- Mazda appears across nearly every category on the latest recommendations list.
- Used EV depreciation created several unexpectedly affordable safety picks.
- Forty-five used vehicles under $10,000 made the cut, including some fun ones.
Buying a teenager their first car used to mean handing over an old family hand-me-down or searching Craigslist for something cheap and hopefully reliable. Increasingly, though, parents are trying to thread a tougher needle that includes finding something affordable, safe, easy to drive, and not powerful enough to tempt a new driver into becoming the next viral highway video.
That balancing act is exactly what the latest annual recommendations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports aim to solve. Their updated 2026 list highlights used and new vehicles suitable for teen drivers, and there are some surprising themes hiding beneath the rankings.
Read: IIHS Blames Car Ads For Speeding, Ignores The Bigger Safety Problem
IIHS and CR identified 45 used vehicles under $10,000 that meet their safety requirements. Another 29 used models with stronger safety credentials, including higher-rated headlights and automatic emergency braking systems with pedestrian detection, can be found for under $20,000. The organizations say the goal isn’t simply affordability.
“We curate this annual list specifically for teens because driving holds extra risk for them,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist Rebecca Weast. “That said, the suggestions are suitable for drivers of any age looking to balance affordability with crash protection and crash avoidance.” But once you dig into the recommendations, one brand starts showing up over and over again: Mazda.
The Japanese automaker appears repeatedly across multiple segments, with the Mazda3, CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, and CX-90 all landing somewhere on the lists. That’s surprising given that plenty of shoppers instinctively associate Toyota and Honda with safety, but neither comes close in these findings.
The Caveats
Notably, the IIHS refrained from adding a few specific categories of cars to the list. Specifically, you won’t find small cars with low crash protection, sports cars, cars with a lot of horsepower, or large trucks or SUVs. That last one might sound like a safe box for a kid, but the IIHS rightly points out that they’re worse at handling, harder to maneuver in tight spaces, more dangerous for everyone else on the road, and take longer to stop due to their size and weight. The institute goes as far as to recommend avoiding them for teens.
Used EV pricing might also be one of the biggest stories here. Vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Audi Q4 e-tron, and Subaru Solterra all appear on the list with prices hovering around the high teens. Not long ago, many of these vehicles stickered tens of thousands higher. In a market where depreciation on electric vehicles has accelerated rapidly, shoppers suddenly have access to newer tech and stronger safety credentials at unexpectedly low prices.
Zoom out, and this year’s list says something larger about today’s market. The traditional “safe bet” brands aren’t necessarily dominating, EV depreciation is creating unusual value opportunities, and one automaker, Mazda, quietly appears to be winning a safety battle most people probably didn’t realize was happening.
BEST CHOICES — USED VEHICLES
Small Cars
Model Model Years Price Mazda 3 hatchback: 2019-25; sedan: 2020-25 $13,200 Subaru Crosstrek Plug-in Hybrid 2019-23 $13,600
Midsize Cars
Model Model Years Price Nissan Maxima 2020-23 $15,200 Subaru Legacy 2020-25 $16,500 Nissan Altima 2021-24 $17,000 Toyota Camry 2019-25; including hybrid $17,300 Kia K5 2021-24; built after November 2020 $17,500 Subaru Outback 2020-25; built after October 2019 $18,700 Hyundai Ioniq 6 2023-25 $19,400
Large Cars
Model Model Years Price Genesis G80 2019-20 $19,700
Small SUVs
Model Model Years Price Mazda CX-5 2018-25; built after March 2018 $13,100 Mazda CX-3 2020-21 $13,600 Mazda CX-30 2021-25; built after September 2020 $15,900 Subaru Forester 2019-25 $15,900 Chevrolet Trailblazer 2021-23 $16,700 Hyundai Ioniq 5 2022-24 $16,700 Nissan Rogue 2021-23 $17,200 Subaru Solterra 2023-25 $17,700 Audi Q4 e-tron 2022-25 $18,100 Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron 2022-24 $18,100 Ford Bronco Sport 2021-25 $18,100 Volkswagen Tiguan 2022-24 $18,200 Kia EV6 2022-24; built after August 2022 $18,700 Hyundai Tucson 2022-25; including hybrid $19,100
Midsize SUVs
Model Model Years Price Mazda CX-9 2020-23; built after December 2019 $16,200 Nissan Murano 2021-25 $18,000 Ford Explorer 2020-24 $18,400 Mitsubishi Outlander 2022-25; built after June 2021 $18,700 Acura RDX 2019-25 $19,600
GOOD CHOICES — USED VEHICLES
Small Cars
Model Model Years Price Mini Countryman 2012-24 $4,600 Nissan Sentra 2015-25 $4,700 Chevrolet Sonic 2015-19; built after February 2015 $5,300 Kia Soul 2015-25 $5,300 Hyundai Elantra 2017-25 $6,100 Mazda 3 hatchback or sedan 2014-18; built after October 2013 $6,900 Hyundai Elantra GT 2018-20 $8,000 Subaru Impreza sedan or wagon 2014-25 $8,000 Honda Civic coupe or sedan 2014-25 $8,100 Kia Forte 2019-24 $8,900 Subaru Crosstrek 2016-25 $9,000
Midsize Cars
Model Model Years Price Chevrolet Malibu 2014-25 $5,800 Volvo S60 2012-25 $6,700 Hyundai Sonata 2016-25; built after October 2015; including 2017-25 hybrid $6,900 Nissan Altima 2016-20 $6,900 Subaru Legacy 2015-19 $7,700 Acura TL 2012-14; built after April 2012 $8,200 Honda Accord sedan 2013-25; including 2014-25 hybrid $8,300 Mazda 6 2016-18 $8,400 Ford Fusion 2017-20 $9,000 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2017-25; built after May 2017 $9,100 Audi A3 2015-25 $9,100 Nissan Maxima 2016-19 $9,300 Lincoln MKZ 2017-20 $9,500 Audi A6 2016-19; built after January 2015 $9,900
Large Cars
Model Model Years Price Volvo S80 2012-15 $5,600 Acura RLX 2014-20 $9,700
Small SUVs
Model Model Years Price Chevrolet Equinox 2014-24 $5,700 Fiat 500X 2016-18; built after July 2015 $5,700 Nissan Rogue 2014-20 $5,900 Hyundai Tucson 2016-21 $7,100 Audi Q3 2015-25 $7,200 Jeep Compass 2017-22; built after December 2016 $7,600 Kia Niro Hybrid 2017-22 $7,800 Mazda CX-5 2014-17; built after October 2013 $8,400 BMW X1 2016-25 $8,600 Kia Sportage 2017-25 $8,600 Mazda CX-3 2016-19 $9,000 Nissan Rogue Sport 2017 $9,100
Midsize SUVs
Model Model Years Price Volvo XC90 2013-24 $6,000 GMC Terrain 2014-20 $6,400 Volvo XC60 2013-21 $6,400 Nissan Murano 2015-20 $8,100 Kia Sorento 2016-18 $8,200 Audi Q5 2015-25; built after January 2015 $9,800
Source: IIHS, Lead image IIHS / YouTube