Your Teen’s First Ride
Buying a first car for your teen can be overwhelming. With safety, affordability, and reliability concerns—and even insurance costs—there's lots to consider. Luckily, we've rounded up 20 of the best cars for teens based on crash test results, new safety features, pricing, gas mileage, and practicality. Whether you shop for new or used, there's a car here for any family and any young driver taking their very first ride behind the wheel.
Honda Civic
A top choice because of its ideal combination of dependability, safety, and fuel economy, the Honda Civic is one of the most popular first cars for good reason. With great gas mileage (estimating at about 33 city/42 highway mpg), a spacious interior, and a history of making it well past 200,000 miles, it's a favorite with teenagers and parents alike. All newer Civics come with Honda Sensing, a suite of safety features such as adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The Civic also receives an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating when equipped with certain headlights.
Toyota Corolla / Corolla Hybrid
Whichever option you choose, you're getting a durable compact car. The Corolla does well in every safety test and is equipped with Toyota's Safety Sense 2.0 package as standard, which includes lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning, and automatic high beams. The hybrid model gets an amazing 53 mpg city and 46 mpg highway, making it a top pick among frugal teens who are on the road a lot. It's also super-smooth and easy to drive—ideal for new drivers.
Alexander-93, Wikimedia Commons
Mazda3 Sedan Or Hatchback
The Mazda3 is a best-seller in the compact car category because of its sporty handling and upscale interior. It's available in sedan and hatchback, so it offers versatility depending on how much cargo room your teen needs. Fuel economy is 30-36 mpg depending on trim. More importantly, the Mazda3 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with available forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control on upper trims.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Hyundai Venue
The Hyundai Venue is a crossover with the usability of an SUV and the easy maneuverability of a small car. It has forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, and driver attention warning as standard equipment at a very low price point. The elevated seating point offers improved vision—an assist for novice drivers—and it's really roomy inside considering how small the car is. Beginning at under $21,000, it's one of the most affordable new models.
Kia Picanto
While the Kia Picanto is not available everywhere, it's a great option where it is. It's tiny, inexpensive, and has more technology than most in this price range, such as touchscreen infotainment and Bluetooth connectivity. It even comes with a seven-year powertrain warranty for ultimate long-term peace of mind. For the city-driving teen, the Picanto's small size and snappy handling make it a great first car.
Honda Accord
For those young people who want something a bit larger than a subcompact car, the Honda Accord is the ticket. It offers more rear-seat legroom, a large trunk, and excellent safety ratings. It's now equipped with Honda Sensing standard, which includes lane-keep assist, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control. Its fuel economy is excellent for a midsize vehicle, and it has one of the highest resale values in its class.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a longtime family favorite due to its comfort and reliability. It's also gotten high safety ratings in a number of years and has a smooth, stable ride. Toyota Safety Sense and blind-spot monitoring are available on the Camry. Hybrid models have no problem hitting over 50 mpg, and gas models are still very fuel-friendly. It's also a car that holds its value well, which is always a plus.
Mohammed Hamad, Wikimedia Commons
Mazda6
With its sporty ride and stylish interior, the Mazda6 is a teen-friendly sedan. And while it's fun, it's also safe. The Mazda6 is a Top Safety Pick+ with the addition of certain headlights and trim like low-speed automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. It has ample trunk space and room for rear-seat passengers and gets 26 to 35 mpg fuel economy.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Subaru Legacy
If you live where the winters get harsh, the Subaru Legacy's all-wheel drive standard makes it the ideal car. It has a long-standing safety record behind it, thanks to its good crash test ratings and available EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. With roomy seating, a smooth ride, and great visibility, it checks a lot of the right boxes for a first-time driver.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a roomy sedan with a comfortable ride and plenty of cargo space. It's a safe bet for taller teenagers or families with frequent back-seat riders. Adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring are available on newer models. It also boasts good crash test scores and a hushed interior that feels more luxurious than many competitors in the same price class.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 is among the most well-balanced compact SUVs on the market. It has nice responsive handling, excellent crash-test ratings, and a well-appointed, quiet interior. The gas mileage is reasonable at around 28 mpg combined, and it features driver amenities like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. It's a solid choice if you want something that's more grown-up but not too large or expensive.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Subaru Outback / Forester
Both the Forester and Outback are excellent options for teenagers, thanks to their all-wheel-drive standard and strong safety ratings. The Forester is a compact SUV with great visibility and cargo space, while the Outback is slightly more rugged-looking and larger in size. Both offer Subaru's EyeSight package of safety features, such as pre-collision braking and lane-departure warning. They're especially well-suited for active teens who may be filling up gear for sporting events or outdoor activities.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Honda CR-V
Honda CR-V is a bestseller compact SUV for a reason. It offers spacious, comfortable ride quality, rock-solid reliability, and excellent fuel economy. Forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams are standard safety features. With over 39 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, it's a great weekend getaway car and week-day school run car.
EurovisionNim, Wikimedia Commons
Honda HR-V
The Honda HR-V is a subcompact crossover SUV that offers just enough cargo space and surprisingly roomy interior given its size. Its "Magic Seat" also adds flexibility to the rear seat configuration, and it includes Honda Sensing safety features on later models. It's a great option for city driving because of its compact size and responsive steering without sacrificing SUV visibility.
Hyundai Tucson
With its recent redo, the Hyundai Tucson is one of the most attractive and well-equipped compact SUVs available. It comes with an extensive list of safety features as standard equipment, including forward collision avoidance and driver attention warning. Its spacious interior and smooth handling make it ideal for new drivers, and it's backed by one of the industry's best warranties.
Alexander Migl, Wikimedia Commons
Kia Soul
The Kia Soul is a funky little hatchback that's not only stylish—it's practical and safe too. It received excellent crash test scores and comes equipped with standard safety features like lane-keeping assist and driver attention warning. It has an angular design with amazing headroom and cargo capacity, and it gets roughly 30 mpg combined. It's a first driver's best friend that's ideal for teens who want to express themselves.
Toyota Avalon
If you’re looking for a full-size sedan that offers comfort and safety in equal measure, the Toyota Avalon is a solid choice. Though it’s larger than many picks on this list, it handles well and comes loaded with standard safety features, including blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Used models are widely available and often cost less than comparable new midsize cars.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Toyota Highlander
For bigger families with more than one teen driver, or for folks who need a three-row SUV, the Toyota Highlander is your ticket. It's spacious, has excellent reliability ratings, and it comes equipped with Toyota's full suite of safety features. With seating for up to eight and plenty of cargo room, it's ideal for school runs, road trips, and all of the other in-between errands. It's also one of the only larger SUVs that still gets decent gas mileage and handles well enough for new drivers.
Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons
Nissan Pathfinder
The Nissan Pathfinder is another great option in the three-row SUV segment. Newer Pathfinders are equipped with ProPILOT Assist, a driver tech system that aids in highway driving. It also has respectable crash test ratings, a roomy interior, and ample cargo space. The Pathfinder is an efficient and capable option for teens who carpool or participate in team sports.
JustAnotherCarDesigner, Wikimedia Commons
Hyundai Santa Fe
The Hyundai Santa Fe straddles the compact and midsize SUV segments, featuring a roomy interior and a strong roster of safety features at a very low cost. Forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control are available on newer models, and it performs well in crash tests. It has good gas mileage and a long warranty, making it a good bet for families on a budget.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Volvo XC60
The Volvo XC60 stands out for its luxury feel and unyielding commitment to safety. It comes equipped with high-end driver aids like collision prevention, lane-keeping assist, and even a system that will detect pedestrians and large animals. Yes, it costs a bit more than other options, but its all-wheel drive standard and premium interior make it an excellent choice for families looking to splurge on a long-term, safety-focused vehicle for their teenager.
Alexander Migl, Wikimedia Commons
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