The Best Affordable Used SUVs for Teens Under $20,000 According to Consumer Reports

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Being a parent isn’t an easy job, especially if you’re the parent or guardian of a teenager with a newly minted driver’s license. After all, teens are reportedly among the riskiest drivers. Chances are, then, you want your teen behind the wheel of a vehicle designed to put their safety first. You probably want to save a few bucks too. Fortunately, Consumer Reports has the inside track on the best affordable used SUVs for teens under $20,000. Let’s find out what they are.

How to choose the best used SUV under $20,000 for your teen

2015 Toyota RAV4 | Toyota

Now, Consumer Reports was very deliberate in its choices. In fact, to identify the best used SUVs for teens, it considered several factors. First and foremost, each affordable used SUV on its list must have earned a good or acceptable rating in the IIHS driver’s-side small-overlap front crash test.

Consumer Reports was also careful to choose used SUVs that offered the best all-around protection for inexperienced teen drivers. Fortunately, driver-assist safety features are among the norm these days, making it reasonably easy to find a used SUV equipped with them. Safety features you should look out for include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and blind-spot warning, Consumer Reports recommends. 

Consumer Reports’ picks for the best affordable small used SUVs for teens under $20,000

RELATED: What Is the Best Year for the Mazda CX-5?

As for the best used SUVs for teens? Consumer Reports highlighted several small used SUVs as worthwhile options for teens. Take, for example, the Mazda CX-5. Opt for a 2014 model or newer and Consumer Reports says you can anticipate spending roughly $9,300 on this affordable used SUV. Not only is it available with safety features like blind-spot monitoring and Smart City Brake Support, but the IIHS also tapped it as a Top Safety Pick+.

RELATED: If Your Teen Wants an SUV, Buy the 2021 Subaru Forester

The Mazda CX-5 wasn’t the only small used SUV that Consumer Reports included in its list of the best affordable used SUVs for teens under $20,000. Popular models like the 2015 Honda CR-V, 2015 Toyota RAV4, and the 2016 Subaru Forester were also included. While both the 2015 Honda CR-V and the 2016 Subaru Forester were tapped as a Top Safety Pick+, the 2015 Toyota RAV4 was recognized as a Top Safety Pick.

RELATED: Volvo Just Earned More Safety Awards on These 2 Popular Vehicles

Consumer Reports also included the 2017 Volvo XC60 ($19,200) among its picks for the best used SUVs under $20,000. All models are standard with a rearview camera. Safety features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning with brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, a driver drowsiness monitor, and road sign detection are also available. With so many safety features to its name, it’s no surprise the IIHS recognized the 2017 Volvo XC60 as a Top Safety Pick+. 

Consumer Reports highlights the best affordable used midsize SUVs for teens under $20,000

RELATED: Three Subaru SUVs Scored Big in KBB’s 5-Year Cost to Own Awards

Say your teen would benefit from a used midsize SUV. If that’s the case, Consumer Reports highlighted several affordable used SUVs for teens under $20,000. Among them are used midsize SUVs like the 2013 Subaru Outback, the 2017 to 2018 Kia Sorento, and the 2017 to 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. Each model came well-stocked with safety features and was recognized by the IIHS as either a Top Safety Pick or a Top Safety Pick+.

RELATED: Safety Makes the 2021 Mazda CX-9 Right for Your Family

Consumer Reports also recommends checking out the 2017 Mazda CX-9 if you’re shopping for the best used SUVs under $20,000. This affordable used SUV can be had with a slew of confidence-inspiring safety features too. These features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, active lane keep assist, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. It was also awarded the IIHS’s highest honor and was recognized as a Top Safety Pick+.

Buying a car for your teen doesn’t have to be expensive

There are plenty of used SUVs for teens under $20,000 out there. In fact, these are just a few of Consumer Reports’ recommendations for the best affordable used SUVs for teens. To find the best used SUV for your teen, we recommend keeping Consumer Reports’ recommendations in mind. We also suggest getting behind the wheel for a few test drives.

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Nissan Has Intern Sit in Stop-and-Go Traffic Every Day for Months – for Research

by Gabrielle DeSantis

New technology – like adaptive cruise control – doesn’t simply come out of thin air. It takes years of development and testing. While most of that can be in an R&D lab someplace, eventually, it must be tested in the real world. Nissan has been using its interns to test adaptive cruise control in stop-and-go traffic on the infamous backed-up highways of Los Angeles, California. 

Heavy traffic and car accidents are two causes of driving anxiety | Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

How does adaptive cruise control work? 

According to CarScoops, former Nissan intern Tyler Szymkowski could probably tell us more about it than anyone cares to hear. When it came time to test Nissan’s adaptive cruise control called ProPILOT Assist, Szymkowski was the man for the job. 

During his internship in 2018, Szymkowski would have to check his phone to see when he should hop out onto the highway. Unlike most of us, he wasn’t waiting for traffic to ease up. Instead, his goal was to find the gridlock and hang out there in his Nissan tester. 

“We would target rush-hour traffic,” said Szymkowski. “Each day, I would look to see if it was a ‘good’ traffic day and good for me meant bad traffic for most people.”

Are self-driving cars real?

Tesla Model Y | Ding Ting/Xinhua via Getty
Tesla Model Y | Ding Ting/Xinhua via Getty

RELATED: Is Tesla Responsible For Customers Fatally Misusing Tesla Autopilot?

Although “self-driving” cars have been the center of controversy lately, specifically surrounding Tesla, this isn’t exactly what Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist is going for.

Unlike Tesla’s misleading and ill-named AutoPilot mode, Nissan’s version is a hands-on driver-assist feature that can manage braking and accelerating on the highway and even in stop-and-go-traffic situations. 

Although this tech is promising as much as Tesla’s, what it is promising is likely much closer to the truth than Tesla’s, thanks to the mind-numbing testing of Szymkowski. 

He found that the car’s system would only bring the car to a complete stop for three seconds before it decided to take off again. If traffic stopped for more than three seconds and he had to use the brakes, the Nissan would have to be spurred into motion again with the tap of the throttle instead of automatically. 

“Customers were telling us that three seconds wasn’t long enough,” said Brittany Tessmer, a Nissan senior project engineer in advanced driver-assistance systems. “How long the system could sit and then re-engage to make the experience more seamless was something we needed to pinpoint. If three seconds isn’t long enough, then what is?”

How long did the Nissan intern have to sit in traffic jams? 

According to CarScoops, the Nissan research team sent our brave test driver out into the lion’s den 64 times. However, LA wasn’t the only traffic he had to endure. Szymkowski was sent to sit in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington, San Francisco, and Baltimore.

Not only did Szymkowski sit in traffic jams for countless hours over the span of a few months, but he also says he had to sit for hours waiting for roads to turn into parking lots. 

After all this time and research, the Nissan team finally realized that the time people spend in traffic is far more than they realized. The system was eventually updated to allow cars to stay stopped for up to 30 seconds instead of three. 

While some might think that making an intern sit in traffic every day is a bit cruel, Szymkowski says, “it was really cool that Nissan was letting an intern have an impact on a new emerging technology.”

His work led to this new system going into the 2021 Nissan Rogue and the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder. 

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2021 Toyota Prius – Tiny Hybrid With Big Safety

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Small. Powerful. Safe. These are the three words used to describe the 2021 Toyota Prius. Since it was first introduced, the Prius has proven itself a worthwhile car with its impressive gas mileage and reliability.

The Toyota Prius’ safety ratings

The 2021 Toyota Prius has higher safety ratings compared to most of its competitors and is considered one of the best hybrid cars. It has some of the highest safety ratings by far. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Prius a ‘Good’ rating in five crash tests, the highest achievable rating.

It also got a second-highest rating of Acceptable in its passenger-side small overlap front test and an Acceptable rating for its headlights’ ability to illuminate the road. The IIHS gave the Prius a Superior rating for its standard front crash prevention systems for the collision avoidance features.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Prius five stars in its comprehensive crash tests, with four stars for the calculated rollover measurement and four stars for the frontal impact. U.S. News ranks the Prius at No. 9 in Hybrid and Electric Cars citing its gas mileage and spacious cabin as some of its strong points. The only drawback about the car is its underpowered engine. 

How safe is the 2021 Prius?

RELATED: You Should Buy the 2021 Honda Insight Over the 2021 Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius boasts one of the largest cargo space capacities in the hybrid and electric car class at 27.4 cubic feet behind the rear seat. The Prius sits five people and has comfortable and supportive seats with ample leg and headroom spaces. For child car seats, the car has two complete sets of LATCH connectors that got a Good+ rating from the IIHS for its LATCH system because of its ease and versatility to use.

Its interior cabin is made of quality materials and has an attractive design with some plastic features throughout the interior. For entertainment, it has a touchscreen and smartphone integration technology like Android Auto. It also has a 10-speaker audio system, an HD radio, and a satellite radio.

This tiny hybrid car features an electric motor and a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that make 121 hp combined. The transition from gas to the electric engine is seamless, and you can use the car for most driving situations.

The LE and XLE trims have an estimated 51/47 mpg in both the city and the highway, and the L Eco trim gets 58 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway, outstanding figures for most hybrid and electric cars. The trims with front-wheel drive have an estimated 54 mpg and 50 mpg in the city and the highway, respectively.

It comes with three driving modes: Eco, EV, and Power, and all three make for a composed ride great for those who want a steady and stable drive. The Eco mode is recommended by reviewers who say it is both quiet and efficient.

The 2021 Toyota Prius safety features

The 2021 Toyota Prius added some advanced safety features that include a head-up display, front and back parking sensors, active park assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Other advanced safety features include pedestrian and bicyclist detection, and road-sign recognition. With cruise control and lane departure assist, Prius 2021 is packed with prime safety features. 

Not forgetting the anti-lock brakes in this model automatically sense when a tire stops rotating. It then modulates brake pressure to let it rotate, increasing its ability to turn while braking. To foster stability, Prius has a stability control system that reduces engine power or applies select brakes when the car exceeds its handling limit, preventing the driver from losing control.

Besides that, the airbag system is outstanding. This car contains front, side, overhead, and knee airbags that offer complete driver protection during a collision.

The 2021 Toyota Prius continues to prove itself a car worth noticing, especially when it comes to safety. With overall high scores from both the IIHS and the NHTSA during crash tests, this small car is one of the safest around.

Its safety features, such as pedestrian and bicyclist detection, headlights, and automatic braking, together with the multiple airbags, protect both the driver and pedestrians in case of a crash. It also has good mileage and a decent engine, the perfect small car for both city and highway driving.

The post 2021 Toyota Prius – Tiny Hybrid With Big Safety appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

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2021 Ford Bronco Just Bucked the Haters by Disrespecting Hell’s Gate

by Gabrielle DeSantis

As hundreds of thousands of 2021 Ford Bronco customers wait for their SUVs to be delivered, Ford makes sure that no one forgets why they are so excited about the Bronco. We have seen multiple PR stunts from Ford, like crashing the Easter Jeep Safari. Now we see this video of Loren Healey taking a stock Bronco up Hell’s Gate backward. 

2021 Ford Bronco Hell’s Gate | Loren Healey

The 2021 Ford Bronco just disrespected Hell’s Gate

a red Hummer H1 traversing Hell's Revenge Moab
Hummer H1 on Hell’s Revenge | Getty Images

Hell’s Gate is one of the more infamous trails in the off-roading wonderland that is Moab, Utah. These stone crevasse has bested many serious 4x4s, but between the strength of the 2021 Ford Bronco and professional off-road racer Loren Healy, Hell’s Gate got conquered in reverse. 

The thing about off-roading videos is that they often look much easier and less dramatic than what was happening in real life. This video is a very frustrating example of that, indeed. Healey makes this bit of gnarly off-roading look like he’s backing into a parking spot at Wal-Mart. 

Hell’s Gate regularly bests supped-up rock crawlers. The pass is steep and made of pure rock. According to The Drive, grip isn’t really the issue. What makes this climb hard is the fact that the rock is in a mini valley shape and requires a flexible suspension, good tires, and a couple of steady hands and feet. 

However, doing it backward is something altogether different. It takes all the same things as driving it regularly, plus the fact that the controls are now backward and the driver can’t see to place tires. 

Is the Ford Bronco good off-road? 

2021 Ford Bronco
2021 Ford Bronco | Ford

RELATED: The 2021 Ford Bronco Is Changing Its Coolest Accessory to Appease Customers

Every bit of information we’ve gotten about the 2021 Ford Bronco points toward not only a great off-roader but an all-time great. According to Motor1, the finalized specs for the Bronco show some really promising features.

The base model comes with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder making 300 hp and 325 pound-feet of torque paired with either the 10-speed automatic transmission or a seven-speed manual.

The optional up-ticket turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 makes 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the smaller turbo-four, the V6 can only be paired with the automatic 10-speed. 

For dedicated off-roaders, there is the Sasquatch package which a hardcore off-road package. The Sasquatch package includes 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires on 17-inch bead-lock-capable wheels, Dana electronic locking differentials for both axles, Bilstein shocks, and a 4.7:1 final drive ratio. The only downside other than the $4,995 upcharge is the decreased fuel economy. 

Hell’s Gate, Schmel’s Gate

Although doing Hell’s Gate backward is completely nuts, Hell’s Gate is much more of a challenge of skill and mettle than it is fancy equipment. We saw the Bronco Sport – the baby brother to the big Bronco – run Hell’s Gate not too long ago. Granted, the baby Bronco didn’t huck in reverse as Loren Healey did here.

Doing it backward proves that not only is Loren Healey a master off-roader, but that the 2021 Ford Bronco has somehow not been overhyped. The hype is intense, but it all might be warranted. 

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