So your freshly minted young driver has a license. Now what? If you are launching into a search for the best cars for teens, we can help. Even if you don’t have the budget to bring home one of our picks, we will provide some helpful tips for your quest.
If you learn nothing else, here’s the No. 1 takeaway: safety. According to the United States Department of Transportation, teen car crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 18-year-olds in the U.S. This list is about safety: the absolute main qualifier for each of our best car picks. Use our table of contents below to skip ahead.
- The Numbers
- Choosing the Best Car for New Drivers
- For Teen Drivers, All Cars Aren’t Equal
- Top Recommended Safety Features for Teen Drivers
- How Important Are Crash Test Ratings?
- Best Cars and SUVs for Teens
The Numbers
Here’s some food for thought from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In this country, only older people (80-plus) drive less than teens (16- to 19-year-olds). However, the instances of teen wrecks and crash deaths are unreasonably high. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the third leading cause of teenage deaths, behind homicide and suicide.
The good news is that teenage deaths from car crashes continue to inch down a bit every year. However, the statistics are still alarming.
According to the latest IIHS data (from 2022), in the United States, 2,883 teens aged 16-19 were killed in car crashes. About 56% of them were with a teenage driver at the wheel.
Also, from the latest IIHS data, roughly 19% of all fatal accidents in the U.S. in 2022 involved a teenage driver.
Speaking for the IIHS, Director of Media Relations Joseph Young said, “Per mile traveled, teen drivers crash about four times as often as drivers 20 and older.”
It’s all about safety.
Jump ahead to our list of cars for teens.
Choosing the Best Car for New Drivers
Any device with an internet connection is your best path to getting the scoop on a vehicle you might consider for your teen driver. If you don’t opt for one of our suggestions, it’s simple enough to do the legwork independently. It may be time-consuming, but it isn’t difficult. You’ll understand our process as we work through this story.
How Much Does It Cost to Add a Teenager to Car Insurance?
It costs a lot to add your teen to the car insurance policy you currently hold, that is, unless you live in Hawaii. There is practically no increase in adding a teenager to your policy in our 50th state. If you live elsewhere, it can inflate your premium by 150% or more. And it’s usually more for a male teen than any other young driver.
Of course, some cars are more expensive than others to insure. However, the bulk of a new driver’s added insurance cost is liability coverage. That coverage pays for property damage and physical harm to others. There are many factors an insurance provider takes into account when calculating a premium.
It’s impossible for anyone but an insurance company representative to even ballpark your new premium. Consequently, involving your insurance agent in the process as early as possible is essential to avoid surprises.
How Do You Lower Car Insurance Rates for a Teenager?
There are several discounts your provider may offer to reduce that insurance burden. Progressive, for example, offers up to a 10% discount to students with a B grade average or better. Some companies also provide a discount if your teen driver takes a driving safety course. Ask your insurance agent.
Whether your insurance provider offers a safe driver school discount or not, you might want to enroll your new driver in a safety program. Such schools hone a young driver’s awareness and skills. Since 2003, Ford has operated its Ford Driving Skills for Life Academy, a traveling roadshow that visits several cities each year, and an online course. The American Automobile Association (AAA) also offers an online teen safety course.
Others, like Tire Rack’s Street Survival school, still travel around the country. Hands-on programs usually combine classroom work with instruction by a qualified driving coach on a closed course.
For Teen Drivers, All Cars Aren’t Equal
Here is where we discuss common sense. It’s possible you reached a point in your life when you are no longer concerned with the vehicle you drive somehow defining or being a reflection of you.
Often, that less-than-mature driver raiding your refrigerator won’t share your wisdom. Their dream car list will contain all sorts of cars, trucks, and SUVs that may not be suitable or safe for them, whether you can afford them or not.
To this point, Joseph Young advised, “It’s really important that teens choose a car that will provide good crash protection. When shopping for or handing down a car, there are some basics that teens and their parents should keep in mind. For starters, teens shouldn’t be driving an older car that lacks basic safety features like electronic stability control (ESC) or side airbags. Generally, newer vehicles offer better crash protection because they’ve been subjected to more challenging safety tests. This doesn’t mean your teen needs a brand-new vehicle, but teens shouldn’t be driving an old beater that lacks basic safety features.”
Going into this project, we set some standards about the vehicles we consider best for teen drivers. Remember, you must balance the vehicle’s cost with its safety features.
While newer models will likely offer more advanced safety features and driver assists than older models, a new car’s price may not be realistic for many families. When you plan your budget for a vehicle, it may also be wise to factor in the potential cost of repair and bodywork. If your family budget allows, 2013 and newer vehicles will come standard with the “Big Three” of safety features: antilock brakes, traction control, and stability control, which the federal government mandates.
In 2018, carmakers had to comply with the federal government mandate for rearview cameras in all new cars, but by 2017, most already had them. We highly recommend this feature. If you are well-heeled enough to shop above this list, you might consider an electric vehicle (EV). Just keep in mind that the peak torque — the power that gets a vehicle moving — in an EV is all available the instant the driver’s foot touches the accelerator. That may be too much immediate power for a teen to handle safely.
Types of Cars to Avoid
Tiny city cars might be more affordable and get better gas mileage than compact or midsize ones. However, they will almost always come out second in a contest with a full-size truck or SUV on the road. Joseph Young agrees: “Teens also shouldn’t be in the smallest cars on the road. Very small cars don’t provide as much protection in a crash, so it’s crucial that teens are behind the wheel of something slightly larger. We’re not recommending they drive tanks, but something like a midsize car or small SUV is going to provide more protection than a minicar.”
Sports cars might look cool but may tempt teenagers to drive beyond their skill. Big SUVs or pickup trucks will surround your teen with more metal, but they may be too big for your teen to handle. They are simply more challenging to park. And then there is the fuel economy issue.
High-horsepower cars will be high on the must-have list for some teen drivers, but even experienced drivers can overshoot their ability on rain-soaked pavement. Increased horsepower translates into higher insurance premiums and more potential for trouble.
Top Recommended Safety Features for Teen Drivers
Let’s face it: Safety technology gets expensive. It’s one of the factors relentlessly pushing up the sticker price of new cars. As carmakers pursue driverless cars and AI features, all manner of new technology to help the driver is seeping into nearly every model’s standard and optional features list.
If you and your family can afford to buy a new car for your teen, look for a vehicle with all of these features. If you are looking at a used car, you may not find all of them. The newer the car, the better your chances. We highly recommend researching a car at Kelley Blue Book before buying to see if these features are available. If they are available, they may not come standard, which may mean shopping for a mid- or upper-level trim on a vehicle.
Advanced Safety and Driver-Assist Features
- Antilock brakes (ABS) are the backbone of the next two systems. They automatically modulate the brakes to maximize stopping power while allowing the driver to steer around problems. The government mandated them beginning in 2012.
- Automatic emergency braking slows or brings a car to a stop autonomously. This safety feature is mandated by the U.S. government to be in all new cars beginning in September 2029.
- Blind-spot monitoring uses sensors, and sometimes cameras, to detect vehicles in adjacent lanes that may not appear in your side mirrors. A visual warning on the side mirrors, A-pillar, or elsewhere will then illuminate.
- Electronic stability control uses the antilock brakes to apply braking to the appropriate wheel or wheels to help correct a slide.
- Forward collision warning with front automatic emergency braking is a system that employs sensors to monitor what’s in front of your car, as well as your car’s speed. If it thinks a crash might be imminent, it sounds an alert. If you don’t respond, the system can automatically apply the brakes.
- Lane-departure warning, or lane-keeping assist, alerts drivers when shifting out of a lane.
- Traction control promotes controlled acceleration through the antilock brakes, slowing a spinning drive wheel.
Although this shortlist of advanced safety/driver-assist technologies is the foundation for the ideal best car for a young driver, several other common features help every driver more safely operate a vehicle.
You may not think of some of these as safety features. However, many factors collaborate to optimize a car’s safe operation while minimizing driver stress. In the next section, we have noted some of these in our brief vehicle descriptions.
Other Features to Consider
- 360-degree cameras
- Adaptive cruise control
- Airbags, at least six
- Auto on/off headlights
- Automatic climate control
- Automatic high beams
- Autonomous driving
- Head-up display
- Hill-start assist
- Infotainment system with voice recognition
- LED headlights and taillights
- Outboard mirrors with turn-signal indicators
- Power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
- Tire pressure monitoring system
In addition, several carmakers, including Lexus, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, Toyota, Kia, Ford, and Hyundai, offer some type of programmable driving monitor to help keep track of and set limits for your teen driver.
For example, Ford has MyKey, and Chevy uses General Motors’ Teen Driver Technology to help parents monitor their teens’ driving habits. They can even set certain limitations, like maximum speed, into the system.
Teen drivers can also activate the do-not-disturb feature on their phones to avoid distracted driving.
How Important Are Crash Test Ratings?
We take crash test scores seriously, which is why we incorporated them into the qualifiers for our picks. Our research is based on data from third-party crash-test organizations such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Their approaches and testing parameters work differently.
Understanding Safety Ratings
Four Test Areas for IIHS
Automotive insurance companies support IIHS, a nonprofit organization. Not only does it perform and score crash tests, but it also uses other data and qualifiers to issue its annual safety ratings awards. Those are:
- Top Safety Pick (TSP)
- Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) awards
Currently, it scores “Good,” “Acceptable,” “Marginal,” or “Poor” in four testing areas.
The new small overlap front tests are performed separately for the driver and passenger. IIHS provides separate scores for each. On the other hand, although the IIHS conducts separate left and right side tests, those tests are combined into a single score. A relatively new side crash test (using a heavier ram) has replaced the original side test moving forward. Old and new tests may appear on a model’s results page for all but the latest models because older models may have been tested in other categories that have been since discontinued. For example, you may find test results for roof strength, head restraints, moderate overlap front: original, and side: original. Moreover, the odds are that a model with the IIHS TSP+ rating that is five or six years old wouldn’t qualify for that rating under today’s crash-test protocol. Currently, the IIHS is crash-testing vehicles in four impact areas:
- Driver-side small overlap front
- Passenger-side small overlap front
- Moderate overlap front: updated test
- Side: updated test
Three Areas of Testing for NHTSA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration performs three tests, scoring each using a star system. The best score is five stars, while the worst is one star. NHTSA scores each test individually and then tabulates and publishes an overall score.
- Frontal crash
- Side crash
- Rollover crash
The Best Cars and SUVs for Teens
Here’s how we broke down our selections. If your budget allows for a new car, you can visit Kelley Blue Book to research the trim level that comes with the greatest number of safety features. But for most people, buying used is the more cost-effective way to go. That’s why we focused on vehicles broken down by price, from below $30,000 to those that cost less than $10,000. Having said that, the used car market is still volatile and will continue to be so. Furthermore, at this writing, we don’t know what the trickle-down effect of increased tariffs on new cars will have on the used market.
We based pricing on the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price range. Where a model offers both a sedan and hatchback, we used pricing for the sedan.
Our picks for the best used cars for teens under $20,000 come with the advanced safety and driver-assist features listed above. They all have at least a “Good” rating in at least three of the IIHS current test criteria, but nearly all the vehicles here are a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. Also, these vehicles get lauded for their reliability, as well as their fuel economy. The IIHS testing criteria continue to evolve, sometimes resulting in ratings changes in vehicles with no year-to-year changes. It’s sometimes confusing, even for us. When we mention in a vehicle’s description the IIHS named it a TSP or TSP+, we may qualify it by adding (2024) behind the rating. It indicates that although that vehicle didn’t earn the rating in 2025, it is unchanged from 2024 when it did earn the TSP or TSP+ rating.
Older vehicles are often not available with all of these features, but the ones we selected have many of them and performed very well in NHTSA and IIHS testing. Generally speaking, the higher the trim level you can find, the more safety features the car will likely have. If you aren’t sure which trim level to look for, you can always refer to Kelley Blue Book’s Expert Reviews for more detailed information.
We also direct you to the IIHS A Guide for Parents of Teens: Young Driver Safety.
Car Shopping for Your Teen in Today’s Market
If you have already begun shopping for a car, you are keenly aware that used and some new car inventories still seem tight, particularly for certain manufacturers like Toyota. However, inventories of many models have returned to pre-pandemic norms. The trickle-down effect stifled the inventory of used cars, especially during the pandemic. Coupled with higher interest and insurance rates these days, it’s making used cars less affordable.
RELATED: Is Now the Time to Buy, Sell, or Trade-in a Car?
What all of this translates into for you as a shopper is that you must work harder, research more, remain patient, and be willing to compromise. The odds of finding exactly what you want at the price you want are not in your favor. Priorities are important, so any feature, including color, that isn’t a basic need is something you should be prepared to trade off. When you find that vehicle for your teen that you can live with and afford, buy it. Chances are good it won’t linger on the lot for long.
Note: All new car prices include the mandatory factory-to-dealer delivery charge (destination fee).
RELATED: When Will New Car Prices Drop?
Best New Cars for Teens Under $30,000
2025 Honda HR-V
Starting Price: $26,795
IIHS Rating: TSP+
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.5
Riding on the same platform as the Civic, the Honda HR-V holds the coveted IIHS TSP+ award. Roomy, refined, and dependable, the Honda HR-V delivers the brand’s most notable attributes. Every HR-V grade comes with the latest Honda Sensing bundle, featuring automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning.
A couple of USB-C charging ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, high-beam assist, LED headlights, and hill-start assist are all standard. We’d pony up the extra $2,100 for the Sport trim to gain proximity keyless entry, Walk Away Auto Lock, heated outboard mirrors with integrated turn signals, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
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2025 Kia K4
Starting Price: $23,165
IIHS Rating: TSP
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.5
An all-new model for 2025, the Kia K4 compact sedan is stylish, affordable, and brimming with technology. We think your teen will be drawn to its slick exterior and enthused by its standard tech, which includes a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, multiple USB-C ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and proximity keyless entry.
Also standard are LED headlights and Kia’s Drive Wise suite of advanced safety technologies. Among them are adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, high-beam assist, and forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection. We’d spend another $2,000 for the EX trim, adding blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a 60/40-split, folding rear seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, and safe-exit warning.
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2025 Mazda CX-30
Starting Price: $26,615
IIHS Rating: TSP+
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.2
Although the Mazda CX-30’s 191 hp may be a bit more than you want at Junior’s beck and call, this subcompact SUV provides a hefty list of advanced technology and the IIHS TSP+ designation. Standard features include all-wheel drive, LED headlights, a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, an 8.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB-C ports.
Advanced safety tech includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and high-beam assist.
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2025 Toyota Prius
Starting Price: $29,485
IIHS Rating: TSP+ (2024)
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.8
The Toyota Prius is the car that made “hybrid” a household word. Toyota molded the Prius into the sleek shape of a speedster. Well, it’s not that. However, it still manages an impressive combined driving fuel economy of 57 mpg. Students heading for the snowbelt can add all-wheel drive (AWD). Its rear-seat legroom is about average for the segment.
We like it so much that we named the redesigned Prius our Best New Model of 2024. Moreover, the IIHS named the Prius to its Top Safety Pick+ list. Every Prius comes with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and high-beam assist. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert come standard as well. If the new models are out of your price range, the previous-generation Prius is also an excellent choice.
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2025 Honda Civic
Starting Price: $25,400
IIHS Rating: TSP
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.7
The Civic made our list of picks for several reasons, including the fact that 2025 is the fourth year in a row we’ve named it our Compact Car Best Buy for 2025. The IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick, and it earned a 5-Star overall safety rating from NHTSA. It also gets a government-estimated 36 mpg in combined driving.
Every 2025 Civic arrives with the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, including forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Connectivity technology includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, one USB port, and Bluetooth connectivity. Honda typically doesn’t offer option packages. To gain more content, you must move up in trim level. And look to the hatchback model ($28,600) for more cargo space.
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2025 Toyota Corolla
Starting Price: $23,460
IIHS Rating: TSP (2024)
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.5
The Toyota Corolla is an IIHS Top Safety Pick (2024). It also boasts low cost-to-own figures and historically good reliability. The Corolla’s starting price reflects the entry-level LE model. It offers standard equipment like automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, and a rear-seat center armrest.
Every 2025 Corolla comes with Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0. This advanced driver assistance technology suite includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high beams.
The optional Premium Package offers a blind-spot monitor with a rear cross-traffic alert system, which is great for teen drivers. Connectivity features include Bluetooth, voice recognition, four USB ports, Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Wi-Fi capability. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) government-certified combined fuel economy is 35 mpg.
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2025 Hyundai Kona
Starting Price: $26,000
IIHS Rating: TSP+
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.8
Totally redesigned last year, the 2025 Hyundai Kona offers tremendous value as a subcompact SUV with eye-catching exterior styling. We named it our Subcompact SUV Best Buy in 2024 and then gave it the same recognition for 2025. Its small size makes parking easy, a big plus for teens. The rear cargo area is well-suited to carrying gear. The gas engine offers fuel economy as good as 35 mpg on the highway. The Kona Electric is also available outside the $30,000 budget.
The IIHS named the Kona to the TSP+ list. There is plenty of value here, as even the base SE model comes standard with blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic collision warning. A 12.3-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included.
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2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Starting Price: $24,495
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.2
Being one of Chevy’s smaller SUVs doesn’t stop the Trailblazer from being a considerable value. Some exterior restyling for 2024 dramatically improved its curb appeal. Moreover, this SUV provides an abundance of standard features. For example, its standard advanced safety features include automatic forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and lane departure warning. High-beam assist is also standard. We recommend opting for the $395 Driver Confidence Package that adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. It’s a bargain. The IIHS is still testing the Trailblazer, but it did receive the agency’s top score of Good in the three tests performed so far.
With the most rear-seat legroom in its class and a little better than average cargo space, the Trailblazer is an impressive hauler. At 30 mpg, its combined fuel economy is above average among rivals. You can add all-wheel drive for $2,000.
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2025 Nissan Kicks
Starting Price: $23,220
IIHS Rating: TSP (2024)
Kelley Blue Book Rating: 4.3
Nissan completely redesigned the Kicks for 2025. We’re not sure we buy Nissan’s explanation that the new styling is based on sneakers. Whatever the inspiration, we believe teens will love to be seen in the newest Kicks. It exudes a sleek ruggedness. We particularly like the available contrast-color roof. A mere $55 separates the Kicks from the most affordable model on this list of new cars: the 2025 Kia K4. Yet, it comes with Nissan’s signature Zero Gravity seats and its Safety Shield 360 with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and high-beam assist. Adaptive cruise control is also standard.
Sourcing its go from a 141-hp 4-cylinder engine, the Kicks rotates the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). All-wheel drive is available on all three Kicks trim levels. It wasn’t available on the previous Kicks or the carryover Kicks Play. The IIHS named the Kicks a Top Safety Pick (2024). According to government estimates, the redesigned Kicks returns 31 mpg in mixed city-and-highway driving.
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Used Cars for Teens Under $20,000
2017 Toyota RAV4
Earning the IIHS accolade of Top Safety Pick+, the Toyota RAV4 offers a range of advanced safety technology. Every trim level comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) suite of advanced safety features, which includes lane departure warning with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. The SE model and higher will get you the most safety features. That will also get you LED headlights, fog lights, and rear cross-traffic alert. You can also look for 2018 models within this price range.
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2018 Mazda CX-5
If you choose the 2018 Mazda CX-5 in the Touring trim, it comes loaded with advanced safety and driver-assist features. Additionally, it provides LED headlights, auto-leveling headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. It aced all the crash tests. It also offers excellent reliability. The TSP+ 2019-2021 CX-5 Touring models also fall under this price cap; the newer models come with more safety features as standard.
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2017 Honda CR-V
The 2017 Honda CR-V is very young-driver-friendly. This is the first model year that benefits from Honda’s complete redesign of the CR-V. The EX model has our recommended driver assists and advanced safety features. It also has fog lights, dual-zone automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. The average price of the 2018 and 2019 CR-V EX also falls under $20,000.
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2021 Toyota Corolla
Toyota has packed the Corolla compact sedan with loads of standard equipment. It’s an IIHS Top Safety Pick and earned NHTSA’s 5-Star rating. For advanced safety, look for at least an LE trim level with the Convenience Package. Other worthwhile features for the young driver are hill-start assist, heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Its 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and CVT deliver 38 mpg on the highway.
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2019 Mazda3
Pound for pound and dollar for dollar, it’s tough to beat the Mazda3 in its segment. It achieves a government-estimated 36 mpg on the highway and earns excellent scores in every crash test from the IIHS and NHTSA. However, to get the full suite of advanced safety features, you will need to find a Mazda3 in the Select trim or higher. It comes with the i-ActivSense advanced safety suite, with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, driver-attention alert, and automatic high beams. Also standard in the Select are outboard mirrors with integrated turn signals, dual-zone automatic climate control, and rear cross-traffic alert. 2020 and 2021 Mazda3 Select models also fall under the $20,000 ceiling.
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2018 Honda Accord
The IIHS rated the 2018 Honda Accord as a Top Safety Pick, and NHTSA gave it a 5-Star rating. Honda totally redesigned the Accord for 2018. Every trim level provides Honda Sensing. For example, the base LX includes the Honda Sensing with adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, and more. The average price of a 2018 LX is about $17,000. Moreover, all higher trims are also under the $20,000 threshold.
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2017 Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a purpose-built hybrid known for its reliability and safety. In 2017, the Toyota Safety Sense-P suite of driver assists and advanced safety features came standard. This bundle included adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert, and pre-collision with pedestrian detection. To get the blind-spot monitor, shop for a Prius Four or a Prius Four Touring. Other key features are bi-LED headlights, automatic high beams, and automatic climate control. The government estimated that the fuel economy is as good as an impressive 58 mpg city, 53 mpg highway, and 56 mpg combined.
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2020 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a spacious, fuel-efficient sedan that offers plenty of tech and safety features. The good news is that no matter the trim level, the 2020 Civic, an IIHS Top Safety Pick, comes standard with Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced safety features. It includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. Honda offered the 2020 Civic as a coupe and hatchback, in addition to the sedan priced here. If you choose the EX sedan, the LaneWatch blind-spot camera system will be added. If you want to stay under the $20,000 threshold, you need to look for the 2020 Civic as a sedan in the LX, Sport, EX, or EX-L trim.
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2019 Chevrolet Equinox
With the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, your search should start with the LT trim level. It came standard with Teen Driver Technology, forward collision warning with emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. However, we recommend you find one with the Custom and Convenience Package. That adds blind-spot monitoring and rear traffic alert, along with heated front seats and heated mirrors with turn-signal indicators. Also falling under the $20,000 price ceiling are the 2020 and 2021 LT models.
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Best Used Cars for Teens Under $15,000
2018 Kia Sportage
The 2018 Kia Sportage compact SUV scored well in crash tests and has impressive reliability. The EX trim with the Technology Package provides our recommended safety features. It also features automatic high beams, fog lights, and a windshield wiper de-icer. And while it probably won’t save your teen’s life, the navigation system might help them get where they are going.
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2019 Kia Soul
The Kia Soul has a cool mix of bold style, value, and practicality, making this 5-door appealing for people of all ages. The 2019 Soul was chosen as a Top Safety Pick+. While the Soul comes standard with a lot of safety, we recommend shopping for a + (Plus) or ! (Exclaim) that includes the optional blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and rear cross-traffic alert systems. Most 2020 Soul trim levels fall under the $15,000 average price limit.
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2017 Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has been a mainstay in the compact segment for decades. This sedan is known for outstanding durability and reliability and is a Top Safety Pick+. It also comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense P, a full suite of advanced safety features. You should also be able to find 2018 models within this budget.
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2018 Mazda3
We love the styling of the Mazda3 hatchback, which is sleek and sporty. It matches the car’s handling well. Mazda also offers a more traditional 4-door sedan for those not sold on the hatchback’s utility. This Top Safety Pick comes standard with a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert. Still, upgrading to the Grand Touring with the premium equipment package adds lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control.
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2016 Honda CR-V
A perennial favorite among compact SUVs, the Honda CR-V is one of the models that started the segment. The CR-V has sharp styling, comfortable seating for five people, cargo space, and good fuel efficiency (estimated fuel economy for mixed city-and-highway driving was 29 mpg). The 2016 CR-V is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ as is the 2015 model that’s also within this price range. You should seek out the Touring grade to score all the available advanced safety tech.
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2016 Mazda CX-5
If you want a sporty compact SUV that can accommodate four friends and their gear, the Mazda CX-5 may be the perfect fit. The CX-5 rides and handles like a car. It also offers excellent fuel economy and plenty of advanced safety features, and it is a TSP+ vehicle. If you find a Touring, you will benefit from a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and a rearview camera.
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2015 Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a 5-door hatchback that pairs a gasoline engine with an electric motor. Excellent fuel economy and plenty of cargo space are along for the ride. While many of this hybrid’s safety features come standard, if you shop for a Prius Five with the Advanced Technology Package, you’ll get adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system, and lane-keeping assist. This Prius is a TSP+ winner.
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2013 Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a frequent winner of KBB’s Best Buy Award in the Midsize Sedan category. This Top Safety Pick+ offers good handling and plenty of room for people and their belongings. Shop for an EX-L or Touring to get forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and the Honda LaneWatch blind-spot display. Honda redesigned the Accord for 2013. You should be able to score our recommended trim levels of the 2014 Accord and still stay under the $15,000 limit.
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2016 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is available in a variety of body styles with a choice of engines and transmissions. Better yet, Civic models are known for safety, comfort, and fuel efficiency. The Civic is a Top Safety Pick that comes standard with ABS, a rearview camera, stability control, brake assist, and more. Honda redesigned the Civic for 2016. The Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety tech was available across the trim lineup. We suggest you find a model with this bundle of features.
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Best Used Cars for Teens Under $10,000
2013 Toyota Camry
One of Toyota’s best-selling models, the roomy and comfortable Toyota Camry boasts excellent quality and reliability. While this is a TSP vehicle with a lot of standard safety, shop for an XLE to add a blind-spot monitor.
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2014 Mazda3
With the Mazda3, you won’t go wrong with either the comfort of a sedan or the flexibility of a hatch. It earned both a TSP+ pick and NHTSA’s 5-Star rating. This Mazda comes standard with six airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, stability control, traction control, and hill launch assist. The Touring adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and you may be able to find one with a rearview camera. Look for an S Grand Touring equipped with the Technology Package to add lane departure warning.
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2013 Toyota Corolla
The reliable Toyota Corolla comes standard with a wide range of advanced safety features, including antilock brakes, stability and traction control, and brake assist. Look for this Top Safety Pick in LE or higher trim to get cruise control. The Corolla is comfortable and easy to drive, and you may be surprised by how roomy the rear seats are.
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2009 Toyota RAV4
The comfortable 2009 Toyota RAV4 is available as a 5- or 7-passenger compact SUV, and you can get a frugal 4-cylinder engine or a powerful V6. This generation RAV came standard with a rearview camera that uses a monitor in the rearview mirror. It also had traction control and enhanced stability control, and its ABS used electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. 2010 and 2011 RAV4 average prices are also below $10,000.
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2010 Honda Element
Based on the same platform as the CR-V, the Honda Element pairs an easy-to-reconfigure, weather-resistant interior with unique styling. A Top Safety Pick, the 2010 Element came standard with ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, stability and traction control, and tire-pressure monitoring.
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2011 Toyota Avalon
The Toyota Avalon is a reliable, posh ride you might expect from the automaker’s Lexus luxury line. It also has a fuel-efficient V6 and plenty of room for shuttling around a small family in style. A Top Safety Pick that earned a 5-Star rating from NHTSA, the Avalon came standard with a wide array of safety features. You should be able to also find 2012 Avalon models priced under the $10,000 ceiling.
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