U.S. News & World Report picks its best new cars for teens

(August 22, 2017) WASHINGTON — U.S. News & World Report today unveiled the Best New Cars for Teens. The eight models have the best combination of reliability, crash protection, accident avoidance features and critic recommendations.

"While driving is a rite of passage for many teens, it's also a major source of worry for parents," says Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. "We selected cars with top-of-the-line safety features, including accident prevention and crash protection technologies, as well as features that allow parents to track their new drivers."

The Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento both have smartphone apps that send parents alerts when a car goes over a set speed, outside a set geographic area or is driven after a certain time of day. The Chevrolet Malibu and Chevrolet Cruze include a Teen Driver system that gives parents a report card on their teen's actions behind the wheel, while the Subaru Outback has automatic rear braking, which can stop a car automatically prior to a collision while reversing.

All 2017 Best New Cars for Teens have forward collision warning and automatic braking, which can slow or stop a car when a potential collision is detected and lane departure warning, which alerts the driver if the car strays out of its lane. Lane keeping assist, which can also help keep the car in its lane, is available on the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Malibu, Subaru Outback, and Toyota Avalon.

To be named one of the Best New Cars for Teens, a vehicle has to have the best combination of reliability ratings, crash test scores, available advanced driver assistance features and top critics' recommendations in the U.S. News Best Cars rankings in its price category.

Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings for 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 over 65 million visitors over the past year, with the majority of consumers actively shopping for a car. Eighty percent of active shoppers reported that the U.S. News Best Cars site influenced their car purchasing decision.