Best 2023 Cars for Teens

Dependability, reliability, crash prevention and safety features that include parental speed control settings.

Those are the top considerations when buying or leasing a new or used car for a teen with minimum experience behind the wheel, and the top factors to get a vehicle onto the annual Best Cars for Teens list.  

I would also add value for the money – since five of the top ten 2023 cars for teens are under $35,000, and the top two are under $25,000.

All award-winners  are available with forward collision warning and forward automatic emergency braking, as well as lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist.

All 2023 Best New Cars for Teens are available with forward collision warning and forward automatic emergency braking, as well as lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist.

All winners also have teen driver controls or available smartphone apps that send alerts when the car goes over a set speed or is driven outside a set time period or geographic area.

These features allow parents to set limits for teen drivers and have an ongoing conversation with their teens about responsible driving habits.

Hyundai is Top-Rated

Hyundai won the most awards, with four in different categories. Across the eight new-car categories, three of the winners are hybrids, which should appeal to climate- and budget-conscious teens. In the five used-car categories, four of the winners are hybrid vehicles. With two award wins, Hyundai also earned more Best Used Cars for Teens awards than any other brand.

“Each vehicle that won a Best Cars for Teens award offers strong crash test ratings and helpful active safety features, so there’s a better chance of being protected if a collision occurs,” said Jim Sharifi, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars, which issues the annual list.

“At the same time, these awards highlight the cars and SUVs that have teen driver controls, which can help new drivers hone their skills behind the wheel and lower the chance that they will be involved in an accident.”.

About U.S. News Best Cars

Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars awards, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families.

U.S. News Best Cars had more than 61 million visitors over the past year, with the majority actively shopping for a car. More than 70% of active shoppers reported that U.S. News influenced their car-purchasing decision, saying that they trust our advice to be unbiased and that they would recommend our site to others.

Full disclosure – As an automotive journalist, ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter contributed articles for the U.S. News & World Report website for about five years.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA) and is a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter