Clark Howard

New report: The best new and used cars for teens in 2018

By Craig Johnson
By Craig Johnson

Teenagers and cars can be an anxiety-producing mix — not just for the young drivers, but also for their parents and, frankly, everyone else on the road. So. it goes without saying that the best cars for teens are those that are the safest and most reliable.

Vehicles with safety features that help aid drivers and promote safe driving habits are at the top of the list. Along those lines, U.S. News & World Report has released its Best Cars For Teens report and it features new and used models with some of the highest safety ratings on the market.

Best new and used cars for teens in 2018

Three of the vehicles — the The Hyundai Ioniq, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage — all have available mobile apps that can notify parents when the car is speeding, is started up at a certain time of day or is driven out of a predetermined geographic area, according to the publication.

For older vehicles, the rankings relied not only on safety-minded features that assist the driver, but critics’ recommendations as well as pricing considerations. As for the 2018 models, they all have driver-assistance technology like lane-departure and forward collision warnings.

5 best new cars for teens in 2018

Here are the Best New Cars for Teens, according to U.S. News & World Report:

Cars

Price Range

2019 Honda Fit

$20,000 and under

2018 Hyundai Ioniq

$20,000 to $25,000

2018 Hyundai Tucson $22,550 to $30,000

2018 Toyota Camry

$23,000 to $35,000

2018 Kia Sportage

$25,000 to $30,000

5 best used cars for teens in 2018

Cars

Price Range

2015 Buick LaCrosse

$17,694 – $22,334

2015 Toyota Camry

$13,921 – $19,169

Camry Hybrid $18,528 – $20,868

2014 GMC Terrain

$13,164 – $19,944

2015 Buick Verano

$11,657 – $16,592

Clark’s advice on buying a used car

Money expert Clark Howard says it’s a great time for people looking to buy a vehicle — but there’s one thing you should know before signing the dotted line.

"After unusual run-ups in cost earlier this decade, the used-car market is once again seeing good prices return," he says in his guide to buying a used car in 2018. "My preference is for you to buy a two or three-year-old used car, rather than a new car. Because when you buy a new car, it loses value the minute you drive off the lot. Let somebody else eat that depreciation and buy used!"

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