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Cars for teen drivers - from Consumer Reports
Find a suitable vehicle for your young motorists
When buying a vehicle, safety and reliability are important considerations, especially if it’s for a young driver, since they usually do not have a lot of driving experience or money. When shopping for a car for that young driver, look for ones with advanced safety features and good crash-test results. Generally speaking, bigger and heavier vehicles perform better in crash tests. But larger vehicles can have unwieldy handling and offer poor fuel economy.
Large pickups and SUVs are not recommended for young, inexperienced drivers because their high centers of gravity make them more prone to roll over than other vehicles. Sports cars are also a poor choice for young drivers. They beg to be driven too fast and have a higher rate of accidents than other cars.
Acura RSXMazda 3 (with side airbags)Acura TSXMercury MilanFord Focus sedan (2003 or later)Pontiac Vibe (2006 or later)Ford FusionScion tCHonda Accord (4-cyl.)Subaru Impreza (not WRX)Honda CR-V EXSubaru ForesterHonda Civic EXToyota Camry (4-cyl.)Honda FitToyota CorollaHyundai Sonata (4-cyl., 2006 or later)Toyota Matrix (2006 or later)Hyundai TucsonToyota PriusKia Optima (2006 or later)Toyota RAV4 (2001 or later, non-3rd row)
In the list above, we’ve identified vehicles that Consumer Reports has tested that we think are appropriate for young drivers. The list is based on our test results, and government and insurance-industry crash-test results.