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The best cars for teen and new drivers from Consumer Reports

Our partners at Consumer Reports teamed up with the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety to compile a list of the safest and price-friendly cars for teen drivers.

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DENVER — For teenagers, the combination of inexperience and lack of driving judgment makes driving especially risky. Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens, so choosing a car for your teen driver is no simple task. 

Luckily, two safety groups have come together with a list of used cars that are safe, reliable, and ideal for your young driver. 

To help you strike a balance between cost and safety, Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety identified more than 50 used cars under $20,000 with top safety and reliability ratings.

On the list, you’ll find some popular names, like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Tucson. As cars continue to get safer, prices on the new and used market have stabilized. So, CR and IIHS have been able to point families to even better options this year!

Consumer Reports says that proven safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind spot warning are worth considering. A teen driver’s first vehicle should be balanced, not too small, not too big, and not too fast!

Those who want to and can splurge for a new vehicle have many recommended models to choose from – one benefit is the bumper-to-bumper warranty that usually comes with new cars.

BEST CHOICES - USED (Source IIHS)

Small cars

Midsize cars

Large car 

Small SUVs

Midsize SUV

Minivan

Read more from our partners at Consumer Reports: Best Cars For New Drivers

Have a tip for Steve On Your Side? Contact Consumer Investigator Steve Staeger. 

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