12 Of The Best Cars, SUVs, & Pickup Trucks For Teenagers Under $25,000 (New Or Used)

If you have a teenager who's ready and raring to drive, you might be worried about handing them the keys. After all, kids can be reckless, and learning to drive isn't always accident-free. If you're shopping for a new or used car for your new driver, safety is probably at the forefront, with budget following closely behind.

To check all the boxes, we've come up with a list of the safest cars, SUVs, and pickups you can buy for your teen for under $25,000. Crashes might be inevitable, but it turns out that some vehicles have higher odds of drivers making it out alive, and those are the cars you want your kid to drive.

The referenced rates for driver deaths come from a 2020 release by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which looked at driver deaths per million registered vehicle years for 2017 models and equivalent earlier models. These slightly older models are also more likely to come in under $25,000.

The idea is that looking at these historic ratings can help us find used vehicles that are as safe as possible for new drivers, especially since models newer than 2017 likely incorporate more safety features — and the fact that many have earned IIHS Top Safety Pick rankings. A more in-depth methodology is included at the end of this article.

As a Tacoma owner, I would feel good about letting my soon-to-be new driver take the wheel. Our family's 2018 Tacoma is a base model, but it came with features like lane departure warnings (the beeping will for sure keep you between the lines) and traction control. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done and can even handle a bit of off-road driving — or a teen taking speed bumps a bit too fast.

The best part? Toyota Tacoma had one of the lowest driver death rates among small pickups with model years from 2017 to 2020. Tacomas from 2018 to 2020 had some of the lowest driver death rates of any pickup truck, but it was specifically the double cab, long-bed, four-wheel-drive Tacomas with the lowest rate of fatalities.

As far as official safety ratings and rankings, the 2020 Toyota Tacoma won the IIHS Top Safety Pick for its equipment and features. This might be one of the safest picks that's also at an affordable price point. Third-generation Tacomas have high resale value, but Cars.com has dozens of 2020 Tacomas priced under $25,000. The gas mileage isn't fantastic, but for a pickup, an average of 18 to 20 miles per gallon isn't terrible.

Ford Rangers are another excellent choice for teenagers because they are smaller pickups with hauling power, but still get great safety ratings. Not only that, but you can easily find a newer Ranger for well under $25,000. Then again, older Rangers also have a reputation for being reliable.

Newer Ford Rangers are also apparently a worthy investment, based on safety ratings and prices. In the IIHS data, 2019-2020 model years of Ford Ranger Crew Cabs had one of the lowest driver death rates among small pickups.

While the Ranger came in after the Tacoma in terms of driver death rates, both trucks have far lower fatality rates than Chevrolet and Nissan pickups with similar model years. For teenagers, that's a statistic that offers some peace of mind. At the same time, a pickup that's a few years old might be less nerve-wracking for parents to send their teen off in.

While we were able to find hundreds of 2019 to 2020 Ford Rangers that cost less than $25,000, you may also be able to find 2021 and newer trucks that cost the same, again depending on mileage and features. Plus, the model in the IIHS data review — a 2020 crew cab 4WD — has an EPA-rated estimate of 22 combined city and highway MPG.

Although parents obviously want the safest cars possible for their kids, price is also a significant factor. The IIHS report listed car models with the lowest and highest rates of driver deaths; a lot of the statistically safer vehicles were either massive SUVs or luxury models. Because it's hard to find a huge SUV with decent gas mileage (over 20 MPG) or a luxury SUV at an affordable price, we had to skip some of the seemingly safer models.

The Subaru Outback stood out with the lowest rate of driver deaths among equivalent 2015 to 2018 models and was the safest non-luxury, non-huge SUV. The 2020 Outback also had an exceedingly low driver death rate, though it was classed in a one-off category as a midsize station wagon.

Outbacks aren't perfect, but they have a reputation for being reliable, and the driver death data is reassuring for parents. Plus, the 2018 Subaru Outback won the IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus award and is great on gas, with an EPA estimate of up to 28 MPG. A 2020 Outback gets up to 29 MPG, and you can find thousands for sale across the U.S. for under $25,000.

Heading into the SUV category, most of the vehicles with the lowest rates of driver deaths in the IIHS report were more expensive than average. As the IIHS itself admitted, "nearly half of the 20 models with the lowest death rates were luxury SUVs."

First up on the list of models with the lowest driver death rates is the Infiniti QX60, which actually had zero driver deaths per million vehicle years for the model year 2017 and equivalent earlier models (those between 2015 and 2018).

The data tracks, as the 2017 Infiniti QX60 was an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and previous years made the cut, too, with the 2016 and 2015 models also ranking as Top Safety Picks. One interesting tidbit to note is that in its reviews of the QX60's safety features, the IIHS repeatedly refers to it as a Nissan Pathfinder. Given that both vehicles are manufactured by parent company Nissan, their similarities are clearly not accidental.

That said, the Infiniti QX60 did have fewer driver deaths than the Pathfinder (more on the latter later). Infiniti makes its luxury QX60s and Pathfinders in the U.S., but the former may very well have some "luxury" features that make for a safer ride. Plus, the older QX60s that earned rave safety reviews are well under $25,000, even for years as new as 2020.

One luxury vehicle I wouldn't mind my teen driving is the single small luxury SUV that had zero driver deaths in IIHS' study. If you would rather not buy a tank of an SUV for your teen but want above-average safety features, a Range Rover Evoque could be the solution.

Land Rover doesn't often make the IIHS list, but that could be attributed to the organization's inability to test every vehicle, especially luxury-priced ones. Still, the Evoque's track record regarding driver death rates may instill confidence in parents that their young drivers will be safer behind the wheel, despite this SUV being relatively small.

Drivers report an average fuel economy of 24.1 MPG, based on Fuelly's aggregation of data, which isn't terrible for an older SUV. Fortunately, you can still find an Evoque for under $25,000, including newer models like the Evoque R-Dynamic or Evoque S, to take advantage of all the luxury and safety options, like driver-assist add-ons, pedestrian detection, and camera systems.

Some older Range Rover Evoques, such as the 2014 models, have had as many as 11 recalls, per the NHTSA – similar to a few other Land Rover models like the 2016 Range Rover and 2015 Discovery Sport. However, comparable small SUVs, such as the Mercedes-Benz GLB, have had as many as 19 recalls for newer models circa 2020.

As noted, the Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 are similar enough that the IIHS lumps them together in safety ratings. Yet the Pathfinder is slightly less safe when judging by the rate of driver deaths. Of course, the Pathfinder has also been an IIHS Top Safety Pick for multiple years, and it has some statistics behind its ranking.

The Nissan Pathfinder had the lowest driver death rate among 2018 to 2020 model-year midsize SUVs. In fact, for that range, the Pathfinder had a zero under its driver death rate, per the IIHS, which outranked many other midsize SUVs. SUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse, Subaru Ascent, and Ford Edge all had a six for driver death rate for comparable years.

Worth noting is that, in the IIHS Status Report for 2020, the Pathfinder ranked slightly lower in the review of 2014 to 2017 model years. While the Pathfinder was still in the top half of results (having a driver death rate lower than the average), our recommendation is for a 2018 or newer Pathfinder for more peace of mind with teenage drivers.

Some Pathfinder years tend to have great resale value, but it turns out you can snag a Pathfinder as new as 2023 for under $25,000. As far as SUVs go, the 2020 Pathfinder also has decent gas mileage, with a combined 22 MPG per the EPA.

While the Nissan Pathfinder had zero driver deaths based on IIHS data for model years between 2018 and 2020, the Nissan Murano was second on that list with a rate of only four.

That makes the Murano another excellent pick for safety-minded parents. Plus, there are some onboard safety features — including collision warnings and automatic emergency braking — and perks like heated seats and a touchscreen display.

The Murano also earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick award across multiple years, from 2021 on, which reinforces its excellent on-road performance. In the IIHS Status Report from 2020, Muranos also performed slightly better than the Pathfinder for 2015 to 2017 model years in terms of driver death rates.

Since 2016 and 2020 are thought to be some of the best Nissan Murano years, consider a 2020 model year when shopping for your teenager. The 2020 Murano has only had a couple of recalls to date, per the NHTSA, and gets slightly better gas mileage than the Pathfinder, with the EPA reporting 23 MPG combined.

Although 2020 is the sweet spot for safety and the fewest recalls, based on our research, you can get a newer Nissan Murano for under $25,000. You'll also find many 2020 Muranos with low miles at decent price points, making this another great first (or subsequent) car for the younger set.

If your goal is to get your teen a car — not a pickup or SUV — then the Prius Prime is one to consider. The Prius Prime had one of the lowest driver death rates among small cars between model years 2017 to 2020.

Granted, driver death rates are higher in the small cars category versus the pickup and SUV categories. However, overall, the Prius Prime performed better than other cars like the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte, which both had driver death rates more than four times that of the Prius Prime.

Plus, the 2019 Prius Prime won the IIHS Top Safety Pick, and the model has had relatively few recalls and investigations compared to other Toyotas. In fact, the 2019 Prime has only had a single recall, per the NHTSA, and you can get a 2019 or newer for under $25,000.

Not only that, but the Prius is one of the best-selling electrified vehicles in the U.S., meaning there are tons of them on the road. With the Prime being lumped right in there, it's not a bad option if you want your teen driver to reap the benefits of EV assist. According to the EPA, Primes can get up to 54 MPG using regular gasoline and up to 133 MPGe using both electric power and gas.

The Golf is one of the most successful Volkswagen models in history, and apparently one of the safest, too. As terribly as some very small cars perform in terms of driver death rates, as reported by the IIHS, the 2015 to 2018 Golf fared amazingly well. In fact, the car had a zero driver death rate for 2017 and equivalent earlier model years (from 2015), which is impressive for such a small car.

The IIHS also praised Volkswagen for its improvements to the Golf, given that the 2014 model year had an exceedingly high driver death rate of 63. A 2015 redesign brought the Golf into great-for-teen-drivers territory. From that year forward, the Golf was the only small car on the IIHS' list with a zero driver death rate, outpacing even large luxury SUVs like the Lexus GX and Cadillac Escalade.

Per the EPA, a 2017 Volkswagen Golf has an estimated combined mileage of over 25 MPG, ranging as high as 29 MPG. Given that 2017 Golfs also have roughly half the number of recalls as earlier years, this model year is our best recommendation for a teen driver, both in terms of safety and the maintenance that may be required. However, you can go newer and still stay under the $25,000 budget, based on our research.

While the Volkswagen Golf knocked the IIHS' socks off by earning a zero rating for driver death rates, the Nissan Leaf was another surprising addition to the list. The Leaf, a very small all-electric vehicle, is an unlikely contender when it comes to safety, but its ratings plus excellent fuel economy make it a great pick for teens with a commute.

Between 2014 and 2017 Nissan Leaf model years, the car had a rate of five driver deaths per one million registered vehicle years. That is reassuring to parents, but another perk of the Leaf is the fact that it's all-electric, so you won't need to worry about handing over your credit card for your kid to buy gas. While you might have to remind them to charge their car, a fully charged 2025 Leaf has a range of about 149 miles, or the equivalent of 111 MPGe (city and highway combined).

The Nissan Leaf was also one of the cheapest electric cars for 2024, so even a newer model will be affordable for families with teens. We found hundreds of Nissan Leafs on Cars.com for under $25,000, including some 2025 models. With modern styling, the Leaf is likely to turn heads in a good way, and if you live somewhere with solid EV charging infrastructure, you can't go wrong with a Leaf.

The 2017 Subaru Legacy won an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and it also had the lowest driver death rate for the midsize car category, beating out cars from Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Kia, among others. While the sixth generation of the Subaru Legacy (model years 2015 to 2019) wasn't the most reliable, newer years are ranked better.

The best news is that you can easily find a 2020 Legacy for under $25,000, but newer model years are just as affordable. Depending on the style (there's a Legacy Premium), mileage, and onboard features, you can snag a 2025 Legacy for $25,000 or a low-mile 2020 or older for less.

Most newer Legacy models have fewer than five recalls, per the NHTSA, which seems to suggest that your teenager won't be stuck in the shop (or borrowing your car) too often. Of course, the sportier and perhaps more exciting models do cost more than $25,000, so if you're looking at a brand-new Legacy, consider the package options and whether the base model offerings are enough for your teen.

Though you might not buy a Toyota Sienna for your teen driver, it turns out that letting them drive the family minivan may not be such a bad idea. In the IIHS study, Toyota Sienna model years from 2015 to 2017 tallied a rate of seven driver fatalities per million registered vehicle years, compared to 41 for minivans like the Dodge Grand Caravan.

The 2021 Toyota Sienna also earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick, but this will be a bit too pricey for our list. Minivans tend to hold their value well — as I learned when buying a 2004 in 2013 — but a 2017 is affordable enough if you need to buy a family vehicle. The 2018 Toyota Sienna is one of the best years to buy, according to our research, and can be priced as low as about $16,000.

As an owner of one of the admittedly worst years of the Sienna, I still wholeheartedly recommend it as a family vehicle. Plus, if you plan to share a vehicle with your teen as they learn to drive, a van might be the most convenient option for bigger families.

Starting with IIHS reports that relayed driver death rates by vehicle type and specific year, make, and model, we focused on vehicles with the lowest possible driver death rates. Next, we looked for vehicles suitable for teens, meaning they weren't too small, too big, or too gas-guzzling.

These metrics, combined with our price limit of $25,000, resulted in a list of safe vehicles, including model year recommendations based on models with low or no driver death rates and those that earned IIHS Top Safety Picks ratings.

We also avoided vehicles with excessive NHTSA recalls and investigations (compared to other vehicles in our lineup), as that hints at better safety and potentially lower repair costs (in theory, at least!). After compiling our list, we cross-referenced Cars.com to make sure there were hundreds, if not more, available options for each vehicle under $25,000.