U.S. News' Best Cars for Teens 2019 rankings
U.S. News came out with its 2019 list of Best Cars for Teens, giving recommendations for cars and SUVs in various price ranges that are best for newer drivers. All the selections by the magazine come with an emphasis on safety, and all of their selections having forward collision warning and forward automatic emergency braking, and almost all of them have lane departure warning systems. Most of the picks also come with tools to help parents monitor the speed the vehicle is being driven at and where it is being driven to help parents track their new drivers.
According to the magazine, to be selected, a vehicle has to have "the best combination of predicted reliability ratings, crash test scores, available advanced driver assistance features and top critics’ recommendations in the U.S. News Best Cars rankings in its price category." Used cars listed have to be from the 2014 to 2016 model years, and "have the best combination of dependability and safety ratings, ownership costs, positive reviews from critics when the vehicles were new, and available tech that can help prevent crashes or lessen their severity."
You can see the picks below.
Best Car for Teens Under $20,000: 2019 Hyundai Accent
Credit: Bloomberg/Tomohiro Ohsumi
The Hyundai Accent, which ranks No. 2 on U.S. News' overall rankings of subcompact cars, is the top pick for parents looking for an inexpensive new car for their teen.
Best Car for Teens $20,000 to $25,000: 2019 Volkswagen Jetta
Credit: Maury/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock/Maury/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The Volkswagen Jetta ranks 10th on the magazine's list of compact cars, and best out of those that cost between $20,000 to $25,000.
Best SUV for Teens $20,000 to $25,000: 2019 Honda HR-V
Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
The magazine's top pick for an SUV for teens costing between $20,000 and $25,000 is the Honda HR-V, which is No. 8 on the subcompact SUV list overall.
Best Car for Teens $25,000 to $30,000: 2019 Kia Forte
Credit: Linda Rosier
The Kia Forte, ranked as the top compact car by U.S. News, also is the magazine's top pick for cars costing between $25,000 and $30,000.
Best SUV for Teens $25,000 to $30,000: 2020 Kia Soul
Credit: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
The 2020 version of the Kia Soul was the top pick for SUVs that cost between $25,000 and $30,000, and also selected as the top subcompact SUV overall.
Best Car for Teens $30,000 to $35,000: 2019 Toyota Camry
Credit: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc./David Dewhurst Photography
The magazine's top pick for midsize cars, the Toyota Camry, was also the top pick for teens among cars costing between $30,000 and $35,000.
Best SUV for Teens $30,000 to $35,000: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
Credit: Linda Rosier
The Hyundai Santa Fe was the top pick among SUVs for teens costing $30,000 to $35,000, and ranked No. 5 on midsize SUVs overall.
Best Car for Teens $35,000 to $40,000: 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Credit: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc./David Dewhurst Photography
The magazine's top pick for a hybrid or electric car overall is their top pick for a car for teens that costs between $35,000 to $40,000.
Best SUV for Teens $35,000 to $40,000: 2019 Toyota RAV4
Credit: Linda Rosier
The Toyota RAV4, named by the magazine as the third-best compact SUV overall, is the top SUV for teens that costs between $35,000 and $40,000.
Used Small Cars: 2016 Toyota Prius
Credit: Getty Images/Bryan Thomas
The Toyota Prius' 2016 models was picked as the top used small car for teens.
Used Small SUVs: 2016 Hyundai Tucson
Credit: TNS/Hyundai
Among used small SUVs, the 2016 Hyundai Tucson was the magazine's top pick for teens.
Used Midsize Cars: 2016 Toyota Camry/Camry Hybrid
Credit: Anthony Lanzilote
The 2016 model of the Toyota Camry, and its hybrid version, are the pick among midsized used cars for teens.
Used Midsize SUVs: 2015 Chevy Traverse
Credit: Anthony Lanzilote
Among used midsize SUVs, the 2015 version of the Chevy Traverse was rated the best for teens.
Used Large Cars: 2016 Buick LaCrosse
Credit: Anthony Lanzilote
The 2016 model of the Buick LaCrosse is U.S. News' top pick for a large used car for a teen.