Best New Cars and SUVs for Teen Drivers in 2026

These safety-focused cars and SUVs strike the right balance of protection, practicality, and ease of driving.

Choosing an appropriate vehicle for a teen driver means balancing numerous factors. Parents want good crash protection and modern safety technology, but they should also be looking for vehicles that are easy to drive (and park) and unlikely to encourage risky behavior.

For our list of the best cars and SUVs for teen drivers, we started with the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ winners awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). TSP winners are vehicles that perform well in IIHS crash tests, with good headlights and standard pedestrian crash-prevention technology, while TSP+ adds effective vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention as standard equipment.

Because not all families can afford a separate car for their teens, we’ve chosen several models that can safely serve everyone in the household—including of course your youngest drivers when they come asking you for the keys.

Small Car: Mazda3 (TSP+)

As car lovers ourselves, we feel that nurturing your budding automotive enthusiast is never a bad idea. Available as a hatch or sedan, the handsome Mazda3 is small and agile, easy to maneuver, affordable to fuel, and like most Mazda cars and SUVs, it’s also good fun to drive.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Mazda3

Subcompact SUV: Mazda CX-30 (TSP+)

Mazda’s smallest SUV is closely related to the Mazda3 hatchback and has many of the same endearing qualities, including good looks and an engaging personality (and a cramped back seat). Normally we recommend avoiding turbo models for young drivers, but the CX-30’s optional turbo engine isn’t over-the-top powerful.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Mazda CX-30

Subcompact SUV: Mazda CX-50 (TSP+)

If you want the Mazda experience with more space, then the CX-50 is a good choice, thanks in part to its upscale styling and a fun-to-drive demeanor. The back seat and cargo bay are smaller than many of its rivals, but then again, most of its rivals don’t have a Top Safety Pick+ rating. Consider the base non-turbo engine or the hybrid, as the CX-50 Turbo isn’t very fuel efficient.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Mazda CX-50

Midsize SUV: Mazda CX-70 (TSP+)

Mazda is technically not a luxury brand, but the CX-70 makes us wonder. Handsome and upscale, the CX-70 also offers good driving fun, plenty of cargo space, and a useful plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option. One caveat: the transmission shifter, which can be confusing. Make sure you take time with your teen driver so they understand how it works.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Mazda CX-70

Midsize SUV: Mazda CX-90 (TSP+)

The CX-90 is essentially a CX-70 with a third row. There’s not much space for adults, but if your family includes both teens and toddlers, it’s a great way to get Mazda charm with family practicality. Like the CX-70, it offers a PHEV option, and unfortunately, it also comes with the same, high-learning-curve shifter.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Mazda CX-90

Compact SUV: Hyundai Tucson (TSP+)

Our biggest complaint about the Tucson is its poky base powertrain, but that’s not the worst thing for new drivers. Hyundai also offers hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants. Install a home charger, and the PHEV can really save a lot on fuel and will do it without the potential range anxiety of a full-fledged EV.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Hyundai Tucson

Compact Electric SUV: Hyundai Ioniq 5 (TSP+)

A past MotorTrend SUV of the Year winner, the Ioniq 5 remains one of our favorite compact electric SUVs. Stick with the tamer, single-motor powertrain if you’re concerned about your teen engaging in stoplight drags. (Don’t worry, it’s still plenty quick.) Warning: Don’t let your kids talk you into the Ioniq 5 N, a high-performance SUV that’s best left to experienced drivers.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Hyundai Ioniq 5

Subcompact SUV: Hyundai Kona (TSP+)

Here’s a great candidate for your teen’s first SUV of their own. The Kona is cute and affordable, has plenty of passenger and storage space, and is easy to drive and maneuver. Stick with lower trim levels that have the less powerful 2.0-liter engine; it’s more economical than the 1.6 turbo and less likely to tempt your teen into speeding.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Hyundai Kona

Midsize SUV: Hyundai Palisade (TSP+)

All new for 2026, the Palisade is one of our favorite three-row family haulers. For a teen driver, the Palisade is reasonably easy to park despite its large size, and its Top Safety Pick+ rating can’t be beat. Buying used? That’s OK, too, as the first-generation Palisades (2020–2025) have either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick + ratings, as well.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Hyundai Palisade

Midsize SUV: Ford Explorer (Top Safety Pick)

This roomy, American-made three-row SUV is great for families and good for teen drivers, because it’s large enough to offer protection but small enough to be easily maneuverable. But it’s best to stick to the all-wheel-drive four-cylinder models, because the 400-hp V-6—especially in the rear-drive Explorer ST trim—is too much muscle for young, inexperienced drivers.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Ford Explorer

Midsize SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe (TSP+)

If your new driver has big-car nerves but you need an SUV that can haul the whole family, the Santa Fe is a great compromise. It’s more compact than other three-row SUVs like its Hyundai Palisade cousin, and it feels that way from behind the wheel. But thanks to its clever interior packaging, it still provides adequate passenger space for all three rows.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Hyundai Santa Fe

Midsize Car: Hyundai Sonata (TSP+)

Small cars are great for new drivers, but there’s an argument to be made for packing a bit more metal around your kids, and the Hyundai Sonata is a good solution. The Sonata is comfortable and pleasant to drive. The hybrid version hits 50 mpg, and an all-wheel-drive version gets great traction in the snow. Even better, it stands out nicely from look-alike SUVs.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Hyundai Sonata

Midsize SUV: Nissan Murano (TSP+)

If your kid is a non-conformist, well, so is the Murano. This unusual SUV offers styling derived from Nissan’s discontinued all-electric Ariya, and the interior is a surprisingly posh cocoon of futuristic design. It’s a grown-up SUV, to be sure, but its safety scores and modest acceleration make it a low-worry choice for the teens in your household.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Nissan Murano

Midsize SUV: Nissan Pathfinder (TSP+)

There’s a good chance some of you drove your parents’ Pathfinder when you were a teen. The latest iteration has burly good looks that remind us of the 1980s original, and although it trails its modern rivals in some areas, it does have a Top Safety Pick+ rating going for it.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Nissan Pathfinder

Midsize SUV: Subaru Ascent (TSP+)

We’ve long recommended Subarus as great foul-weather friends. Subie’s largest model, the Ascent, is (currently) the only vehicle in the automaker’s lineup to carry a Top Safety Pick+ rating, but it’s smaller than most three-row rivals, which makes it easier for inexperienced drivers to handle than most similarly sized SUVs.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Subaru Ascent

Midsize Car: Toyota Camry (TSP+)

The Camry used to be a family go-to, solid and reliable if a bit bland. It’s the same story today, except for the bland part. The modern Camry looks good and drives well, and it comes with both a fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain and a comprehensive suite of safety and driver assistance technologies as standard.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Toyota Camry

Small Car: Toyota Prius (TSP+)

If you want your teen to learn the value of independence, a Prius is a great first ride. Its 55-plus-mpg hybrid powertrain means your kid can afford to fuel it—cheaper still if you opt for the plug-in hybrid version—and its last-forever build quality will likely keep it away from repair shops for years to come. These charms, plus its surprisingly engaging driving experience, made the Prius the MotorTrend Car of the Year for 2024.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Toyota Prius

Midsize SUV: Honda Passport (TSP+)

A derivative of the larger Pilot, the Honda Passport is a handsome, rugged, and well-built SUV with legitimate off-road chops, one that’s great for teens (or families) who like to explore the great outdoors. Unlike many dedicated off-roaders, the Passport offers safe, predictable on-road handling, making it a suitable choice for new and inexperienced drivers.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Honda Passport

Midsize SUV: Kia Sorento (TSP+)

We call it a midsize, but the Sorento is more of a tweener, with interior room for a family but exterior dimensions that make it easier to handle and park. As with the Hyundai Tucson (a not-too-distant relative), the Sorento offers a fuel-saving hybrid drivetrain and a PHEV version that will run up to 30 miles (or thereabouts) on battery power alone.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Kia Sorento

Midsize SUV: Volkswagen Atlas (TSP)

If your priority is a family-friendly SUV that you won’t worry (too much) about your teens driving, the Atlas is a good choice. Interior space is its forte, with enough room that those same teens can ride in the third row when they aren’t driving. It’s not the most engaging SUV to drive, but with any luck, the mommymobile image will dampen any of your teen’s urge to show off to their friends. (Note that the Atlas will be updated for 2027, though we don’t expect a change in its safety ratings.)

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Volkswagen Atlas

Midsize SUV: Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (TSP)

If the Atlas is too frumpy, you might want to consider the smaller, five-seat Atlas Cross Sport, which is built on the same bones. Although the styling is sportier, the driving experience isn’t, which should—with any luck—help deliver your teens from temptation. Should the unthinkable happen, the Atlas Cross Sport wraps your teen driver in plenty of metal with good crash-test scores.

Read Our Experts’ Full Review of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport