These Are The Best New Cars For Teen Drivers According To Consumer Reports

Most families can't afford to buy a new car in the first place, much less a new car for a teen, but for those that can, it's easy to understand why parents may be tempted to go that route instead of setting them loose in the cheapest still-running car they can find. You get better safety features, usually better fuel economy, much better reliability and a warranty to cover anything that goes wrong.

If you're in that camp, the question is, what cars should you actually be looking at for your teen driver? Consumer Reports recently partnered with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to come up with a list of new cars that performed well in CR's testing, as well as in the IIHS's crash tests. They also had to offer the most important safety equipment, strong brakes, intuitive controls, be easy to drive and cost less than $40,000.

So with those factors in mind, what 2024 models made Consumer Reports' list of the best new cars for teen drivers? Click through to find out.

What teen couldn't use a nice, well-rounded hatchback like the Subaru Impreza? Your kid may be disappointed it's not a WRX, but a teen definitely doesn't need a WRX. And something tells us you really don't want to see how much it costs to insure a 16-year-old in a new WRX.

MSRP: $23,400

The Mazda 3 is sporty, stylish and an outstanding choice whether you go with the sedan or the hatchback. For a new driver, though, we'd stay away from higher-end versions that offer a more powerful turbocharged engine.

MSRP: $24,300

The hybrid that changed the game is back with a new, legitimately attractive design and a bit more power. For the first time in a very long time, your teen driver might actually want you to buy them a Prius.

MSRP: $28,300

It's a Toyota Camry. People have been buying them for their kids for decades, and the current one is no different. Skip the V6, though. Your teen driver will get by just fine with the base engine or the hybrid version (although the extra cost to upgrade to the hybrid may not be worth it).

MSRP: $26,900

Like the Toyota Camry, millions of teen drivers have had a Honda Accord as their first car for a reason. If you want a hybrid, though, you're going to have to spring for one of the higher-end trim levels since the Accord Hybrid is no longer its own distinct option.

MSRP: $28,200

The styling on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is certainly divisive, but it's a great way to get your kid into an electric vehicle. Just skip the dual-motor version because, while all-wheel drive may be tempting, it also bumps output up to 320 hp, which your teen definitely doesn't need.

MSRP: $37,700

Like the Mazda 3 hatchback but wish it wasn't quite so low to the ground? Well, Mazda's got your answer in the form of the CX-30. It may technically be a crossover, but it's still small and easy to drive, not to mention very good looking.

MSRP: $25,700

You can't really go wrong with a compact crossover, and the Kia Sportage offers a great combination of all the things parents look for in their kid's first car. You can even upgrade to the hybrid or plug-in hybrid if you want something that gets fantastic gas mileage. Good luck getting your teen to remember to plug in the PHEV, though.

MSRP: $27,300

The Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage are mechanically very similar and cost about the same, so really, the decision here comes down to which one your teen driver likes better. The Tucson also comes as a hybrid and PHEV, so it really is just down to styling.

MSRP: $27,800

The Honda CR-V is another incredibly common first car for teen drivers, and the latest CR-V doesn't disappoint. Even better, you can also now get it as a hybrid if you can swing the higher price tag. Either way, you can't go wrong with a CR-V.

MSRP: $29,700

The Mazda CX-50 is designed to look a bit more adventurous than the aging CX-5. And while some may call the base engine underpowered, we would say it's more than adequate for a new driver who doesn't need enough torque to pull a stump.

MSRP: $31,200

If you really need to put your teen in a luxury vehicle, a small, relatively inexpensive Lexus is probably the way to go. As long as they don't crash it, Lexus's famed reliability means they could easily drive a Lexus UX for 200,000 miles without going bankrupt from repair and maintenance costs.

MSRP: $35,300

Do you like the Subaru Forester but can't justify pulling the trigger because, for whatever reason, your teen driver needs something bigger? In that case, look no further than the Subaru Ascent, because we're pretty sure that was the design brief.

MSRP: $35,000

The Kia Telluride is another unnecessarily large but still-recommended option. Maybe your teen regularly needs to drive five friends to lacrosse practice? If so, the Telluride is a three-row crossover that's hard to beat.

MSRP: $36,300

Like with the Sportage and Santa Fe, the Palisade is essentially just a Telluride wearing a Hyundai badge. And as before, you basically get all of the same benefits as the Kia, so you can pretty much just pick whichever one your teen likes best. Either way, you can't really go wrong.

MSRP: $37,000

While the previous three-row SUVs on this list are all several years old, Honda just recently redesigned the Pilot, making it one of the best options in the segment. Consumer Reports even gave it a 5/5 for owner satisfaction, so if you like it enough to buy it, you don't have to worry about any surprises a few months down the line.

MSRP: $37,200

The Mazda CX-90 isn't the most expensive car on this list, but it's pretty darn close. For your money, though, you get a three-row crossover that's closer to a true luxury SUV than a Toyota Highlander. Your teen driver probably won't complain about its stylish design, either.

MSRP: $38,800

In the event that the Lexus UX proves too small for your teen, you can always upgrade to the larger Lexus NX. You'll be getting about as close to the $40,000 price cap for this list as you can without going over, so while a hybrid is available, you're going to have to pay a good bit more than $40,000 to get one.

MSRP: $39,600

If, for whatever reason, your teen thinks a basic two-row crossover is too small for their needs, we say skip the Pilot and the Palisade and instead go right for what they really need to haul their band's equipment to the show that night — a good, old-fashioned minivan. And according to Consumer Reports, that minivan should be the Honda Odyssey.

MSRP – $38,200

If your teen wants a pickup truck, it makes perfect sense to get them something small and easy to drive instead of putting everyone else at risk with an inexperienced driver behind the wheel of the Classmate Crusher 15,000. We're not entirely sure why CR went with the Hyundai Santa Cruz over the Ford Maverick, but hey, it's their list, not ours.

MSRP – $27,500