VANCOUVER -- It’s no secret that teen drivers are at more risk on the road.
Statistics show that teens have crash rates almost four times those of drivers 20 years old and older. A combination of factors is blamed including, immaturity, inexperience and social pressures.
So it’s more important than ever to make sure the vehicle your teen is driving doesn’t add to the safety concerns. That’s why Consumer Reports teamed up with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to come up with a list of recommended safer used vehicles for teens. And of the 65 on the list many are below 10 grand.
“We are delighted to be able to team up with the IIHS to jointly develop a list of used vehicles for teens that deliver a smart and effective combination of safety technology and reliability, all without breaking the bank,” says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at CR’s Auto Test Center.
There are "good choices" and "best choices" that had to meet certain criteria. including electronic stability control, above-average reliability for the majority of years listed based on Consumer Reports member surveys, average or better scores from handling tests, perform well in braking distance tests, good ratings in crashworthiness tests and more.
Best choices had more stringent criteria. But you don’t spend a fortune to find a "good choice" safer car. The list included several below $10,000 in model years ranging from 2011 to 2015.
Those included the Mazda3, Honda Civic sedan, Subaru Legacy, Lincoln MKZ and the Hyundai Tucson.
"When choosing a car for a young driver it can be a struggle to balance a vehicle that has very good crash protection with one that can help them avoid the crash in the first place. By combining with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for this list we are providing a group of vehicles that check off both of those boxes,” said Stockburger.
For a full list of the safer vehicles for teens click here.
