The Safest Used Cars for Your Teen Driver

Safety is one of the biggest factors parents look for when they are buying their teenage driver’s first car. Given that the fatal accident rate for teenagers is three times that of all other drivers, the parents’ focus on safety is justifiable. Over the last ten years, more and more safety features have become required on car models. Anne McCartt, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s senior vice president of research, states that “it is easier than ever to find a used vehicle with must-have safety features and decent crash test performance without spending a fortune.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is guided by four main principles when defining safety in their recommendations:

Young drivers should stay away from high horsepower.
Bigger, heavier vehicles are safer than smaller cars
Electronic stability control (ESC) is a must.
Vehicles should have the best safety ratings possible.

The IIHS recommended list of used cars are all under $20,000 for base models, with many choices under $10,000, and even a few as low as $5,000. According to an IIHS survey, average price paid for cars driven by teenagers is $9,800 and the median price is $5,300. McCartt however urges parents to consider paying a little more for safety if they can.

Scroll to see the list of IIHS’ recommended cars for teen drivers.

Midsize car: 2016 Honda Accord $310 per month

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