Choosing the right vehicle for a teenager is a significant decision for any parent. Safety, reliability, and affordability are paramount. For families prioritizing these factors, especially safety, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have become increasingly popular. SUVs offer a higher driving position, often come with robust safety features, and provide ample space, making them a practical choice for young drivers. Recognizing the importance of vehicle safety for teens, organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Consumer Reports collaborate to identify vehicles that excel in protecting young drivers. This guide focuses on highlighting the “Car And Drivers Best Suv” options recommended by these trusted sources, ensuring parents can make informed decisions.
This collaboration between IIHS and Consumer Reports simplifies the process of finding a safe and reliable SUV for your teen driver.
When considering the “car and drivers best SUV” for teens, it’s essential to look at both used and new vehicle markets. The recommendations are categorized into “Best Choices” and “Good Choices” for used vehicles, and a separate list for new vehicles, offering a range of options to fit different budgets.
Best Used SUVs for Teen Drivers: “Best Choices”
The “Best Choices” list represents used SUVs that offer the highest level of safety and reliability. These vehicles meet stringent criteria set by IIHS and Consumer Reports. To be included in this category, SUVs must have a weight exceeding 2,750 pounds and achieve “good” ratings in IIHS’s original moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength, and head restraint tests. They also need an “acceptable” or “good” rating in the driver-side small overlap test. If rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these SUVs must earn 4 or 5 stars overall. Furthermore, “Best Choice” SUVs feature standard automatic emergency braking systems with an “advanced” or “superior” rating from IIHS in vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention.
From a reliability standpoint, these “car and drivers best SUV” picks have above-average reliability scores from Consumer Reports (4 or 5 out of 5) for most model years listed, and a Consumer Reports emergency handling score of 3 out of 5 or higher. They also demonstrate strong braking performance, with a dry braking distance of 145 feet or less when stopping from 60 mph.
Here are some of the “Best Choices” for used SUVs, making them excellent options when considering “car and drivers best SUV” for your teen:
| Small SUVs | Model years | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Equinox | 2020, 2023 | $13,800 |
| Kia Sportage | 2020 or newer | $14,400 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 2017 or newer | $14,700 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2020 or newer | $14,900 |
| GMC Terrain | 2020, 2023 | $16,100 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 2021-23 | $17,600 |
| Lexus UX | 2019-21 | $18,100 |
| Honda CR-V | 2020 or newer | $18,700 |
| Nissan Rogue | 2021 | $19,000 |
| Subaru Forester | 2021 or newer | $19,000 |
| Mazda CX-30 | 2022 or newer | $19,900 |
| Midsize SUVs | Model years | Price |
| Volvo XC60 | 2017 | $12,100 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2019, 2020, 2023 | $15,200 |
| Toyota Highlander | 2017 or newer | $15,700 |
| Nissan Murano | 2019, 2020 | $15,900 |
| Ford Edge | 2020 or newer | $16,700 |
| Lexus NX | 2018-21 | $17,100 |
| Infiniti QX60 | 2019 | $17,800 |
| Mazda CX-9 | 2020, 2022 | $18,800 |
Choosing a safe vehicle is a crucial step in ensuring young driver safety.
Good Used SUVs for Teen Drivers: “Good Choices”
For families seeking more affordable options while still prioritizing safety, the “Good Choices” list offers a selection of used SUVs that meet slightly less rigorous, but still commendable, safety standards. These SUVs maintain the minimum weight requirement of 2,750 pounds and achieve “good” ratings in the IIHS original moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength, and head restraint tests, along with an “acceptable” or “good” rating in the driver-side small overlap test. NHTSA ratings, if available, are again 4 or 5 stars overall.
“Good Choices” SUVs also share the reliability benchmarks of the “Best Choices” category, with above-average Consumer Reports reliability scores and satisfactory emergency handling. Braking distances are also within the same safe range.
These “Good Choices” represent solid, safer used SUV options when considering “car and drivers best SUV” on a budget:
| Small SUVs | Model years | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mazda CX-5 | 2016 | $10,100 |
| Hyundai Kona | 2018-19 | $11,000 |
| Honda CR-V | 2015-19 | $11,400 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 2018-19 | $11,600 |
| Honda HR-V | 2017-22; built after March 2017 | $11,600 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 2015-16; built after November 2014 | $12,000 |
| GMC Terrain | 2018-19 | $12,700 |
| Midsize SUVs | Model years | Price |
| Nissan Murano | 2016 | $9,900 |
| Toyota Highlander | 2014-16 | $11,700 |
| Lexus NX | 2015-17 | $12,100 |
| Acura RDX | 2016 | $13,500 |
| Mazda CX-9 | 2018 | $14,200 |
Recommended New SUVs for Teen Drivers
For those opting for a new vehicle, the recommendations extend to the latest models that have achieved the IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award for 2024. These SUVs not only provide top-tier crash protection but also include standard vehicle-to-vehicle automatic emergency braking.
Beyond safety ratings, these new “car and drivers best SUV” choices also meet high standards for reliability (average or better from Consumer Reports), emergency handling, braking performance (less than 140 feet from 60 mph), and ease of use of controls (good or better from Consumer Reports).
Here are some recommended new SUVs that stand out as “car and drivers best SUV” for teen safety in the new car market:
| Small SUVs | Price |
|---|---|
| Mazda CX-30 | $25,700 |
| Kia Sportage | $27,300 |
| Hyundai Tucson | $27,800 |
| Honda CR-V | $29,700 |
| Mazda CX-50 built after August 2023 | $31,200 |
| Lexus UX | $35,300 |
| Midsize SUVs | Price |
| Subaru Ascent | $35,000 |
| Kia Telluride | $36,300 |
| Hyundai Palisade | $37,000 |
| Honda Pilot | $37,200 |
| Mazda CX-90 | $38,800 |
| Lexus NX | $39,600 |
When selecting a “car and drivers best SUV” for a teen driver, considering both used and new options provides a broader range of vehicles to suit different needs and budgets. Prioritizing vehicles from the IIHS and Consumer Reports recommendations ensures that safety and reliability are at the forefront of your decision, giving parents greater peace of mind as their teens take to the road. Remember to always check for recalls on used vehicles before purchase at websites like https://checktoprotect.org/.
