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The best cars for teen drivers by price and safety, according to Consumer Reports
Teenagers might yearn to drive flashy sports cars or hulking SUVs, but none of these vehicles make the cut for Consumer Reports’ list of the best vehicles for young drivers.
That’s because Consumer Reports, along with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), screened cars for safety with teen drivers in mind, meaning that any vehicle with excessive horsepower relative to weight was excluded. And large SUVs may seem safe, but they can be difficult to maneuver for inexperienced drivers in an emergency, noted Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center.
This year’s list of the best vehicles for teens includes 58 used models ranging in price from $5,800 to $19,900. Consumer Reports notes that for the first time all the choices have a good or acceptable rating in the IIHS driver-side small overlap test, which rates cars for their performance when a front corner collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree.
The list also includes new 2024 vehicles, with 22 choices all rated as top safety picks by the IIHS and priced under $40,000.
“You really want to get the most reliable vehicle you can get for your money” when getting a car for a teen, Stockburger said.
Consumer Reports evaluated the cars on a range metrics: crash ratings; advanced driving assistance technology such as forward collision warning; reliability; and price.
Only one electric vehicle made the cut — the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6, which retails for $37,700. All new vehicles had to cost less than $40,000 to be included, given that parents typically also have price in mind when picking a car for their teen, Stockburger said.
“That’s the first time we’ve had an EV that made the list,” she added. “We expect we’ll see more EVs trickle on the list as they age a little bit” and come down in price.
The vehicles in all categories are listed according to price, from lowest to highest.
Best used vehicles
All the cars in the best choice category include standard automatic emergency braking systems that earn an “advanced” or “superior” rating from IIHS in the original vehicle-to-vehicle front-crash prevention test.
Small cars
Bloomberg
- Toyota Corolla sedan (2017 or newer) or hatchback (2019): $10,600
- Toyota Prius (2017 or newer): $13,800
- Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback (2021-22): $16,400
- Toyota Prius Prime (2017 or newer): $17,000
- Honda Civic sedan or hatchback (2021 or newer): $17,600
Midsize cars
- Toyota Camry (2018 or newer): $9,600
- Volvo S60 (2017, 2021): $10,200
- Volvo V60 (2017, 2021): $12,300
- Subaru Legacy (2019): $14,700
- Hyundai Sonata (2021): $17,200
- Honda Accord sedan (2020): $19,200
Large car
- Toyota Avalon (2017 or newer): $14,400
Small SUVs
- 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
- 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
- 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
- GMC Terrain (2020, 2023): $16,100
- 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
Minivan
- Toyota Sienna (2018-20): $19,100
Good choices for used vehicles
Robert Hradil / Getty Images
Small cars
- Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback (2014-17; built after October 2013): $5,800
- Ford C-Max Hybrid (2015-16): $7,100
- Honda Civic sedan (2014): $7,900
- Toyota Prius (2014-16; built after November 2013): $9,400
- Subaru Impreza sedan or wagon (2019-20): $13,200
Midsize cars
- Mazda 6 (2015-17): $8,400
- Toyota Camry (2014-17; built after December 2013): $9,000
- Toyota Prius v (2015-17): $10,200
- Honda Accord coupe or sedan (2015-17): $10,500
- Subaru Legacy (2017-18): $11,600
- BMW 3 series (2018): $13,800
Large car
- Toyota Avalon (2015-16): $12,600
Small SUVs
- 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
Midsize SUVs
- Nissan Murano (2016): $9,900
- Toyota Highlander (2014-16): $11,700
- Lexus NX (2015-17): $12,100
- GMC Terrain (2018-19): $12,700
- Acura RDX (2016): $13,500
- Mazda CX-9 (2018): $14,200
Minivans
- Toyota Sienna (2016-17): $12,600
- Honda Odyssey (2017): $14,400
New cars: Recommended 2024 models for teens
Getty Images
Small cars
- Subaru Impreza: $23,400
- Mazda 3 sedan or hatchback: $24,300
- Toyota Prius: $28,300
- Toyota Prius Prime: $33,600
Midsize cars
- Toyota Camry: $26,900
- Honda Accord: $28,200
- Subaru Outback: $29,300
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 (except dual-motor): $37,700
Small SUVs
- 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
- 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
Minivan
Pickup
- Hyundai Santa Cruz: $27,500
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.