Cars and Drivers

Safest Used Cars to Buy for Teens

Used Car
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New vehicles are virtually always safer than older ones because the new ones incorporate all the latest and best technologies. But that comes at a price, and it is not a price that most families can pay when they are looking for a car for their teenage drivers.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 83% of families that bought a vehicle for their teen drivers said they bought the vehicle used. The IIHS compiled a list of the safest used cars based on four primary principles:

  • Stay away from high horsepower.
  • Bigger, heavier vehicles offer better crash protection.
  • Electronic stability control is a must.
  • Vehicles should have the best safety rating possible (NHTSA 4 or 5 star and good or acceptable on IIHS crash tests).

The mean purchase price for a used car for a teen was $9,800, while the median was just $5,300. IIHS produced a list of acceptably safe models that cost less than $20,000 (see below) and another for vehicles that cost less than $10,000. Only three vehicles cost less than $5,300. It is a sure thing that 50% of the cars purchased by or for teens are not just those three models.

One of the issues when buying a car for a teen driver is the cool factor. A large car like a Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) Taurus ranks near the top of the IIHS list, as does the Buick LaCrosse from General Motors Co. (NYSE: GE). Neither one is likely to fire the imagination of a teenager in quite the same way that the cooler looking (and usually less safe and cheaper) small cars.

Among midsize cars, the Camry from Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) and the Accord sedan from Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) are good safe buys at around $14,000 while a Volkswagen Jetta at $8,200 is also a good choice.

Most of the listed used vehicles under $20,000 are from model years after 2009. The list of used vehicles under $10,000 includes model years as old as 2005.

ALSO READ: Is That Used Car a Good Value or a Scam?

BEST CHOICES:
Recommended used vehicles for teens starting under $20,000

Vehicles on this list earn good ratings in the IIHS moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. If rated by NHTSA, they earn 4 or 5 stars overall or 4 or 5 stars in the front and side tests under the old rating scheme. All come with standard ESC.

Prices, rounded to the nearest $100, were taken from Kelley Blue Book on July 1, 2014, for the lowest trim level and earliest applicable model year based on the following criteria: vehicle in good condition, typical mileage and private party purchase in Arlington, Va.

LARGE CARS MODEL YEARS PRICE
Saab 9-5 sedan 2010 and later $17,500
Lincoln MKS 2009 and later $15,500
Buick Regal 2011 and later $13,500
Ford Taurus 2010 and later $13,500
Buick LaCrosse 2010 and later $12,900
Volvo S80 2007 and later $9,000
MIDSIZE CARS MODEL YEARS PRICE
Toyota Prius v 2012 and later $19,100
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 2009 and later $16,000
Honda Accord sedan 2012 and later; coupe 2013-14 $14,400
Audi A4 2009 and later $14,300
Toyota Camry 2012 and later $14,300
Buick Verano 2012 and later $14,100
Subaru Outback 2010 and later $14,000
Lincoln MKZ 2010 and later; built after April 2010 $13,500
Kia Optima 2011 and later $13,300
Hyundai Sonata 2011 and later $12,100
Subaru Legacy 2010 and later $11,900
Dodge Avenger 2011 and later $11,600
Audi A3 2008 and later $11,300
Volkswagen CC 2009 and later $11,200
Chevrolet Malibu 2010 and later; built after November 2009 $10,900
Chrysler 200 sedan 2011 and later $10,700
Mercury Milan 2010-11; built after April 2010 $10,700
Ford Fusion 2010 and later; built after April 2010 $10,200
Volkswagen Passat 2009 and later $10,000
Volvo C30 2008 and later $9,800
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 2009 and later $9,400
Volkswagen Jetta 2009 and later $8,200
SMALL SUVs MODEL YEARS PRICE
Honda CR-V 2012 and later $18,100
Kia Sportage 2011 and later $13,800
Hyundai Tucson 2010 and later $13,100
Subaru Forester 2009 and later $12,800
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2011 and later $12,000
Volkswagen Tiguan 2009 and later $10,200
Honda Element 2007 and later $8,900
MIDSIZE SUVs MODEL YEARS PRICE
Volvo XC60 2010 and later $18,000
Saab 9-4X 2011-12 $17,800
Toyota Highlander 2008 and later $17,100
Toyota Venza 2009 and later $15,900
Ford Edge 2011 and later; built after February 2011 $15,500
Ford Flex 2010 and later $15,100
GMC Terrain 2010 and later $14,900
Kia Sorento 2011 and later $14,500
Infiniti EX 2008 and later $14,400
Chevrolet Equinox 2010 and later $13,700
Dodge Journey 2010 and later $11,200
Subaru Tribeca/B9 Tribeca 2006 and later $8,500
Volvo XC90 2005 and later $7,300
LARGE SUVs MODEL YEARS PRICE
Buick Enclave 2011 and later $19,900
GMC Acadia 2011 and later $17,800
Chevrolet Traverse 2011 and later $16,600
MINIVANS MODEL YEARS PRICE
Chrysler Town & Country 2012 and later $18,100
Honda Odyssey 2011 and later $17,100
Toyota Sienna 2011 and later $16,400
Dodge Grand Caravan 2012 and later $15,200
Volkswagen Routan 2012 $14,000

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