Toyota Corolla and Avalon Named U.S. News Best Cars For Teens

Toyota models make up a quarter of the new list by U.S. News.

To this parent of two teen boys, a new car for a teen makes no sense whatsoever. Teens learning to drive need a vehicle with high mass (reasonably big and heavy), proven real-world safety in IIHS testing, and a low cost of ownership. U.S. News is a publication we respect, so we felt it was worthwhile to pass along the Toyota choices they felt were a 2017 Best Car For Teens.

Toyota Corolla - Best Car $20K and Under
Regardless of one's financial situation, giving a teen a car costing more than $20K is simply bad parenting. At least the Corolla meets two of our three suggested requirements. The Corolla is a Top Safety Pick Plus-rated car by IIHS and with two years of included maintenance and 40 MPG in our testing, it will be a cheap car to run.

Toyota Avalon - Best Car $35 - $40
The Avalon is the ideal used car for a teen. Heavy and large, but with modern safety equipment and Toyota's bulletproof reputation for quality, durability, and reliability. Why in the world anyone would ever saddle a teen with a new one is beyond our understanding. Still, U.S. News makes a good case for the Avalon for those parents that for some weird reason want to buy a new sedan that grandparents are known for loving. U.S. news says, "You and your teen may feel like a rock star driving around in what is essentially a less-expensive Lexus ES." Maybe rock stars drive different cars these days than they did when I was a teen.