Which new Toyotas made the Best Cars for Teens list in 2023?

July 20th, 2023 by

Is it about that time for your new teen driver to head out to the open road? It can be terrifying, we know. Setting them free without you in the passenger’s seat next to them can seem daunting, but the best way to give yourself a little extra peace of mind is to get them a car that you know is suited to first-time drivers

Luckily for you, Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) teams are making it easy. Every year, they work together to compile a list of the best cars for teens – new and used. This year, Toyota took a spot in nearly every category. We’re not surprised, and we’re also ready to help you find the right new car for your teen driver when you’re ready to visit us.

best cars for teens

What determines if a used vehicle is one of the best cars for teens?

So how do the IIHS and Consumer Reports come up with their list – what criteria do the cars have to meet to make the cut? Basically, they have to be safe. To paint a clearer picture, here are the points that used vehicles have to hit in order to be considered for the list:

  • Good IIHS safety ratings (especially in the moderate overlap front, original side, head restraints, and roof strength tests)
  • Features that discourage dangerous driving or risk-taking (for example, sports cars, cars with curb weights under 2,750 lbs, and large vehicles with long braking distances are not considered for the list)
  • Four or five stars from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
  • Above-average reliability
  • Above-average handling
  • A standard electronic stability system
  • A dry braking distance of fewer than 145 feet at 60 mph

The Safest Cars for Teens: Best Choices

To kick things off, here are the used Toyotas that made the cut for the Safest Cars for Teens: Best Choices list in 2023:

  • Toyota Prius (2014), Small Cars
  • Toyota Prius v (2015-2017), Mid-Size Cars
  • Toyota Avalon (2015 or newer), Large Cars
  • Toyota RAV4 (2015 or newer), Small SUVs
  • Toyota Highlander (2014 or newer), Mid-Size SUVs
  • Toyota Sienna (2015-2018), Minivans
  • Toyota Tacoma (2016 or newer), Pickup Trucks

The Safest Cars for Teens: Good Choices

And here are the used Toyotas that made the cut for the Safest Cars for Teens: Good list in 2023:

  • Toyota Corolla (2013 or newer), Small Cars
  • Toyota Prius (2013), Small Cars
  • Toyota Camry (2013 or newer), Mid-Size Cars
  • Toyota Prius v (2013), Mid-Size Cars
  • Toyota Avalon (2013-2014), Large Cars
  • Toyota RAV4 (2013-2014), Small SUVs
  • Toyota Highlander (2013), Mid-Size SUVs

What qualifies a new vehicle as one of the best cars for teens?

New vehicles need to be a 2023 IIHA Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick Plus. But that’s not all – here are some other marks that new cars have to hit:

  • They have to come with standard vehicle-to-vehicle automatic emergency braking.
  • They must have average or better scores in the Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings.
  • They need to get good scores in handling and dry braking tests (similar to the used cars criteria)

And any cars with above-average insurance claims are automatically excluded from the list.

Safest New Cars for Teens

Let’s talk new. Here are the cars that made the Safest New Cars for Teens list:

  • Toyota RAV4, Small SUVs
  • Toyota Highlander, Mid-Size SUVs

However, those aren’t the only other new Toyotas we’d recommend for teen drivers. Here are the new Toyotas that made the IIHS Top Safety Pick list for 2023:

  • Corolla
  • RAV4
  • RAV4 Prime
  • Venza

And here are the Toyotas that made the IIHS Top Safety Pick + list for 2023:

  • Camry
  • Highlander
  • Sienna
  • Tacoma
  • Tundra

Shop the best cars for teens (new and used) at Toyota of North Charlotte

Why wait? Shop the best cars for teens – both new and used – at Toyota of N Charlotte today. We’re open seven days a week at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. You can also call us for more information at (704) 875-9199!

Posted in Toyota News