What is the safest new car for teen drivers? The good news is that choices have never been safer, and U.S. News & World Report is out with its 2016 Best Cars for Teens list. The other good news is that there are options from less $20,000 to more than $40,000 including cars and SUVs.
Under $20K
Chevrolet Sonic (Winner)
Honda Fit (Runner Up)
Between $20K and $25K
Kia Soul
Mazda3
Between $25K and $30K
Honda Civic
Between $30K and $35K
Hyundai Sonata
Chevrolet Malibu
Between $30K and $35K
Ford Fusion
Kia Optima
Over $40K
Nissan Murano
Toyota Highlander
Base prices on many of the vehicles on this list are below their category ranking, but U.S. News factored in the cost of optional safety features. U.S. News said the top picks all have advanced active safety features like rearview cameras, parking sensors, blind spot detection and forward collision mitigation. Some models also include new parental control technologies that let parents set limits on geography, time and speed and even limit radio volume.
Finally a final note on safety. Distraction is the number one cause of crashes involving teens. Texting, talking or looking at something else inside the car such as the infotainment system, teens are taking their eyes off the road…
P.S. Almost 50 percent of teen drivers admitted texting or checking email while driving in the past 30 days, according to AAA.