Shopping for a teen driver? New 2026 rankings highlight some of the safest vehicles

If a teen driver is about to get the keys, new 2026 vehicle recommendations could help narrow down the search.

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its latest list of recommended vehicles for teen drivers, highlighting models that combine strong crash-test performance, safety technology and affordability.

According to the rankings, Mazda and Hyundai had more vehicles make the list than any other automakers.

For Mazda, recommended models include the Mazda 3, CX-30, CX-50 and CX-90.

Hyundai's recommended vehicles include the Ioniq 5, Kona, Tucson, Sonata, Santa Fe and Palisade.

Other vehicles earning recommendations include the Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius, Subaru Ascent, Honda Passport, Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Explorer.

The organizations say parents often assume bigger automatically means safer, but that's not always the case. Researchers recommend avoiding vehicles that are too small, while also steering clear of vehicles that may be difficult for inexperienced drivers to handle.

Experts also caution against sports cars and vehicles with quick acceleration. Teen drivers are disproportionately involved in speeding-related crashes, making high-performance vehicles a riskier choice for new drivers.

One feature researchers recommend looking for is automatic emergency braking, which can help prevent or lessen the severity of a crash if a driver fails to react in time.

The list includes 22 recommended new vehicles and 74 used vehicles. Many of the recommended used models can be found for less than $10,000, while all recommended new vehicles are priced below approximately $45,000.

Parents can view the complete list of recommended new and used vehicles here on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website.

The recommendations are updated annually and are based on crash-test performance, safety features and vehicle reliability data.