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.