If you are going to declare something the safest car, you must apply standards. That first standard would be having many active-safety features such as automatic emergency braking.

The additional standards for a safe new car are good test scores and good predicted reliability ratings.

Many of the safest cars for new drivers are older models. These cars have a history of good safety and dependability ratings, and they were made between 2016 and 2018.

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Small first cars for new drivers

MORE: The Best Small Cars for Teenagers in 2021

People looking for a sleek sedan will love the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid. In addition to lane keep assist and forward collision warning, it includes blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert in their cheapest trim.

The 2021 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is a small car that includes automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist with its base trim. The SE trim includes blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

It isn't surprising that the 2021 Nissan Altima, a midsize car, earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. It comes loaded with safety features, and it got a five-star rating for overall crash worthiness from the NHTSA. Safety highlights include a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control on the 2.5 Platinum trim.

According to the

U.S. News

article, one of the best hybrid cars is the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid. It comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, which includes lane keep assist and automatic emergency braking. It also includes a Remote Connect feature for parents of new drivers.

The compact 2018 Toyota Corolla is a great first car because it got a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS, a five-star rating for crashworthiness from the NHTSA, and adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning comes standard.

Best large and midsize first cars for new drivers

MORE: 5 Least Expensive States for Teen Driver Car Insurance in 2021

If you are looking for a large sedan, you can try the 2017 Toyota Avalon.

U.S. News

named it one of its 2017 Best New Cars for Teens because of its many active-safety features.

If you want a crossover subcompact SUV, you might consider the 2021 Hyundai Kona. J.D Power gives it an above-average reliability rating, and the IIHS named it a 2021 Top Safety Pick.

The used midsize SUV of choice for new drivers is the 2017 Toyota Highlander. It's well-equipped with safety features, and it won the Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS.

New drivers in the market for a compact SUV that prioritizes safety should check out the 2017 Toyota RAV4. The IIHS gave it their highest distinction, the Top Safety Pick+, and it comes with a rearview camera on the basic trim.

New drivers in the market for an intuitive compact SUV might consider the 2021 GMC Terrain. Getting the SLE trim lets you get their Pro Safety Plus Package, which includes blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and automatic emergency braking.

The 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid is one of the top-ranked hybrid SUVs. It got top marks in all six of the IIHS's crash tests, and reverse automatic braking comes with the base trim.

The top-ranked hybrid SUV is the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. Blind spot monitoring is a standard feature on it, and it received top marks for safety from the NHTSA and the IIHS. The upper trim even comes with a 360-degree camera.

The midsize 2018 Honda Accord is a great choice for new drivers because of its top safety scores and many safety features. The base trim comes with a rearview camera and lane keep assist.

Regardless of how safe these cars are, the insurance premiums for them might be higher if a new or younger driver owns it. Fortunately,

Jerry

can help new drivers get affordable insurance.

Car Buying

Written By

Lisa Steuer McArdle · Expert Insurance Writer

Lisa Steuer McArdle is an insurance writer with over 15 years of experience writing and editing content in a variety of industries, including insurance and personal finance. Lisa specializes in taking deep dives into make and model-specific content that helps car owners and buyers make solid money-saving choices. Lisa has written over 350 articles for Jerry on topics including electric vehicles to classic cars. Before joining Jerry, Lisa worked in various aspects of the printing industry as a content writer, developer, and editor and earned her bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Lycoming College.

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