10 of the Safest Cars for Teenagers to Drive

When you and your teen are shopping for a new car, safety should be the top priority. The increase in smart technologies in vehicles means there are more ways today to help keep young drivers safe.

The 10 small and midsize cars listed below are top safety picks by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), of which Nationwide is proud to be a member. These models won Top Safety Pick+ for 2025 by meeting the following criteria:

• Good rating: Small overlap front test
• Good rating: Updated moderate overlap front test
• Good rating: Updated side test
• Acceptable or good rating: Headlights standard
• Acceptable or good rating: Pedestrian front crash prevention test [1]

Looking for a first car for your teen? Check out some of the safest cars for teenage drivers.

Safest new small cars for teens

Here are six of the IIHS’s top safety picks for new, small cars:

1. 2025 Honda Civic 4-door hatchback
2. 2025 Hyundai Elantra 4-door sedan (vehicles built after October 2024)
3. 2025 Kia K4 4-door sedan
4. 2025 Mazda 3 4-door hatchback
5. 2025 Mazda 3 4-door sedan
6. 2025 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback [1]

Safest new midsize cars for teens

The IIHS rated these four midsize cars as top picks for 2025:

1. 2025 Honda Accord 4-door sedan
2. 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 4-door sedan
3. 2025 Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan (vehicles built after November 2024)
4. 2025 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan [1]

Vehicle safety features change over time, which means a car that’s highly rated now might not have scored as well a few years ago.

Safe used cars for teen drivers

Not everyone has the budget for a new car, so be sure to look at the safety ratings for used options as well. Like new cars, IIHS has a thorough list of best choices and good choices for used cars, ranging from small cars to SUVs.

IIHS also recommends using the vehicle identification number or license plate to check for outstanding recalls before purchasing a used car. [2]

Teaching your teen safe driving behaviors

Remember to teach your teen common sense and good driving behaviors, like limiting the number of friends in the car, keeping the music off or at a level that won’t be distracting and not using their phones while driving.

Once you find the right car for your teen, make sure to add your driver to your car insurance policy.

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