

Consumers who consult the list won’t find any sports cars or other vehicles with excessive horsepower because these vehicles can tempt teens to test the limits. In addition, there are no minicars or vehicles under 2,750 pounds. The biggest, heaviest vehicles, including those in the large SUV class, have also been left off the list because they can be hard to handle and often have increased braking distances.

The list of recommended vehicles is divided into Good Choices and Best Choices, which offer a slightly higher level of safety. Both Good Choices and Best Choices have:

• standard ESC
  
• above-average reliability, based on CR’s member survey, for the majority of the years listed
  
• average or better scores from CR’s emergency handling tests
  
• dry braking distances of less than 145 feet from 60 mph in CR’s brake tests
  
• good ratings in four IIHS crashworthiness tests — moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints
  
• four or five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (if rated)

In addition, the Best Choices have a good or acceptable rating in the IIHS driver-side small overlap front test, which was launched in 2012. The test replicates what happens when the front left corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole.

The top tier also excludes vehicles that have substantially higher than average insurance claim rates under medical payment or personal injury protection coverage. Both coverage types pay for injuries to occupants of the insured vehicle. The Highway Loss Data Institute, an IIHS affiliate, collects and publishes insurance loss data by make and model every year. The results are adjusted for driver age, gender and other factors that could affect risk.

“Injury claims provide another window onto safety in the real world and may capture things that crash tests don’t,” Harkey says.

Before buying a specific used vehicle, consumers should check for outstanding recalls and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic.

CR puts every car it purchases through more than 50 tests and evaluations and supplements that information with reliability and owner satisfaction data from its surveyed members. From these collective insights, CR has long produced recommendations for the best cars for teens, with an emphasis on performance, safety and reliability.

IIHS is best known for crash tests of new vehicles and the annual TOP SAFETY PICK awards. The Institute began issuing used vehicle recommendations in 2014 after IIHS researchers found that teenagers were likely to drive very old or very small vehicles.  

Recommended used vehicles for teens starting under $20,000

All listed vehicles earn good ratings in the IIHS moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. If rated by NHTSA, they earn 4 or 5 stars overall or 4 or 5 stars in the front and side tests under the old rating scheme. All come with standard ESC and have a curb weight greater than 2,750 pounds.

In addition, all recommended vehicles have above-average reliability scores from CR (4 or 5 out of 5) for the majority of model years listed and CR emergency handling scores greater than or equal to 3 out of 5. They also have dry braking distances (going from 60 mph to zero) of 145 feet or less.

Prices, provided by Kelley Blue Book and rounded to the nearest $100, are average U.S. values from July 1, 2020, for the lowest trim level and earliest applicable model year. The estimates are based on the following criteria: vehicle in good condition, typical mileage and private party purchase.

Some listed models include a “built after” date. This applies when a manufacturer makes changes to improve safety in the middle of a model year. Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured can be found on the certification label typically affixed to the driver door or near it.

Best Choices

In addition to the criteria listed above, these vehicles also have a good or acceptable rating in the IIHS driver-side small overlap crash test, and none of them have substantially higher than average insurance claim rates under first-party injury coverages.

SMALL CARS

MIDSIZED CARS

LARGE CAR

SMALL SUVS

MIDSIZED SUVS

MINIVANS

GOOD CHOICES

SMALL CARS

MIDSIZED CARS

LARGE CARS

SMALL SUVS

MIDSIZE SUVS

MINIVAN

For more information from IIHS, go to iihs.org
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries and property damage — from motor vehicle crashes. IIHS is wholly supported by auto insurers.

CONTACT: Joe Young (IIHS) +1 434 985 9244 (office) or +1 504 641 0491 (cell)