For newly licensed drivers, driving safely is more than reassuring. But protection can come at a cost, and affordability suffers from newer protection and technologies, especially for a fuel-efficient vehicle.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and customer advisory publication Consumer Reports (CR) have updated their annual list of teen cars with 58 used features ranging from $5,800 to $19,900. The 2024 list, released early Wednesday, also includes 22 features for new cars up to $40,000 designated as Top Safety Picks or IIHS Top Safety Picks. Of the 70 recommendations, five are electrified (fully electric, hybrid or plug-in).
The only all-electric pick is the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 (for the base single-engine version) as the recommended new car pick. It starts at $37,700 and comes with automatic emergency braking. The new electric Hyundai has received the IIHS Top Safety Award Choose award.
Rebecca Weast, a researcher at the IIHS, is well aware that the Ioniq 6 is the only natural electric vehicle on the list. It’s on the list despite considerations about maximally electric vehicles that “typically come to their maximum power very temporarily due to vehicle mechanics,” he said in a phone call. For this reason, the dual-motor edition is excluded: “It speeds faster than necessary and is more expensive. The basic Ioniq 6 is already one of the most expensive. features on the list.
Electric cars tend to be “faster” and more expensive than more moderate sedans and smaller crossovers. But for a family buying a new vehicle, it’s a good idea to think about safety, now and in the future. For Families In the case of young children, today’s new car may simply be the result of a teenager with a driver’s license.
The redesigned 2024 Toyota Prius Hybrid and plug-in Prius Prime were other electrified features for the purchase of a new vehicle.
For the list, the IIHS and CR excluded sports cars and cars with “excessive” horsepower relative to the car’s weight. Large SUVs and full-size pickup trucks were also excluded, as well as mini cars under 2,750 pounds. “We don’t need kids on both ends,” he said Weast. La only pickup on the list is the compact 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz.
On the used side, the IIHS and CR split recommendations into “Top Picks” and “Good Picks” for pricing, all under $20,000. All of the used cars on the list also pass CR’s reliability, handling, and braking distance tests. such as smart crashworthiness scores from the IIHS and a four- or five-star score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Weast noted that teens are disproportionately concerned about single-vehicle accidents, especially in the first six months after obtaining a license. So while value and availability play a vital role in a teen’s transportation choices, it’s also vital for cars that can protect the young driver and others on the road.
Four hybrids (traditional and plug-in) were on any of the used lists, at just $7,100:
While this list is aimed at teens and new drivers, Weast reminded car buyers, “It’s just a smart list of smart cars for everyone. “
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