As far as luxury vehicles go, the Lexus IS 300
is a surprisingly smart choice for first-time drivers. While some luxury vehicles are all bark but no bite under their shiny exteriors and plush leather seating, Lexus has continually proven itself as a dependable manufacturer that remains tech-forward without skimping on the fundamentals. In fact, Consumer Reports rated the Lexus brand second overall in their most recent annual auto reliability rankings.
The Lexus IS 300, specifically, lives up to its manufacturer’s reputation for reliability with an impressive 83/100 reliability score from J.D. Power, along with the site’s #1 rating for compact premium cars.
Additionally, the latest IS 300 earned a 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was awarded the highest safety honor from the IIHS.
All those stats mean that you can rely on a Lexus IS 300 to keep your teen driver safe—and that her first car can be one that lasts her for years to come.
The drawback? The IS 300 is among the most expensive Lexus vehicles to insure, with an estimated $2,000/year in annual insurance costs. And that’s before you factor in the extra cost of adding a teen driver
to your car insurance
policy.