Safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports narrow a crowded used-car market down to models that clear specific crash-test and handling bars. Prices on the list run from about $5,300 to about $19,400, with model years and build dates attached to each recommendation. Here are twelve used vehicles from the 2026 list worth a closer look.
1. Mazda 3: Fourth-Gen Value
Mazda’s compact earns a Best Choice rating in two body styles, the 2019-25 hatchback and the 2020-25 sedan, at a typical used price of about $13,200. That entry sits in the IIHS teen vehicle list, a joint IIHS and Consumer Reports ranking that has run since 2020.
Shoppers should match the body style to its own model-year window, because the hatchback qualifies from 2019 while the sedan qualifies from 2020. A car inside those ranges, priced near that figure, is the target for a first-time driver whose family wants a recommended car without a big outlay.
2. Subaru Legacy: Sedan With a Safety Pass
The seventh-generation Legacy, sold as a 2020-25 model, is a Best Choice used car at about $16,500, according to the IIHS safe-vehicles ratings. Consumer Reports handling and braking results feed into that joint ranking, alongside the IIHS crash ratings.
Older Legacy wagons and sedans from earlier years are not part of this endorsement, so the 2020 cutoff matters when browsing listings. Buyers weighing a sedan against the crossovers elsewhere on the list get a vetted midpriced option here.
3. Hyundai Ioniq 6: Electric Option
Hyundai’s electric sedan makes the Best Choice list for 2023-25 model years at about $19,400, as shown in the IIHS Best Choice listing. That price is the highest figure attached to any of the twelve picks in this gallery.
Because the Ioniq 6 costs more than most entries, budget matters more here than with the cheaper picks. The 2023-25 window is the filter to use when comparing listings, and cars outside it do not carry the recommendation at this price.
4. Kia Soul: Cheapest Way In
The Soul is a Good Choice for teens across 2015-25 model years, with prices starting around $5,300 for the earliest cars in the IIHS Good Choice entry. That figure is a Black Book median retail price from April 2026 for the 2015 model year.
A Good Choice is a notch below Best Choice, so the low price comes with a lower tier of endorsement. Families on a tight budget can still land an IIHS-listed car by staying inside the 2015-25 window and treating the starting price as the floor, not the average.
5. Nissan Rogue: Compact SUV Pick
The 2021-23 Rogue is named a Best Choice small SUV at about $17,200 in AutoGuide’s used-car roundup. The qualifying window is short, covering just three model years of Nissan’s compact crossover.
Buyers should confirm that a listing falls inside 2021-23 rather than assuming every Rogue qualifies, since neighboring years are not part of the recommendation. A small SUV at that price gives families an alternative to the sedans and hatchbacks that fill much of the list.
6. Kia K5: Build-Date Caveat
The K5 sedan is a Best Choice at about $17,500, but only for 2021-24 cars built after November 2020, according to AutoGuide’s teen picks. The production date is part of the recommendation, not just the model year.
A seller’s listing or the vehicle paperwork should show the build date, because early 2021 cars made before that cutoff fall outside the endorsement. Verifying the month before agreeing to a price is a small step that keeps a family inside the recommended group.
7. Mazda CX-5: Late-2018 Cutoff
The CX-5 is a Best Choice at about $13,100 for 2018-25 models built after March 2018, as detailed in AutoGuide’s parent-focused guide. That price makes it one of the lower-cost SUV endorsements on the list.
Because the qualifying window starts with a build date and not only a model year, early 2018 examples may fall outside the recommendation. Checking the build date before buying settles the question, and the long 2018-25 range leaves plenty of listings to compare.
8. Ford Bronco Sport: Rugged-Look Crossover
The 2021-25 Bronco Sport is a Best Choice used SUV at about $18,100, according to AutoGuide’s Best Choice quotes. The five-model-year window means a wide pool of used examples could qualify.
Buyers drawn to the boxy styling should treat 2021-25 as the filter when searching. Spending near $18,100 buys a model that earned the joint IIHS and Consumer Reports endorsement, which a similar-looking but unlisted vehicle at the same price would not.
9. Nissan Maxima: Midsize Sedan Value
The 2020-23 Maxima is a Best Choice midsize car at about $15,200, as reported in Carscoops teen-car tables. Its four-model-year window is narrower than those of several other entries on the list.
Listings from outside 2020-23 do not share the endorsement, so the model year deserves a check before any test drive. A midsize sedan at this price gives families a larger-car option beyond the compact crossovers that dominate the rest of the picks.
10. Mazda CX-30: Post-September 2020 Builds
The CX-30 is a Best Choice at about $15,900 for 2021-25 cars built after September 2020, per Carscoops coverage of the list. Like several entries here, the build date forms part of the qualifying rule.
Shoppers should confirm the build month before assuming a 2021 model qualifies, because early cars could fall short of the cutoff. A confirmed match puts a recommended crossover at a mid-range price within the span of this gallery.
11. Chevrolet Trailblazer: Small SUV Bargain
The 2021-23 Trailblazer is named a Best Choice small SUV at about $16,700 in Carscoops recommendation list. The window covers three model years, matching the Rogue and the Tiguan in length.
Buyers should check that a listing falls inside 2021-23 before relying on the recommendation. A price near $16,700 places it in the middle of the twelve picks, so it suits families who want a small SUV without paying the top of the range.
12. Volkswagen Tiguan: Recent-Years Window
The 2022-24 Tiguan is a Best Choice small SUV at about $18,200, according to Carscoops summary of the ratings. That is among the higher prices on the list, and the window spans only three model years.
Earlier Tiguans are not part of the endorsement, so a cheaper older listing does not carry the same recommendation. Buyers should compare candidates against 2022-24 and budget toward the upper end of the list’s price range.
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