Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.I recently talked with a good friend about his teenage son getting his driver's license in October, after his 16th birthday. He lamented the impending teen driver insurance costs, as much as $3,600+ if they piggyback onto the parents' policy. As if that wasn't enough to be concerned about. Then comes the problem of what kind of car they should drive. Of course, the new driver could always just drive what you have, but maybe you don't want them to helm your new BMW or a torquey EV. What then? As someone who writes about cars for a living, I have a much longer list of vehicles I would never put a teenager in than ones I would.MazdaWell, my wife and will have a new driver in the family in about a year, and the thought of my daughter driving has us a little nervous. We have to entertain the idea of what she would drive. Of course, the primary concerns are vehicle safety, price, insurance costs, minimal technological distractions and reliability. It also can't be embarrassing to drive, an important criteria for my daughter. Here are the five I keep coming back to, all findable under $20,000 with patience.2020 Toyota Camry — IIHS Top Safety Pick+ToyotaThe Camry is the boring answer, but it's just so damned good at everything else but actual driving excitement. It doesn't draw attention, nor does it look racy in any way. It's more about space and reliability than anything else. The 203 hp I4 isn't weak sauce, but it also won't get the driver in any trouble.ToyotaThe 2020 Camry earned the IIHS's highest honor, Top Safety Pick+, with no related headlight or option-package caveats. Every 2020 Camry also came with Toyota Safety Sense P as standard equipment, so automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert with steering assist, and adaptive cruise are guaranteed. KBB pegs base L and LE trims starting around $17,000 to $17,600, though national listing averages run closer to $20,000, so shop LE and SE for the best deals and the highest reliability.2022 Honda Civic — IIHS Top Safety Pick+HondaAdvertisementAdvertisementOkay, so maybe this one is for me. I just love the 11th-gen Civic for its great driving dynamics, steering, and that analog interior. The first year of the current-gen Civic is the car I would actually enjoy borrowing because it's low rent fun and still looks remarkably good. It swept the 2022 awards: both the sedan and hatchback took Top Safety Pick+ with no qualifiers. The 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine in the LX and Sport makes a sensible 158horsepower, visibility is excellent for a new driver, and Honda Sensing is standard.HondaYou can also opt for the upgraded engine in higher trims, but that pushes the cost well above the $20k mark. Actually, you'll need to budget carefully and aim for a higher-mileage LX to get under the budget threshhold. But the reliability ratings are strong, and the naturally-aspirated version tends to be more dependable. I'd love for my daughter to learn how to drive a manual, which you can get in the Civic hatch for 2022. Finally and importantly, you still get some of the best cabin ergonomics, a great driving position, and more legroom than a compact sedan/hatchback deserves.Thinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.2022 Mazda CX-30 — IIHS Top Safety Pick+MazdaIf she wants an SUV, this is the one. I don't want to give my daughter a crossover that's big and squared off. The CX-30 is a stilted Mazda3, so it provides better, higher-up visibility and also benefits from swoopy Kodo styling like the 3's svelte body. Okay, so it's not huge inside, but that should keep other teens from wanting to pile into the back. Along the lines of safety, the CX-30 took the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for 2022 with no qualifiers, then slipped to standard Top Safety Pick for 2023 as the IIHS tightened its side-impact and rear-passenger criteria.MazdaI will also want to borrow this crossover because it drives like a sporty, albeit low powered, car instead of a wobbly crossover, and standard all-wheel drive matters in Chicago winters. Base 2.5 S trims start around $19,250, and I would deliberately avoid the 227-horsepower turbo for the sake of reliability. It's quick enough to be spritely, has great analog controls, and there infotainment system is user-friendly and highly resistant to distraction.2023 Subaru Impreza — IIHS Top Safety PickSubaruAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Impreza is almost as boring as a Camry, but the more compact footprint makes it easier to drive, especially in hatchback form. Remember that it also has standard all-wheel drive, the only one in this set. The reliable Impreza gives up horsepower (152 from the boxer-four) and refinement to almost everything here, but everything works pretty well. The 6.5-inch screen on base trims isn't distractingly huge, and there are solid physical controls for climate and audio.SubaruThe 2022-23 Impreza wagon earned Top Safety Pick with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; the sedan was not on that list, so I would steer toward the five-door hatchback. It's shorter, more capacious with the hatchback, and comes with standard EyeSight safety tech. KBB starts sedans around $17,000, with cleaner examples near $20,000.2020 Mazda6 — IIHS Top Safety Pick+Zac PalmerMy own 2016 Mazda6 has been solid, but I'd like my daughter to benefit from improved safety tech and an improved cabin and infotainment. The 2020 Mazda6 received a refresh inside and out. It's the value play, and it went out on a high note with a 2020-21 Top Safety Pick+. It also comes standard with automatic emergency braking, front collision warning with brake assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning & lane-keep assist.Zac PalmerThe 6 is almost as roomy as the Camry, and it also drives better. The naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter engine is the way to go for reliability. Mazda killed the beloved 6 after 2021, which suppresses resale prices, so a genuinely upscale midsize sedan with a great interior can be had cheaply. KBB lists the Sport trim near $15,150 and even the top Signature under $20,000.Final ThoughtsIt takes some digging to find good used car that's safe, decently attractive, easy to drive, affordable, and with good driver-assist tech while not being overly tech-heavy. Remember that IIHS safety awards often hinge on headlights or optional crash-prevention systems, so check the exact year and trim level rather than just looking up the model name. There isn't a single car here that can't be had in good condition under that $20k mark, and they're all very reliable and well-reviewed. It's hard to go wrong.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Sep 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.