Safe & affordable vehicles for teens

Buying a car for the first time is an exciting process, however it is of the utmost importance that you snap up a car that is safe & reliable, which can be hard to do on a tight budget.

If you have only recently acquired your licence, safety should be your first priority when buying a car, as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that 16 to 19-year-old drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident when compared to older drivers.

IIHS ‘Safe vehicles for teens’ report

In May 2022, the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (‘IIHS’) teamed up with Consumer Reports to create a list of safe vehicles for teen drivers, including new & used cars ranging from $8,000 to $56,000

The report is split into three segments:

  • Best choices – used
  • Good choices – used
  • New vehicle choices

All vehicles in the report have electronic stability control, and none of the vehicles are high-performance or difficult to control.

Some popular, notable used vehicles that were included in the report are:

  • 2011-onwards Mazda 3 – from $6,000
  • 2012-onwards Honda Civic – from $9,500
  • 2014-onwards Toyota Corolla – from $10,000
  • 2013-onwards Subaru Outback – from $13,000
  • 2014-19 Mazda 6 – from $14,500
  • 2018 or 2021 Hyundai Kona – from $23,000

Some popular, notable new vehicles that were included in the report are:

  • Mazda 3 – from $30,000
  • Mazda CX-5 – from $36,000
  • Toyota Rav4 – from $39,000
  • Subaru Outback – from $47,500
  • Hyundai Santa Fe – from $50,000

To read more & to see the full list, click here.

More great options

In Australia there are a number of vehicles offering a great mix of safety, reliability and affordability that weren’t listed on the IIHS report. Some of these include:

  • 2011-20 Toyota Yaris – from $5,000
  • 2012-19 BMW 3 Series petrol – from $14,000
  • 2017-onwards Hyundai i30 – from $16,000
  • 2021-onwards Mazda 2 – from $23,000

As you can see from this article, there is a range of safe & reliable vehicles on the market that won’t break the bank, but that will keep you as safe as possible on a budget!

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