As a parent, your child’s safety is of the utmost importance. As your teenager enters driving age, it can be a major source of trepidation. Although safety concerns are paramount, money is also a factor in the equation. You’ll want to give your teen access to a car, but also want the insurance rate to be affordable. So, what are the best cars for teen drivers?
There are generally four categories of things you should look for when it comes to the best car for teen drivers. These categories include:
1. Safety of the vehicle
Your teenagers’ safety is of the utmost importance. Therefore, a car with significant safety features and design should be top priority, as well as reliability. Most cars come with airbags, anti-lock brakes, power steering, tire monitoring and stability control. Additionally, some of the newer technology includes backup camera and sensors, park assist, blind-spot warning, adaptive headlights and forward-collision warning.
2. Price of the vehicle
Since it is your teenager, you don’t want to be buying them something like a BMW or Mercedes Benz as their first car. Finding a car that is affordable is a better buy than something expensive and flashy. Not only is it easier on the wallet, but they often come with extra safety features in exchange for the glitz of fancier cars.
3. Cost to insure the vehicle
Much like how the price of a car should be a consideration, insurance costs matter, as well. Cheaper cars for purchase are also often cheaper to insure. If you want to find out how much a car costs to insure, request a quote from us today. If your teenager is a great student, they could be eligible for a discount on their insurance, too. Check this post for a full list of auto insurance discounts.
4. Conditions they will be driving in
If you live in Toronto, your teenager will be driving in different conditions than if they were driving in rural Ontario. That’s something important to consider when finding the best car for teen drivers. In a rural area where winter impacts road conditions, a larger vehicle (SUV/truck) will be the safer investment. A vehicle, like a Dodge Avenger, makes more sense in the plowed/cleared roads of Toronto.
A list of the best cars for teen drivers
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) experiments with cars to determine safety levels. They also put out their recommendations to the public to help parents select a car for their teenager. The 2021 list looks at all available cars and creates a list based on various factors.
Some of the criteria the IIHS looks at when ranking cars are:
- Head restraint tests
- Dry braking distances (145 m or less going from 60mph to 0 mph)
- Typical mileage
- Above-average scores from CR.
To access the full list, click here.
Approved used small cars
- Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback, 2014 or newer ($8,100)
- Honda Insight, 2019 or newer ($18,200)
- Subaru Impreza sedan and wagon, 2019 ($19,400)
Approved used midsize cars
- Subaru Outback, 2013 or newer ($8,700)
- Honda Accord sedan or coupe, 2013 or newer ($10,900)
- BMW 3 series, 2017 or newer ($17,900)
Approved used large cars
- Ford Taurus, 2014 ($9,600)
- Hyundai Genesis, 2016 ($18,700)
Approved used small SUVs
- Mazda CX-5, 2014 or newer ($9,300)
- Honda HR-V, 2017 or newer ($15,400)
- Volvo XC60, 2017 ($19,200)
Approved used midsize SUVs
- Chevrolet Equinox, 2017 or 2019 ($13,700)
- Kia Sorento, 2017 or 2018 ($16,500)
- Audi Q5, 2016, 2017, 2018, or 2019 ($19,800)
Approved used minivans
- Toyota Sienna, 2015 or 2016 ($13,900)
- Kia Sedona, 2017 ($15,600)
We hope this article helps you in your search for the best cars for teen drivers. If you have any questions about how a teen driver in your family may affect your auto insurance policy, reach out to a member of our isure team today.
